Worley Soon to Take Wing With Orioles

Quartz Hill High right-hander Roger Worley, the top area high school player selected in the major league amateur draft earlier this month, said Tuesday he will sign this week with the Baltimore Orioles.

Also, Crescenta Valley infielder Kirk Hagge has signed with the Detroit Tigers and Brigham Young right-hander Kevin Foderaro, a former Hart High and College of the Canyons pitcher, has signed with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Worley, a third-round pick, said he will sign a contract Thursday. Worley would say only it was a “six-figure” bonus, but it is believed to be about $115,000, plus money for college.

“I’m real excited,” said Worley, who will graduate high school today.

Worley will report Monday to Sarasota, Fla., site of the Orioles’ rookie-level Gulf Coast League team. He will go into the starting rotation immediately, said Paul Fryer, the Orioles’ territorial scout in Southern California.

“He needs to pitch every fifth day,” Fryer said. “He needs to work on his mechanics. He doesn’t need a complete overhaul, though. I look for him to improve quickly.”

Worley, whose fastball has been clocked at 90 m.p.h., was 5-3 with a 1.55 earned-run average in 1994 with 91 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings.

Hagge, an 18th-round selection of the Tigers, hit .416 with four home runs and 23 runs batted in for the Falcons, playing mostly at shortstop.

He said the Tigers plan to move him to third base when he reports Monday to rookie-level Bristol, Va.

“It’s always been a dream of mine,” Hagge said of playing pro baseball.

Hagge, who signed Monday night, turned down an offer to play at Cal State Fullerton, he said.

“I didn’t want to miss out,” he said. “I didn’t want to give up the opportunity (to play professional baseball). In case I got hurt, I didn’t want to wonder, ‘What if?’ ”

Foderaro, drafted in the eighth round by the Cardinals, signed Monday and was assigned to Johnson City, Tenn., of the rookie-level Appalachian League.

Foderaro was 4-3 with a 6.05 ERA for Brigham Young last season. In 41 2/3 innings, he gave up 46 hits and struck out 35.

Another area player selected in the draft appears to be close to signing.

Right-handed pitcher Joel Zamudio of Monroe said Tuesday he expects to complete negotiations with the Philadelphia Phillies this week.

Zamudio, a ninth-round selection, was 4-2 with an 0.85 ERA for the Vikings this season.