Catcher Poor May Not Answer Dodgers’ Call : Draft: After being picked in 47th round, El Segundo player says he is likely to pick college over professional offer.

El Segundo High catcher Jeff Poor waited for the telephone to ring for most of Monday before going outside to play baseball.

On Tuesday, the phone was silent again, and Poor was beginning to think he would not be drafted by a major league team.

But on Wednesday, Poor’s father received a call from the Dodgers. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Poor had been selected by Los Angeles in the 47th round.

Poor batted .452 with six home runs and 38 runs batted in last season. Area coaches praised his defensive skills, and he was often compared with Torrance High’s Jason Kendall, who was picked in the first round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But El Segundo Coach John Stevenson was not surprised that Poor was drafted so late.

“It’s not really uncommon; this kind of thing has happened before,” Stevenson said. “He’s a very good player. He’ll do well no matter what round he goes in.”

Poor, who has already signed a letter of intent to attend Texas in the fall, sounded as though he would reject a Dodger offer.

“I’m not too happy, but I guess it’s something,” Poor said. “I’ll most likely go to college; this kind of stinks.”

A new draft rule gives a major league team the rights to a player they draft out of high school for five years. If that rule is challenged in court and overturned, Poor would get another chance to move up in the draft after his junior year of college.

“I definitely would like another chance at the draft,” Poor said. “I thought I was going to go sometime Monday for sure.”

If Poor does sign with the Dodgers, he may have to compete with highly touted Ryan Luzinski from Holy Cross High in Delran, N.J. Luzinski, whose dad, Greg, played in the major leagues, was the Dodgers’ first-round selection. He was rated the nation’s second-best high school player in preseason ratings by Baseball America.

But Poor, who played against Luzinski during the 1991 Olympic Festival, is not worried about the competition.

“I think (Luzinski’s) kind of overrated,” Poor said. “I saw him play. I think I have a better arm and softer hands behind the plate. He seemed kind of lazy to me.”

Stevenson also agrees with Poor’s chances against Luzinski.

“(Poor) doesn’t mind competing with anybody,” he said. “I think (Poor’s) a better hitter and better overall in every phase of the game.”