Esperanza’s Dickerson Ends Up a Cut Above

Take a moment to go back in time, back to junior high or elementary school. You’re standing on the playground, waiting to be picked by your peers for a team.

One by one, selections are being made -- and no one wants to pick you. Humiliation is growing, and the feelings of rejection come through loud and clear.

Center fielder Joe Dickerson of Anaheim Esperanza was never one of those kids. Every step of the way, he was an all-star. He was among the first chosen for every sport because he was tall and athletic.

Last summer, however, something strange happened. Dickerson was among dozens of high school players trying out at USC for the prestigious Area Code games. He had hit a double during live pitching, so he was feeling good when the organizers gathered everyone around and started reading off the names of players selected.

Dickerson kept waiting for his name to be announced. It never happened. He had been cut.

He made the long drive home to Yorba Linda wondering what went wrong.

“I felt I had done just as well as anyone else and didn’t get picked,” he said. “I was a little upset.”

His parents greeted him, heard the news and did what good parents do -- they turned it into a positive.

“You should use it for the good and make yourself better,” was their advice.

So all summer long, Dickerson turned rejection into motivation. He gained 20 pounds by lifting weights and eating healthy meals. He spent hours hitting. By October, he was rewarded for his dedication with a scholarship to Texas, one of the top collegiate programs in America.

This season, at 6 feet 2 and 190 pounds, Dickerson has hit five home runs and is batting .426, tops for an Esperanza team that is ranked No. 3 in the Southland by The Times. He has become one of the most respected position players in Southern California.

Recently, the scout who cut him from the Area Code games apologized to his father.

“The guy that cut me said he made a mistake,” Dickerson said.

But Dickerson is grateful he got to experience what most others have gone through.

“It’s good to learn,” he said. “You learn both sides of the equation, both sides of life. It really helped me and motivated me to work hard.”

Dickerson’s skills are impressive. As an outfielder, he has done a 360-degree turn and come up with a catch. He has baseball instincts coaches rave about.

“He outshines people in the ability to hit a baseball and get a jump,” Esperanza Coach Mike Curran said. “He’s very quick and his instincts and reactions are tremendous.”

Dickerson had no home runs last season, so it’s clear his added strength has made a difference.

“He did it the old-fashion way,” Curran said. “He did it by working hard.”

Life is about dealing with good and bad moments, keeping your head up and learning from mistakes.

Dickerson finally got to experience what many sports wannabes go through and responded the way a successful athlete should, with increased determination.

“You should use it for the good and make yourself better,” he said of rejection.

If only he could have been around years ago to give the same advice to a dejected teenager cut from his junior high basketball team.

My revenge was to become a sportswriter.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.