Curran, Barrett to Coach in All-Star Baseball Game

Esperanza’s Mike Curran and Ocean View’s Steve Barrett have been named the coaches for the Orange County High School all-star baseball game.

Curran, who will coach the North, has been the Aztecs’ coach since 1980. Esperanza has won one Southern Section Major Division championship and reached the title game twice in that time.

Barrett, who will coach the South, has been the Seahawks’ coach the last five years. Ocean View has won two Sunset League titles during that time.

The all-star game will be June 8 at Glover Stadium.

Lethal weapon: Bill Perkins, a pitcher for Fountain Valley, took heat instead of throwing it during Friday’s Sunset League game against Edison. Perkins, brought in to pitch in the fifth inning of the Barons’ 17-10 victory, also had to bat for the first time this season, prompting some comments from teammates.

“Billy has a weapon in his hand?” catcher Dan Hoppi shouted. “This should be good.”

Apparently Hoppi was unaware that Perkins had a 1.000 batting average on the junior varsity last season--one at-bat, one hit.

This time, though, things didn’t go his way. Perkins struck out on four pitches, the last of which bounced in the dirt as he flailed away.

“He had to swing at that,” Baron Coach Ron LaRuffa said. “Why delay the inevitable?”

Cut-off man: LaRuffa has promised his team that if they win the league title, he will shave his head.

“I told them that in private, but word is starting to get out,” LaRuffa said. “Attendance at our games has picked up.”

The Barons are 9-1 in league play and with four games remaining they are tied for first with Edison.

A little off the top, Ron?