Scott Drootin paid more attention to Jack Kruger's passion forbaseball than to the child's limp. When everyone else was tellingKruger he couldn't play sports because of a rare and serious hipdisorder, Drootin befriended the youngster and helped him keepplaying.
Kruger's dad wasn't sure how he could repay Drootin, but when hefound out about an Internet contest searching for the mostinspirational high school coaches in the country, he knew nominatingDrootin would be a good start. Drootin, head baseball coach atChaminade of West Hills, was one of six coaches to win the nationalhonor inspired by the movie "The Rookie."
Some of Drootin's Chaminade players also voted for him, but itwas the story of the 7-year-old, who is a standout in the West HillsBaseball Pinto league and on the road to recovery, that won overcontest officials.
The Krugers approached Drootin about hitting lessons a couple ofyears ago. They were told he didn't work with players that young,but Drootin couldn't resist a kid who loved baseball so much. Inaddition to helping Jack become a better hitter, Drootin became hisfriend. They attend each other's games when possible and Jack hasbeen invited to participate in Chaminade practices.
"I don't know how to explain how much it meant to my son when somuch else has been taken away from him," said Tim Kruger, Jack'sfather. "Scott, he's a really quality guy that cares about kids.Guys like Scott, they aren't in it for the money. There would havebeen a lot of people who wouldn't have even taken the time to give akid like Jack a chance, especially when they're as busy as Scott iswith his other job and coaching the high school team. Scott gave hima chance. As a father, having a son in that situation, you can'tquantify how much it means."
--Another day, another honor: Camarillo's Delmon Young was namedfirst team All-America by Baseball America. The junior outfielderpitcher was one of only two underclassmen on the team that wasannounced Friday. He had already been named an All-American byCollegiate Baseball and was selected the Southern Section Division IPlayer of the Year earlier this week.
Young batted .542 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI to lead Camarilloto its first Southern Section title.
He's showing off his hitting at the national level this week as amember of the American Amateur Baseball Congress all-stars at theTournament of Stars in Joplin, Mo., a tournament from which playersare selected for the 18-and-under USA Junior National Team.
Young went 2 for 4 with a walk-off solo home run in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Dixie all-stars. In Monday's opener, he had anRBI single to drive in the winning run in a 3-2 victory over theBabe Ruth all-stars.
--Fox signs: Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks left-hander David Foxsigned with Saint Mary's. Fox (3-3, 3.07 ERA) is the third member ofthis year's Knights to sign with a Division I program, joiningNevada-bound shortstop Brett Hayes and outfielder Steve Moss, whosigned with UCLA.
--Preparing for the pros: Moss has been using a wood bat duringAmerican Legion games in anticipation of turning pro and using woodbats on a regular basis. Not having the added pop of an aluminum bathasn't slowed Moss much. He homered and doubled in Thursday's gameagainst Chatsworth.
His selection by the Brewers in the 29th round of this year'sdraft was much lower than Moss expected, but he is pleased with theinterest the Brewers have shown.
--All-stars: Chatsworth first baseman Keith Renno and catcherJordan Sisson made the South roster for this weekend's CaliforniaCoaches Association North-South Series at UC Irvine. The series thathas been for the state's top seniors in the past was switched thisyear to an event for juniors. Chancellors coach Tom Meusborn is theSouth coach.
The three-game series started Friday and continues today at 7p.m. followed by Sunday's 11 a.m. finale.
Other all-star action this week includes the Sunbelt Series inShawnee, Okla. Kennedy of Granada Hills' Adam Geery is the onlylocal representative on the California team, which is competingagainst all-star teams from Maryland, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas,Georgia, Ohio and Florida in the tournament that continues today.
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