AVC GETS A BIG LEAGUER'S TOUCH.

Byline: Sean Ceglinsky Staff Writer

In need of a boost after going 9-31 last season, the Antelope Valley College baseball program made a major move Monday, welcoming former major-league baseball Jeffrey Leonard as an assistant coach.

Leonard, 47, played 14 seasons in the majors, starting with the Dodgers in 1977 and ending with the Seattle Mariners in 1990. In between, he was MVP of the 1987 National League Championship Series with the San Francisco Giants.

``We feel very fortunate to have him coach with us the season,'' AVC head coach Joe Watts said. ``He brings expertise. Just having his name out there will help our program.

AVC finished seventh in the Foothill Conference last season. Part of the problem came off the field, after five players were declared academically ineligible.

Catcher Mike Arvizo was one of those players, and Watts hopes having a former major leaguer in the clubhouse will get the players to focus on succeeding on the field and in the classroom.

``(Coach Leonard) breaks the game down mentally, but not at high school or college level. He breaks it down at he major-league level,'' said Arvizo, who played for Leonard on the Lancaster Mercury Club team for the past four months.

``Most of us are playing ball because we want to get to the big leagues, and having him as a coach partially prepares us for that,'' Arvizo said. ``He has a lot of knowledge, so we're just trying to pick his brain. It's a whole different ballgame with him around.''

Leonard's defining moment as player came in the 1987 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he hit home runs in a record four consecutive games. The bat he used during that streak now is in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

In addition to the Dodgers, Leonard played for the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. A right-handed outfielder, he played in 1,415 games and batted .266 with 144 home runs and 723 RBI.

Later, Leonard was hitting coordinator for the Montreal Expos and managed the Oakland A's minor-league teams in Huntsville, Ala., and Modesto.

Leonard relocated to the Antelope Valley from the Bay Area with his wife Leslie Maxie-Leonard, a sportscaster for Fox Sports. Initially, he said he wanted to enjoy time away from the game.

``I planned to take the year off,'' he said, ``but I got the bug to be on the field again.''

That suited Watts.

``He sought us out and said he was interested in coaching,'' said Watts, in his eighth season at AVC. ``We haven't played a game yet, but the atmosphere is a whole lot better around here. Things are looking up.''

Monday marked the first day of intersession practices, and Watts said everyone seemed to be glad to be back on the field. The Marauders' first game is Feb. 1 at the Victor Valley tournament.