Chergey’s Mind Wandered From Alabama to N.Y.

The New York-Penn League beckons for Dan Chergey.

Destination: Elmira, N.Y.

Team: the Elmira Pioneers.

Level: Class A.

Chergey closed the books on a sparkling career at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last weekend, pitching the Mustangs to the NCAA Division II College World Series for the second consecutive year while setting five school records.

Forget all that, Chergey says. It’s incidental.

“All I wanted this year was to play pro ball,” said Chergey, a senior. “I was just hoping to get picked up by somebody--anybody.”

Chergey, from Thousand Oaks High, was in Montgomery, Ala., last week playing in the World Series when he got the call from Florida Marlins scout Grady Mack. From the time the San Luis Obispo team had arrived in Montgomery, Chergey wasn’t thinking about the World Series. He was thinking about the call, the call that never came the year before, that left him pained and determined this season.

Mack told Chergey his club had drafted the right-hander in the 22nd round. Chergey jumped for joy. The season wasn’t ending, it was just beginning.

Goodby, Montgomery. Hello, Elmira.

“I was surprised that I went that high,” Chergey said. “If I was drafted at all this year, after not being drafted last year, I figured it would be in the 30s.”

One hour after the Mustangs’ plane touched down in San Luis Obispo on Sunday--the day after the team lost to Tampa, 7-5, in the World Series final--Chergey met Mack at a local restaurant and signed his contract.

He had no legal adviser, no agent, no counsel. Just a pen.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be getting big money out of it,” Chergey said. “I figured I could add that high.”

He had dominated games with his near-90 m.p.h. fastball and slider in 1992, but the scouts apparently weren’t convinced of his abilities until this year, when he posted an 11-2 record with eight complete games and set school records for most wins (32), complete games (27), innings (457) and strikeouts (296).

All the while, Chergey had his mind on the minor leagues.

“But looking back, it was nice to stay here and finish up,” said Chergey, a social science major who is taking his final exams this week. “I’m going through ceremonies. Come Saturday, I’m 100% graduated.”

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Images of Fred Lynn: Although he has seen nearly everything in 42 years of scouting, Joe Stephenson still nearly jumped out of his Red Sox when Boston’s turn came in the third round of the amateur draft last week and Ryan McGuire had yet to be picked. The Red Sox selected McGuire (El Camino Real), UCLA’s All-American first baseman with 91 runs batted in, 26 home runs and a .376 batting average.

Stephenson’s mind flashed to 1973, when he saw Fred Lynn of USC still available in the second round. The Red Sox nabbed Lynn with the 44th pick and--in 1975--Lynn was both rookie of the year and most valuable player with Boston.

“For the last 10 years, he’s one of the better ballplayers I’ve got in the draft,” Stephenson, 71, said of McGuire. “He can be as good as Lynn.”

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Checking the fax: Rob Neal (Westlake), Chergey’s teammate at San Luis Obispo, was named MVP of the Division II West Regional with a .550 average and seven RBIs. Neal was three for four and drove in two runs in a 6-1 victory over UC Davis in the championship game.

Chris Lohman (Notre Dame) finished second to McGuire at UCLA with a .358 average. Fellow Bruin Mike Mitchell (Rio Mesa) hit .314 with 53 RBIs, 15 doubles and 12 home runs. Mitchell, a designated hitter, was one of 19 players invited to try out for the 1993 USA National team.

Ray Gardocki (Hart), who had only 10 at-bats in three previous seasons at USC, batted .311 in 61 at-bats this season. Trojan J.P. Roberge (St. Francis) finished with a .320 average, 11 home runs, 40 RBIs and a .778 slugging percentage.