Class Act

Three years ago, Josh Karp turned down a $1.9-million bonus from the Atlanta Braves and accepted a baseball scholarship to UCLA.

It was an agonizing but courageous decision by an 18-year-old who grew up in a Seattle suburb dreaming of pitching in the major leagues.

Many thought he was foolish to reject such a lucrative offer.

“Even I questioned whether he was doing the right thing,” UCLA Coach Gary Adams said.

There were risks. An injury could end his career. Lack of improvement could diminish his status in future drafts.

It didn’t deter him from leaving Bothell, Wash., and coming to Westwood. He made choices: Dorm room over hotel room; classmates over minor league teammates; studying world history over studying scouting reports.

Karp was convinced that college would better prepare him for life and provide experiences more valuable than a six-figure bank account.

“There were two things I wanted most--to grow as a person, then as a player,” he said.

Too many high school players think they’re ready to go straight to professional ball. Many fail because they are not mentally and physically prepared for the challenges.

“If you can’t take care of stuff off the field, you’ll never be able to do your job on the field,” Karp said.

In the last three years, Karp has learned valuable lessons. They’re the kind of cherished moments that have given him a foundation to be much more than just a major leaguer.

It’s an hour before USC plays UCLA at the Rose Bowl. More than 80,000 are filling the stadium. Karp is on the field with a few of his closest friends. He begins to realize he could be watching his final USC-UCLA football game as a student.

“We were taking pictures and I was taking it all in and it was a touching moment because I was like, ‘This really means something being here, supporting our school, being with my friends,’ ” he said. “Coming from Seattle, I didn’t know anyone. All the friends I’ve met, these are friends I’ll have the rest of my life.”

Karp, 21, is 6 feet 5 and 195 pounds. He throws a fastball 93 mph. He has a curveball that is close to major league quality and a change-up that could be his best pitch.

In two years at UCLA, the right-hander is 18-5 with 170 strikeouts in 172 innings. During the summer, he pitched for the U.S. national team and went 3-0 with a 1.82 earned-run average.

He enters his junior season rated among the top three pro prospects in the June draft, with USC pitcher Mark Prior and Georgia Tech third baseman Mark Teixeira.

Adams is more complementary, saying, “I can project him as not being just a big leaguer, but a Hall of Famer.”

Last June’s top three picks signed for $3 million, $2.5 million and $2.75 million, respectively. The Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Devil Rays have the top three picks this year.

Karp understands what’s at stake when UCLA begins its season Jan. 27 against UC Riverside.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I’m definitely excited. There is some pressure, but I think I’m prepared.”

Much has changed since he arrived as a freshman.

“I could just imagine being out in [Class]-A ball somewhere in the middle of nowhere, living by myself, playing with people I have no idea who they are, having to do all this stuff, wash laundry, take care of yourself, find a place to live, transportation, then be able to play baseball successfully,” he said.

He has mastered time management, from studies to baseball, from social skills to paying bills.

Karp is a history major. One of his favorite books is “The Secret History” by Procopius, a fifth-century historian who chronicled the lives of the Byzantine emperors. From Procopius, Karp found a lesson that relates to baseball.

“Procopius had this idea that Justinian was a horrible ruler and couldn’t do anything right for the people,” he said. “He was just one person, where the whole society regarded Justinian as this powerful leader who designed all these laws that remain in Europe today for the most part.

“Reading Procopius’ point of view on Justinian made me realize no matter what you do, there’s always going to be people that do not think you’re doing the right thing. I can relate to that because no matter how good I do or maybe I mess up once, there’s always going to be someone looking and seeing what you’re doing and writing about you or evaluating you like scouts. You have to live your life and do what you have to do as long as it’s good for you and you don’t have to try to impress other people.”

Adams said few parents would have allowed their child to turn down a $1.9-million signing bonus out of high school.

“Including Mr. and Mrs. Adams,” he said.

But Joe and Pamela Karp have college backgrounds and trusted their son’s judgment and instinct.

“They had a firm grasp of what college meant,” Karp said. “Yeah, money is great, but money isn’t everything. Money isn’t the answer to happiness.

“No one will ever be able to take away UCLA from me, and I couldn’t say that if I would have signed out of high school. I never would have had that background, that solid stability that I’ll have after I get out of here.”

Karp is enrolled in a social welfare class. The professor’s lectures are making him examine issues he never considered.

“She talked about class gender, racial tensions that are present today and the divisions,” he said. “It makes you recognize and appreciate what you have and makes you understand what people don’t have.”

Coming to Los Angeles for college opened Karp’s eyes and gave him a look at what to expect in the major leagues.

“This is such a diverse area,” he said. “You get to experience all these different cultures, then you go into the classroom and learn about it and you say, ‘I can relate it to this in real life.’

“I’ve been presented with situations where I’ve had to deal with different types of people, different characters and be able to relate. I think that helps you be more well-rounded so when I go out into the baseball world, I’m going to have to deal with different coaches, different managers, different owners, different shortstops, different catchers. It all relates.”

Karp said he has no regrets about passing on a lottery-size paycheck for a college education.

“I felt I had it in me to stay healthy, to continue to grow as a baseball player and a person,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything even if they would have paid me more money. This is definitely where I needed to be. I’ll have this for the rest of my life.”

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Eric Sondheimer’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com