Acting Is Tall Order for Pitcher Ceterko

Steve Ceterko does some modeling when he’s not pitching for the Vigilantes. And about six weeks ago, he appeared on a “The Late Show” sketch in which David Letterman did a roll call of those who worked in the Ed Sullivan Theater.

Among those queried were three CBS pages--two of whom were Star Trek zealots. Ceterko was the non-Trekkie.

It was easy money for standing around. And, for a guy who makes $650 a month playing baseball, the money ($321) was pretty good. It was his first part, though he has auditioned for commercials with several other companies.

“I wish I could be [just a regular guy] but my height works against me,” Ceterko said. “Once you get to be about 6-3, you’re kind of tall. I go on a lot of basketball auditions because I’m 6-8.

“I just kind of do it for fun. I’m a baseball player, first and foremost.”

Ceterko has pitched pretty well for the Vigilantes. Opponents are batting .143 against him. He is 1-0 with one save.

Ceterko, who graduated from Columbia with a degree in political science, would like to be an actor but isn’t sure he would be very good at it.

“I have a phobia about public speaking,” he said.

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Michael Moore is the early find of the season. Moore, a nephew of NBC sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, signed with the Vigilantes on June 12, and hit home runs in three of his first four games.

Moore, 27, was released the last day of spring training by the Atlanta Braves, and was released by the Mariners’ organization on June 6. He spent the second half of last season with the Mets’ triple-A team.

“It was an opportunity to play,” Moore said of coming to Mission Viejo. “If I had to go the independent route, [Manager] Buck Rodgers has been around the game a long time and has a lot of people he can talk to if I play well.”

In his debut, Moore also made a strong throw from center field that prevented a runner from scoring from second base on a single, made a nice running catch and stole second base easily.

“It’s an opportunity,” Moore said. “My dream is still to play in the big leagues, but I’ve got to use Buck Rodgers for all he’s worth. Plus, it’s close to home.”

Moore, who played wide receiver at UCLA (1990-91, 25 catches, 448 yards), was a first-round draft choice by the Dodgers in 1992.

After Moore was released by the Mariners, his father, Dennis, contacted the Vigilantes’ Randy Miller, the assistant to the general manager.

“He said he heard Buck was here and didn’t know anything about the independent league,” Miller said. “He said, ‘I’m not his agent. Can we set up something?’ ”

Dennis Moore and Rodgers met in Newport Beach to discuss Michael’s future, and now Moore’s hitting homers in Mission Viejo. He was batting .259 with a slugging average of .593 and six RBIs after six games.

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Another move that has apparently paid off was moving Wally Ritchie out of the bullpen. Ritchie, 32, gives the Vigilantes a left-hander in the starting rotation.

“[Starting] will help me get a rhythm; it’s hard to get a rhythm out of the bullpen,” Ritchie said. “The problem if you’re not real good coming out of spring training and you’re pitching out of the bullpen, is you can’t really work on stuff in between because you have to be ready to pitch in a game, so it’s hard to work on your mechanics.”

Ritchie (3-1) was ahead of most of the hitters, pitched five innings, didn’t walk anyone and allowed only one run--a homer--in this year’s starting debut.

He had given up 13 hits, seven walks and nine runs in 9 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

In his second start, he gave up five runs in five innings--hardly a success--but the Vigilantes won, 18-5.

“Wally won nine games for us last year,” said assistant coach Steve Hendricks, who managed Ritchie last season in Salinas. “I thought he should’ve been starting at the beginning of [this] year.”

“It’s just a matter of him getting in starting shape instead of relieving shape.”

Ritchie, the oldest Vigilantes’ player, has played parts of four seasons in the major leagues.

“We’re one more bullpen guy--a closer--away from being real sound,” Hendricks said.

The Vigilantes’ bullpen by committee now falls on Ceterko, Josh Belovski, Kirt Kishita, Mike Parisi and John Homan.