High school baseball hits Petco

01-31-2008

By Tom Shanahan, San Diego Hall of Champions

Grossmont High alumnus Justin Baum was a Padres’ draft pick last summer after a All-Big West Conference career at the University of the Pacific and advanced to A ball in Fort Wayne, Ind., before the summer finished.

But not matter how optimistic Baum feels about his future and a possible big-league debut at Petco Park, he can expect a sobering phone call from his kid brother, Derek, a senior catcher at Grossmont.

Derek and his Foothillers teammates learned Thursday they will be among nine high school baseball teams in the CIF San Diego Section that will play in five games in a two-day series of regular-season games at Petco Park.

“I’ll tease him that I’ll be the first one to play at Petco, even though he’s the one in the Padres’ organization,” Derek said. “It’s a little brotherly teasing.”

Padres CEO Sandy Alderson and CIF San Diego Section commissioner Dennis Ackerman announced Thursday an agreement to annually play a two-day, five-game series at Petco when the Padres are on the road.

“We’re going to spring training with five players from San Diego high schools on our spring training roster,” said Alderson, naming Brian Giles (Granite Hills), Adrian Gonzalez (Eastlake), Mark Prior (University of San Diego High), Oscar Robles (Montgomery) and Edgar Gonzalez (Eastlake).

“So San Diego high school baseball has had an impact on the Padres, and hopefully we will have an impact on the San Diego high schools.”

On Friday, April 11, two games will be played. At 4 p.m., La Costa Canyon will face Rancho Bernardo in a Palomar League game. At 7 p.m., Grossmont and Granite Hills of the Grossmont Conference will play.

On Saturday, April 12, there will be three games. At 10 a.m., Montgomery and Eastlake of the Metro Conference play; at 1 p.m., Calexico and Brawley of the Imperial Valley meet; and at 4 p.m. Mission Bay and University City of the Western League play.

Alderson and Ackerman said the Padres and CIF office will rotate the teams every year, with the goal to eventually allow every San Diego high school the opportunity to play at Petco. The tickets will be priced at $5 with parking only $3.

Newly signed Padres pitcher Mark Prior, who is recovering from injuries while he was a dominant pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, once played at the Padres’ former home, Qualcomm Stadium, when he was a junior at University of San Diego High (now Cathedral Catholic).

Prior pointed out the high school players have an opportunity that the Major League players don’t get at Petco, and he offered some advice with a mischievous grin.

“Bust out the aluminum bats and see how far it goes,” Prior said.