AREA HAS A BUMPER CROP OF PITCHERS IMPROVED TECHNIQUES, TRAINING HELP LEAD PLAYERS TO TOP FORM.Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer Mike Kunes looks at the pitching in this area and smiles. ``Hernandez, Cordeiro, Shields,'' he says. Ivan Hernandez of Sylmar High, Chris Cordeiro of Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. and Jeremy Shields of Hart are three of the best pitchers around. So is Kunes, Chatsworth's top guy who will attend UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX next year. But there are so many more: Mike Jackson For the P. G. Wodehouse character, see . For other people named Mike Jackson, see . General Sir Michael David "Mike" Jackson, GCB, CBE, DSO, DL, (born 21 March 1944) is a British army officer, formerly Chief of the General Staff. and Tim Leveque of Crespi. Matt Harrington Matt Harrington (born February 1, 1982) is a baseball player who holds the record for the most times being chosen in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Between 2000 and 2004, Harrington, a top prospect coming out of high school, was chosen in all five drafts, but never signed of Palmdale. Jess Kozlowski of Westlake. You don't like the ever-decreasing quality of major-league pitching? Come out to a high school field this season - which opens Monday - and see the largest group of top-caliber pitching in at least 10 years. Thousand Oaks coach Bill Sizemore Bill Sizemore (born June 2, 1951 in Aberdeen, Washington) is a political activist in Clackamas, Oregon, United States. Sizemore has never held elected office, but has nonetheless been a major political figure in Oregon since the 1990s. says: ``(A top-caliber pitcher) is going to go out and throw 87, 88 (mph) and go out and win. (It's) not the ones throwing 80, 81.'' Kameron Loe Kameron David Loe (born September 10, 1981 in Simi Valley, California) is a Major League Baseball player for the Texas Rangers. At 6'7" tall, Loe is one of the tallest players in the game and also has a 7 foot boa constrictor named Angel which he keeps in the Rangers clubhouse. of Granada Hills. Billy McGrath at Birmingham. Shane Miranda of Camarillo. Steve Payte up at Lancaster. Carlos Reguengo at Poly. It's known among high school baseball coaches two top-quality pitchers can win you most, if not all, of your games. Yet this year, coaches have more. ``Our place, we've got nine of them,'' El Camino Real's Bob Ganssle said. ``I threw nine players in practice.'' ``I've got five good pitchers,'' San Fernando's Armando Gomez said. He's got Larry Brown Larry Brown may refer to:
These things "These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. Music Video The music video stars Shirley Manson, lead singer of the band Garbage. Track Listing 1. "These Things [Radio Edit]" - 3:17 2. tend to come in cycles, and this is a pitching-rich season. Chatsworth coach Tom Meusborn said in 10 years there never has been a group like this. The reasons it's happening now are numerous. For one, Meusborn said, 10 years ago he sent his players into the weight room to lift for half an hour. Those were his only instructions. Now, ``We're more specific about what we want them to work on,'' he said. ``If you explain to kids, `This will help you with your speed or power,' they go right at it. As coaches, we try to enhance our knowledge.'' Palmdale coach Lance Pierson has seen the same coaching improvements - from parents. Walk through any park, Pierson says, and you'll see parents working with their kids. They're buying videotapes and taking their sons to pitching coaches, then going to the parks and helping them work on the lessons. ``Harrington's dad every single day is out there,'' Pierson said. ``Every single day, his kid wants to be out there.'' Scott Rice of Royal. Dan Williams Daniel Lawrence "Dan" Williams (born on September 3, 1966 in San Gabriel, California) is a former professional baseball player and the current bullpen catcher for the Cleveland Indians. He has been a player or coach in the Indians system since 1988. of El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
One reason they want to be out there is what both Kunes and La Canada coach Gary Lievre have said: Pitching is weak in the majors, and the best pitchers get the fattest contracts. Most players will never stand on a major-league mound, yet they figure if they're going to make it, pitching is their best shot. Kunes' eyes lit up as he recited Kevin Brown's contract value. ``A hundred and five (million),'' Kunes said. ``He's a great pitcher. It gives every pitcher the dream.'' ``Who makes the big money? Pitchers,'' Lievre said. ``Kevin Brown The name Kevin Brown can refer to several different people, including the following:
