Garcia’s Stoic Expression Masks the Confidence of All-Star Pitcher

There’s a quiet confidence about Buena Park pitcher Alfredo Garcia. A just-go-out-and-win attitude that spilled over to his teammates.

“Alfredo never changes his expression,” Coyote Coach Dave Meggison said. “He doesn’t pump his fist on the mound after strikeouts. He doesn’t get real emotional or yell and shout. If fact, he doesn’t say much at all.”

He just wins--a lot.

Garcia will pitch for the North in the Orange County all-star game tonight, capping a solid four-year career at Buena Park. He won 20 games in that time, dominating hitters along the way.

That was true this season. Garcia finished 10-4 with a 0.54 earned-run average. Even more impressive was the fact that he struck out 103 and walked five. That’s right, five.

“When he’s on, he’s in complete control,” Meggison said. “He just doesn’t talk much. I think he said two words all season.”

Garcia, who was drafted in the 19th round by the Chicago Cubs last week, let his work speak for him.

He had five shutouts, including a 2-0 five-hitter over Brea-Olinda in the first round of the Southern Section Division II playoffs. At one point this season, Garcia won five consecutive games, three of them shutouts.

“When the team knew I was pitching, they seemed to get more psyched up,” Garcia said. “I think they knew if it was a close game, we’d win.”

That could come off sounding cocky, but coming from Garcia it is merely a statement of fact. He doesn’t revel in his success, he just acknowledges it.

At practice one day, Garcia homered into the cow pasture behind the left-field fence at Buena Park. The standing team rule was the player who homers has to retrieve the ball.

This time, Garcia hesitated.

“I said, ‘Alfredo, you better go get that,’ ” Meggison said. “He looked at me and then, real quiet, said, ‘Coach, I think I’m going to hit a few more. I’ll get them then.’ He’s just a very confident young man.”

That self-esteem was developed during his career at Buena Park.

Garcia was called up to the varsity as a wide-eyed freshman. He had only been pitching for two years but was a fast learner. He even won a game in relief as a freshman.

Garcia was 3-2 as a sophomore and 6-3 with a 1.63 ERA last season. He also demonstrated pin-point control last year, striking out 63 and walking only 10.

“I thought last year was the best I could pitch,” Garcia said. “I thought maybe I would put up the same sort of numbers.”

Garcia achieved that goal by midseason.

The Coyotes thrived with their pitcher. They finished tied with Sunny Hills for second in the Freeway League.

Garcia was also invaluable as a reliever, as he often came in difficult situations. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to save a victory over Sunny Hills. Two days later, he beat the Lancers, 5-3.

He finished the season strong. Garcia pitched a four-hitter, striking out nine, in a 4-0 victory over Fullerton. Then he pitched a two-hitter, striking out 11, in a 2-0 victory over Sonora.

Garcia extended his shutout string to three with the victory over Brea-Olinda in the playoffs.

“I thought last year was amazing,” Meggison said. “But he was just phenomenal. He lived up to everything and then some.”