Single-Minded Schaeffer Now a True Prospect : Harvard Catcher Increased Focus, Earned Scholarship

Depending on whom you ask, Jon Schaeffer either burst into the spotlight last summer, or the spotlight burst onto him.

Schaeffer had been the starting catcher at Harvard-Westlake High since his sophomore year, but he never got much attention.

Last summer, he starred for the Woodland Hills East American Legion team that advanced to the Area 6 playoffs. And he played in the Area Code Games, a magnet for scouts and college coaches seeking the best talent among rising seniors.

In November, he signed a letter of intent to play college baseball at the university of his dreams, Stanford. In June, he probably will be selected in the major league draft.

How did this happen?

Most believe Schaeffer’s commitment to baseball finally paid off with a markedly improved game. Others think Schaeffer was always good, but no one noticed because he played at Harvard, not known for baseball excellence.

Schaeffer’s time had been divided between baseball and basketball for most of his life. He attended Montclair Prep from seventh through ninth grades and played both sports.

Seeking a greater academic challenge, Schaeffer transferred to Harvard before his sophomore year. He played varsity baseball and varsity basketball. Schaeffer was not a bad basketball player, but he was an exceptional baseball player.

“I made the decision that baseball would be my forte,” Schaeffer said. “I stopped playing basketball because Coach (Greg) Hilliard demands a lot from you when you play basketball, and I knew if I wanted to play college baseball at the Division I level, I had to dedicate myself completely.”

According to Nez Balelo, Schaeffer’s personal baseball trainer at the West Coast Baseball School in Agoura Hills, that decision was the turning point.

“The minute he quit basketball is when he turned it on and that’s when he became a better baseball player,” said Balelo, who played parts of six seasons as a shortstop in the Seattle Mariner organization.

Schaeffer went through two 10-week development programs at West Coast, once before his junior season and again last fall. For three hours a day, three times a week, Schaeffer and five other high school players did nothing but train. They took batting practice and did fielding drills. A running coach worked with them. They lifted weights. They even had sessions on nutrition.

“(Balelo) really sculpted my swing and took me from being a mediocre player to a guy who can make an impact on a team,” Schaeffer said.

Harvard Coach Jim Brink, incidentally, doesn’t buy any of this.

“I thought he was really good right from the beginning,” Brink said. “He’s always been pretty focused on baseball. (Quitting basketball) just allowed him more time to train. There’s not much difference in his attitude.

“He’s always put the numbers up.”

True, but his sophomore year he hit .428 with three home runs and 31 runs batted in against opponents such as Bell-Jeff and St. Genevieve in the San Fernando League.

Last season, the Wolverines moved into the Mission League, one of the toughest in the area. He batted .509 with four home runs and 20 RBIs, but the Wolverines were 5-18 and had no other prospects to attract scouts.

The most exposure Schaeffer received came when the Wolverines were no-hit by Crespi’s Jeff Suppan, a second-round pick of the Boston Red Sox. Schaeffer’s lone distinction that day was that he was hit by a pitch.

But last summer, Schaeffer played for Woodland Hills East, an American Legion team that won the District 20 championship and earned a trip to UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium for the Area 6 playoffs.

Scouts and college coaches saw Schaeffer go on a blistering 17-for-29 streak during the district and area playoffs.

“His offense improved immensely,” said Jody Breeden, coach of the rival Van Nuys East team. “I had seen him last year and two years ago and he struggled offensively. Through a lot of hard work and taking a lot of swings, he developed into a pretty tough out.”

Later in the summer, Breeden chose Schaeffer for the Area Code Games. He and 16 other Valley-area players traveled to San Diego for four days of the most intensely watched baseball of their lives.

“It was quite an experience,” Schaeffer said. “I’ve never been in a situation where there were so many scouts and coaches watching. There was a lot of pressure to perform.”

Pregame infield practice was a show in itself.

“(The coaches) said throw the ball as hard as you can every time, put zip on the ball and be crisp,” Schaeffer said. “A lot of the scouts would be there during infield, then you’d look back during the game, and half of them would be gone.”

Schaeffer said he had four hits in the four games, and since no one kept any stats, you’ll have to take him at his his word. Coaches from about 15 schools were sufficiently impressed to contact Schaeffer after the games.

One was Stanford, the school of Schaeffer’s dreams.

“Once I found out they had some interest in me, I was really excited,” he said, “but I tried not to bias myself until I took all my trips. But I knew in the back of my mind this was a place where I thought I could really have a great time throughout my college years.”

Schaeffer chose Stanford over USC, Pepperdine, Cornell and Harvard.

Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said Schaeffer will spend next season as an apprentice to catcher A.J. Hinch, the national high school baseball player of the year in 1992. Hinch was a second-round pick in the draft, but turned down the Chicago White Sox to play at Stanford. Hinch likely will be a first- or second-round pick and sign following the 1995 season, opening the door for Schaeffer as a sophomore.

But some scouts question Schaeffer’s ability to catch at higher levels. His footwork is poor and his arm is average, they say. Marquess disagrees.

“Obviously not many high school catchers have a cannon for an arm,” Marquess said, “but there are things we can do, working on his release, and we think he will be more than adequate at our level.”

No one questions Schaeffer’s bat. That alone will be enough for a team to take a chance on him in the draft. But he isn’t likely to be drafted high enough to justify the six-figure bonus it usually takes to pry players from Stanford.

A Stanford scholarship, after all, was the reason Schaeffer gave up basketball, the reason he spent all those afternoons with Balelo.

“I’ve sacrificed a lot,” Schaeffer said, “but all the sacrifices I’ve made have paid off. Now I have the chance to go to Stanford and I look back at all the effort I’ve put in and it’s really paid off.

“If you play well, things will happen. People will start to see you and recognize your abilities.”

* 1994: TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEWS C20-22