Hampel Can Get Poly Ticket for Dodger Stadium Return

The photo was taken during a moment of sorrow and distress.

Abraham Gonzalez and Joe Hampel, sophomore pitchers for Poly High, were sitting on the mound at Dodger Stadium dealing with defeat.

Off to the side, Chatsworth players were untangling themselves from a dog pile celebrating a 17-7 victory in the 1999 City Championship baseball game.

Hampel put his arm around Gonzalez and tried to comfort him.

“We’ll be playing here again,” Hampel said.

A couple months later, Gonzalez transferred to San Fernando to play with his youth baseball buddies. But he never got a second chance to play at Dodger Stadium.

Hampel, however, has the opportunity to fulfill his promise if he can pitch Poly (22-6-1) past Roosevelt (23-8-1) in a City Championship semifinal tonight at 7 at Birmingham High.

Hampel is 7-4 with a 2.55 earned-run average. He has assumed the role of ace and team leader after Poly lost its No. 1 pitcher and hitter, junior Eddie Baeza, to academic ineligibility with four games left in the Sunset Six League season.

For the Parrots to be one game away from Dodger Stadium without Baeza is an accomplishment in itself.

“Ever since Eddie became ineligible, everybody knew they had to step up,” Hampel said.

Hampel came through with his best pitching performance in the league title showdown against Grant on May 11, throwing a one-hitter with nine strikeouts in a 9-0 victory.

“Once I get into a zone, like I did against Grant, I think nothing can stop me,” he said.

That game was played under the lights at Birmingham. So was Poly’s nonleague game against Sylmar, which Hampel won.

Poly is 3-0 in night games at Birmingham.

“That’s my second home,” he said. “I love pitching there.”

Hampel, a 6-foot-1, 160-pound senior left-hander, has a sharp curveball that became more effective after he changed his grip at midseason. When he’s throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters, he almost goes on cruise control, setting down batters.

Hampel’s success doesn’t calm his mother, known for her lasagna and pacing during games.

“She can’t watch,” he said. “You’ll see her standing in the back of the crowd pacing and holding her crucifix.”

Coach Chuck Schwal has had more talented teams but never felt prouder about a group of players.

“They’re amazing,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had and how hard they’ve worked.”

Second baseman Zack Jones-Sims was supposed to sit out the playoffs because of a hyperextended knee. He hasn’t missed a game. Pitcher Danny Flores had never started a varsity game, then pitched a four-hitter to defeat Carson in the quarterfinals.

Now it’s up to Hampel. As soon as the final out was recorded Tuesday against Carson, Hampel realized the opportunity ahead.

Flores came up to him and said, “I got you there, now finish it off.”

Added Schwal: “I told him the door is wide open to show everybody what you can do. He’s ready, he’s focused.”

Two years ago, Hampel pitched to three batters at Dodger Stadium.

“It was real fun,” he said. “I walked off with a smile.”

But the smile was erased after Chatsworth won in six innings because of the 10-run rule.

“I felt like crying, but my coach told me, ‘You better not cry because you’re going to be here in two more years,’ ” he said.

Hampel and the Parrots are right on schedule.