Maybe one day, it will be Crescenta Valley's Jordan Olson, or Newbury Park's Tyler Johnson Tyler Johnson (born June 7, 1981), is an American baseball player born in Columbia, Missouri. Johnson spent most of the 2006 season with the Cardinals' minor league team, the Memphis Redbirds, but appeared in 56 games and pitched 36.1 innings with the St. Louis Cardinals. . Maybe not. But they're all out here now. AREA`S TOP 50 TOP TEAMS 1. Chatsworth 2. Crescenta Valley 3. Crespi 4. Rio Mesa 5. Sylmar 6. Camarillo 7. Hart 8. El Camino Real 9. Thousand Oaks 10. Poly Others to watch: Agoura, Granada Hills, Harvard-Westlake, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Notre Dame, Palmdale, Paraclete, Royal, San Fernando, Westlake Player School Position Year & Comment Jason Allec Highland C Sr. All-leaguer batted .400 last year Mike Arvizo Littlerock C Sr. Solid behind plate and at bat Ryan Ayers Newbury Park P Sr. Headed to San Francisco Jon Bringuier Granada Hills 1B/P Sr. Expect college interest for him David Brown Paraclete 1B Sr. Four-year starter has good eye at plate Larry Brown San Fernando RF/P Sr. Could lead Tigers to league title Matt Cassel Chatsworth P/RF Jr. Has the arm, will Raul Castaneda North Hollywood OF/P Sr. Versatility will help Huskies Tony Cicero Cleveland C Sr. One of the best in City Chris Cordeiro Thousand Oaks P Sr. Uncanny poise sets him apart Randy Curtis Calabasas 1B Jr. Coyotes' top returning offensive threat Bobby Egan Royal 3B Sr. Owns school home run mark Dallas Enoch Calabasas RF Sr. Watch for him on mound this year Michael Falco Agoura CF/RF Sr. Swings a mean bat and has strong arm Matt Felder Harvard-Westlake C Sr. Knows how to win Matt Fisher Chatsworth SS Jr. Best defensive shortstop in area Ray Gonzales Monroe 3B Sr. One who didn't flake on team Matt Harrington Palmdale P/OF P/OF Pinhole Occulter Facility Jr. It's his year to shine Ivan Hernandez Sylmar P Sr. Northridge-bound hurler throwing well Brian Horwitz Crespi OF/SS Jr. On the junior national team Kevin Howard Westlake SS/3B Sr. Baseball America lists him as a top prospect John Hubbard L.A. Baptist C Sr. .450, 40 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in last year Conor Jackson El Camino Real 3B/SS Jr. Will be a force once wrist heals Mike Jackson Crespi P Sr. 7-2, 2.57 ERA, 56 K in 60 inn. last year Brian Jacobsen Agoura 1B/P Sr. All-Southern Section honoree Jess Kozlowski Westlake P Jr. Keep eye on this Simi Valley transfer Mike Kunes Chatsworth P Sr. UCLA grabbed best pitcher in City Tim Leveque Crespi P Sr. 9-1, 2.40 ERA, 77 K in 73 inn. last year Kameron Loe Granada Hills P Sr. Committed to CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge John Manuel Poly SS Sr. Should have little trouble getting on base Mark McCauley Crescenta Valley P Jr. Expect him to sign early Billy McGrath Birmingham P/1B/C B/C Because B/C Broadcast B/C Boundary Conditions B/C Biological & Chemical Sr. He can do so much Shane Miranda Camarillo P/3B Sr. Looks to lead Scorpions in new league Enrique Navarrete Kennedy DH/RF Sr. Cougars' lone returner Jordan Olson Crescenta ValleyP Sr. 11-1, 0.90 ERA All-American last year Steve Payte Lancaster P Sr. 47 K in 50-2/3 inn. last year Luke Peterson Crescenta Valley C Sr. Threw out 87 percent of runners Phil Polanco Notre Dame P Sr. Could have best fastball in area J.J. Prince Montclair Prep P/1B/3B Sr. Hit better than .500 last year John Puccinelli Notre Dame P/SS/3B Sr. Great range; great bat Greg Ramirez Rio Mesa P/1B Sr. 8-2, 88 K in 72 inn. last year Wes Rasmussen Moorpark SS/P Sr. Will help team ease into new league Carlos Reguengo Poly P Sr. Can throw three pitches for strikes Scott Rice Royal P Sr. Control the only question mark Brendan Ryan Notre Dame 2B Jr. .465 average last year Jamie Shields Hart P Jr. Will keep Indians in games Chris Testa Palmdale OF Sr. Has combination of size, speed and power Matt Thayer Harvard-Westlake CF/P Jr. Capable of big year Fernando Valenzuela St. Francis 1B/P Jr. Looks like his father Dan Williams El Camino Real P Sr. Will a year off hurt? CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box PHOTO CHATSWORTH`S TERRIFIC TRIO (1) Matt Cassel (2) Matt Fisher (3) Mike Kunes BOX: AREA`S TOP 50 (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion