NOTEBOOK: KAPLER READY TO GIVE UP-AND-COMERS A CHANCE.

Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer

Boston Red Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler knows from experience that the stars in high school baseball aren't the only ones who could have a future in the sport.

Kapler was an average player during his days at Taft High of Woodland Hills and was not drafted out of high school. He wasn't invited to try out for the Area Code Games, much less selected to play in the showcase that draws hundreds of professional and college scouts.

Kapler wants to make sure others who could end up with a story similar to his don't get overlooked. That's why he decided to get involved with his friends and area coaches in starting a showcase for players who might not yet be deemed the best of the best, but have shown promise and have the necessary intangibles. The inaugural Gabe Kapler Games will give nearly 100 players their chance to be seen.

The event runs Monday through Friday at Moorpark College, the place where Kapler's career began to take off. Several college coaches are slated to attend.

``We want those kids that are not considered pro prospects,'' said John Novak, an event organizer and long-time friend of Kapler's. ``A lot of these kids are not going to reach their ceiling at 16 or 17. We really want to find the guys that aren't getting the looks and give them a chance.''

The majority of the participants, who are divided into six teams, are from California and Las Vegas, but there are a few from other areas, and event organizers hope to attract more players from around the country in future years.

SGV loses: San Gabriel Valley's Babe Ruth All-Star team, featuring six baseball players from Crescenta Valley High of La Crescenta, suffered a 2-1 loss Saturday to Ohio state champion Youngstown in its opening game of the 16- to 18-year-old World Series at Don Edwards Park in Newark, Ohio.

San Gabriel Valley scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning, but managed only three hits against Youngstown's Corey Vukovic, who retired 14 consecutive batters from the second to the sixth.

San Gabriel Valley faces Greater Fairfield County of Ohio today.

Petersen honored: Former Chatsworth outfielder Bryan Petersen was named the Alaskan Baseball League co-Player of the Year. Petersen, who played for the Anchorage Bucs, led the league with a .365 batting average and had a league-high four triples. Petersen is entering his junior season at UC Irvine.

Erik Boal contributed