AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL / JEFF FLETCHER : A Few Late Bloomers Use Summer as a Springboard
For most players, American Legion baseball is nothing more than a way to keep busy during the summer and fine-tune their skills. But for four individuals, the Legion season might serve as a springboard for strong senior years.
For one reason or another, these four were relative unknowns during their junior seasons. They performed well enough in the summer that college recruiters and pro scouts will be watching them next spring.
* Mike Glendenning, third base, Woodland Hills West (Crespi High): Glendenning was an unknown during his junior season because he didn’t have a junior season. Grade problems kept him off the field at Crespi.
He might have stayed on the sidelines this summer if not for Dan Cey’s decision to not play Legion ball. Had Cey, El Camino Real’s star shortstop, played for Woodland Hills West, El Camino Real third baseman Justin Balser might not have moved to shortstop and Glendenning might not have gotten the third base job.
After starting the season with one hit in his first 10 at-bats, Glendenning started to roll after hitting a 380-foot home run at Burroughs High, Woodland Hills West Coach Bob Marks said.
“It was such a hard-hit ball that at that point, we knew he was unleashed,” Marks said.
Glendenning batted .365 with three home runs and 26 runs batted in during the regular season. In a District 20 playoff game against Valley North, he hit two three-run home runs and drove in eight runs.
Playing well in the spotlight of the District 20 and Area 6 playoffs should put Glendenning on scouts’ lists of players to watch for the 1994 draft. Glendenning, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, will play in the Area Code Games, a showcase for talented seniors, later this month in San Diego.
* Jon Schaeffer, third base-catcher, Woodland Hills East (Harvard-Westlake): Schaeffer had a good junior season with the Wolverines, batting .509 with four home runs and 20 RBIs, but he got little recognition playing for a 5-18 team.
He adjusted well to a move to third base for Woodland Hills East, showing a strong arm and sure hands. He batted .406, including .465 in the playoffs, with dozens of scouts and recruiters on hand. During one playoff stretch, Schaeffer was 17 for 29. He also will play in the Area Code Games.
“He hit the ball hard all season,” Woodland Hills East co-Coach Mike Clouser said. “One thing I noticed about Jon is he plays at a higher level when he is playing better competition. He’s a gifted athlete. I’m sure he’ll play Division I somewhere.”
* Joel Orme, right-handed pitcher, West Hills (Chaminade): Orme was the Eagles’ ace last season, but that didn’t mean much. He was 3-1 with a 5.09 earned-run average. He found the touch in Legion, however, posting a 5-0 record with a 2.41 ERA.
“He used to just throw the ball as hard as he could, but now he’s placing the ball better,” West Hills Coach George Lohman said. “His control is much better.”
* Scott Morris, right-handed pitcher, Westlake-Royal (Westlake): Morris played shortstop at Westlake but emerged as a pitcher over the summer. Morris, who throws a sharp curveball and an average fastball, was 2-2 with a 1.57 ERA and two saves in Legion play. In 35 2/3 innings, he gave up 28 hits, struck out 25 and walked nine. Against Area 4 champion El Segundo two weeks ago, he came in and struck out the side with the bases loaded.
“He can pitch,” Westlake-Royal Coach Mike McClure said. “There’s no reason this kid shouldn’t be one of (Westlake’s) top starters.”
*
Odds and ends: Valley North Coach Chuck Hatfield is expected to take over for Lee Conlee as Area 6 commissioner next season. Conlee’s three-year term runs one more season, but he is battling bone cancer and would like to relinquish the job early.
Hatfield has coached Legion baseball for 34 years, 27 with Sylmar. In 1973 and 1974, he took Sylmar to the Legion World Series. He has spent the past four seasons with Valley North.
“He’s the best man for the job,” Valley North Coach Pete Redfern said. “There’s nobody more dedicated to Legion than him.”