DOUBLE PLAY FROM FOOTBALL TO BASEBAL FOR TAFT'S ANSON.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

Throwing to the wrong cutoff man on a play. Missing a sign from his coach on the bases. Not knowing the name of the Boston Red Sox outfielder whose personalized Rawlings glove he now wears every game.

After 10 years away from organized baseball, there are just some things Taft High of Woodland Hills senior center fielder Brandon Anson is going to have to be forgiven for.

``You know who was out here?'' Anson said. ``Gabe Kap-ler, um, Kapler of the Boston Red Sox. He was working with me on my bunting. He talked to me a little bit, gave me a little pep talk. I didn't even know of him before somebody told me.''

There's a football scholarship waiting only a few months away at Utah for Anson - who caught 61 passes and seven touchdowns this season. Anson also is scheduled to play June 26 in the East-West All-Star Game at Birmingham of Lake Balboa.

First, however, the 18-year-old wants to spend his final days at Taft helping resurrect a baseball program that went 4-17 a year ago.

Despite last playing baseball as a Little Leaguer at Humphrey Park in Pacoima, Anson decided to come out for the Toreadors after football season. He wanted to do something besides lift weights and now is the starting center fielder.

``I just came out here on my own,'' Anson said. ``I still had it in my heart to play baseball.''

Two months later, Anson is Taft's No. 2 hitter and one of the most dangerous base stealers in the area. He lined a double in his first at-bat in a 5-2 loss to Van Nuys and stole a base in each of the Toreadors' first two games.

``I'm waiting for him whenever he gets on,'' senior catcher James Sharp said. ``I'm like, 'Just take the base, Brandon.' ''

But there are also drawbacks to having someone who has been clocked at 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash and hasn't played baseball for more than half his life. Anson also was picked off and doubled off in his first two games.

``He's trying to learn 10 years worth of stuff in two weeks,'' first-year Taft coach Greg Venger said. ``He lacks fundamentals, but he's got natural abilities that are just tremendous.''

Venger's best Anson story comes after the senior and three football teammates asked if they could try out for the baseball team. Venger took them to the field and started hitting flyballs to see how well they could catch.

The first three were good but not great. Then Venger hit a fly to Anson that the coach thought would carry over the chain-link fence near the visiting dugout. Only, Anson scaled the fence, leaped and brought back the ball in his glove.

``I was like, 'OK, now,' '' Venger said.

Few people know what Anson is attempting by playing baseball this year, a sharp contrast to life as a heavily recruited football standout. Anson didn't even attend a Taft game last year, though he did know the team was struggling.

``I want to continue my career,'' Anson said. ``I don't want it to end.''

Even if Anson's budding baseball career is heading into just its second week.

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Star football player Brandon Anson, who is playing in his first season of organized baseball in 10 years will be Taft's No. 2 hitter.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer