They’re Armed and Dangerous : Carson’s Cole Has Flashy Record, Gutty Style

Before his first varsity season last year, Jason Cole dreamed of following his father’s path by pitching for Carson High and playing professional baseball.

Jason’s father, Steve, a 1970 Carson graduate, pitched for two Oakland Athletic farm teams in 1971 and ’72.

However, there was a setback. In February, 1992, Jason was a passenger in a vehicle involved in an accident. Jason suffered injuries and had to have his spleen removed, but was back on the mound as the Colts’ opening-day pitcher.

“I pitched to four batters, got one out and allowed two doubles and a homer,” Cole said of the outing.

But there was a reason for Cole’s poor performance. A visit to a doctor revealed that he had suffered a broken right wrist in the accident.

Suddenly Cole went from Carson’s No. 1 starting pitcher to scorekeeper and occasional designated hitter.

“It was very frustrating,” he said. “I felt like I had to get everyone out or I wasn’t doing my job.”

Cole has done his job this season. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound right-hander is 11-2 and 11-1 in Southern Pacific Conference games.

In Tuesday’s regular-season finale, Cole pitched a four-hitter to help Carson beat Banning, 4-1, and clinch a tie for the Pacific League title, its first league title since 1974. The Colts and Banning finished 12-5 in conference play, but Carson will be the league’s top entry in the City Section 4-A Division playoffs because it won the season series from Banning, two games to one.

Carson (17-13) will play host to a first-round game Tuesday, and Cole was named by Coach Mike Kline as the starter.

Kline said he has been impressed with the senior’s work ethic.

“He’s not a dominating guy,” said Kline, in his third year as coach. “I’m sure there are guys who throw much harder. But he battles.”

That’s why the Colts were surprised and disappointed during last week’s 13-1 loss at San Pedro. Cole, who has a 2.55 earned-run average, pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs on nine hits and two hit batters. He also engaged in a heated exchange with San Pedro center fielder Bryan Castaneda after Castaneda pushed him out of the base line before scoring.

“I hadn’t seen that before,” Kline said of Cole’s lack of composure. “I think it was a combination of the last couple weeks of pressure building up and realizing when we lost our second game to Banning (on May 6), that now to win the league outright we had to beat Pedro and Banning. It’s hard to do that.”

Said Carson first baseman Sabino Quintero: “I didn’t see the fire in him that we’ve seen every game.”

Before beating Banning on Tuesday, Cole said he was nervous.

“I have to win,” he said. “I feel all the pressure is on me. That’s what I think I felt last game, and I think that’s what got to me.”

Cole easily handled Banning, striking out four batters and walking none.

Cole, who said he has a 3.4 grade-point average this year, has not been recruited by four-year colleges and said he probably will pitch for Harbor College next season.

“El Camino wants him and Harbor wants him, but that’s it so far,” Kline said. “Hopefully we’ll get lucky and someone else will want him.”

Steve Cole, 41, a gasoline blender for Arco L.A. Refinery, said he was similar to his son physically as a senior at Carson, but he thinks Jason has more talent.

“He has a far better pick-off move than I did,” said the elder Cole, whose professional career was cut short by arm problems. “And he plays the game with a little more intensity than I did.”

Cole’s success has come unexpectedly to many, considering he was out most of last season.

“I was a little surprised that he had gone this far and won this many games,” Banning Coach Syl Saavedra said.

Cole even surprised himself.

“I didn’t think I was going to do this good after last year,” he said.

The senior doesn’t seek attention, however, often snubbing party invitations.

“It’s not his thing,” Quintero said. “His thing is baseball.”