Nick Noonan: An All-American baseball talent

07-07-2006

By Jake Fisher, San Diego Hall of Champions Intern

The number of professional baseball players from San Diego is so substantial that Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane calls the county “The Factory.”

Athletes including Hall-of-Famer Ted Williams, Alan Trammell, Barry Zito, and Brian Giles attended San Diego high schools. Another San Diego high school player, Nick Noonan, hopes to join this elite group someday.

Noonan, who attends Francis Parker, was one of 38 high school juniors from around the nation to be selected in May to the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic. The fourth annual Aflac game will be played on August 12 at San Diego State’s Tony Gwynn Stadium.

“I was excited,” Noonan said of his selection. “I worked really hard so that I could be in the running for it. In the back of my mind, I knew I could have a chance … but when it became a reality it was really cool.”

On May 7, Noonan joined fellow San Diegan Sequoyah Stonecipher, an outfielder from Mission Bay High, at Petco Park for a pre-game announcement of their selections. Joining the two players at home plate for the ceremony were Padres catcher Mike Piazza and Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson.

Earlier, Noonan and Stonecipher attended a press conference with Jackson.

“It was really exciting meeting Reggie Jackson,” Noonan explained. “He was a good speaker and told us a lot of things that I’ll take seriously and think about in the future.”

To select the participants, the Aflac game’s committee relies on scouting organizations such as Baseball America and Perfect Game USA. Perfect Game USA has Noonan ranked at or near the top of several categories, which include both junior and senior players. In Southern California, Noonan is ranked second in the category of Best Prospect Future and third in the category of Best Pure Hitter.

“When I’m hitting well, that’s my strength,” Noonan believes. “I can hit for power, pull stuff down the line, and slap [the ball] in the alleys. I’m pretty fast so I can get some doubles and triples. Then I’ll hit a home run here and there.”

Although Noonan claims his best skill is his hitting prowess, he is not void of talent in any of the other areas of the game. In fact, Perfect Game USA ranks Noonan as the Best Defensive Player in Southern California.

Noonan, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound left-handed hitting shortstop, is highly regarded because he is a five-tool player. He has the hitting and fielding skills but is also one of the top base stealers in the county. In the 2006 season, Noonan batted .491 and stole 29 bases in 26 games. He was also named to the Breitbard All-CIF first team.

Recent successes have brought Noonan large amounts of attention. Scouts have caught many of Noonan’s games to try to get a better idea of his abilities.

"It’s weird watching them in the stands,” Noonan said. “It’s pretty obvious if they are there since they have all of their stopwatches and stuff.”

Noonan’s way to deal with the scouts is simple. “I just try my hardest. I play my game and do the things I can control like running hard to first, keeping a positive attitude, and supporting my team.”

As Noonan approaches the end of his high school career, he will have a decision to make. He can play baseball in college or go straight to the minor leagues after the draft in which he is projected as a possible high pick.

Though the thought of joining a professional team is appealing, Noonan is more focused on attending college. Schools including UCLA, Pepperdine, and USD, have shown interest in him. At college, Noonan wants to major in kinesiology, the study of the anatomy and mechanics of body movement.

“I want to go to a good college and play college baseball for sure,” Noonan explained, “and then go pro if that’s where it takes me.”

One professional that Noonan looks up to is Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. “He’s a leader and he makes plays when they need to be made,” Noonan stated. “He’s also a great all-around athlete.”

If Noonan develops into anything like his role model, he may become yet another pristine product of the San Diego baseball factory.