By most accounts, Oak Park's Blake Whealy is the best player inthe Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association's summer leagueand the leading major league prospect in the Chicago area for 1998.
If only the hard-hitting shortstop can learn to cover theoutside portion of the strike zone and hit to the opposite field.
"He ranks with the best players we've ever had," said Oak Parkcoach Jack Kaiser, who has produced more than a few blue-chippers inhis 45-year career. "He is a hustler, my type of player.
"But he needs to study pitchers and get more plate coverage.He has to learn that the higher he goes in baseball that he mustcover the outside of the plate. He has to understand what theumpire's strike zone is. He is hitting .519 - but he could behitting 1.000."
Whealy isn't perfect. His team had to settle for third in thesummer league tournament. In five games, he was 5-for-15. Histhree-run double beat Waubonsie Valley 10-8 on Wednesday, but hecouldn't generate any fireworks in Thursday's 7-1 loss to Sandburg.
But he is one of five Chicago-area products who earned a trip tothe Area Code Games on Aug. 12-17 in San Diego - along with Youngoutfielder Marcus Nettles, Joliet Catholic pitcher Kevin Cameron,West Aurora catcher John Rauen and Hubbard outfielder Paul Sanchez.
It will be the highlight of Whealy's summer. The 5-10,170-pounder, who batted .488 with 10 homers, eight triples and 43 RBIlast spring, also has attended tryout camps with the PittsburghPirates and Kansas City Royals. Last summer, he caught the attentionof scouts by performing well at a Minnesota Twins tryout.
"There were 80 players invited to the Twins' camp and I was theonly sophomore," Whealy said. "Everyone else wasn't as good as Ithought they would be. I was ahead of some, not far behindothers."
Ever since, major-league scouts and college coaches have beenkeeping notes on Whealy's development. His goal is to be selectedin the first two rounds of the amateur draft next June. If not, hewill opt for a big-time college program: LSU, Mississippi State orFlorida State. In five years, he hopes to be playing in YankeeStadium.
"My game plan for the summer is to get as many people to look atme as I can, to play as much as I can," he said. "Since I was 8years old, my dream has been to play major league baseball.Hopefully, someone will see some potential in me."
Kaiser said Whealy has so much talent that he could be his No. 1pitcher "if he worked at it." Whealy's father Patrick pitched at LSUand reached Class AA in the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system. Now abatting instructor at Strikes Baseball Academy in Broadview, heencouraged his son to be an everyday player.
"There is more glory in pitching," Blake said. "But my dad feltI wouldn't be a 6-4 giant who would throw heat. He felt you have tobe big and throw hard to be a major-league pitcher. If I worked atit, I could have been a pitcher. But I feel I have a better chancein the future to play in the field, play everyday and hit."
The scouts love his power, his strong arm and his hustle, whichis a trademark of Kaiser's program. But will he heed Kaiser'sadvice and learn to hit the outside pitch?
"I don't like the outside pitch very much," said Whealy, aright-handed batter. "I'm a dead pull hitter. I don't hit toright very often. I should work on it but I don't have as muchstrength going to the opposite field.
"He (Kaiser) doesn't like me to say that. I think the strikezone should be 21 inches wide. When umpires call something that issix or seven inches off the plate and I can't reach it with my bat,it is annoying because he is taking the bat out of my hands.
"I try to keep my mind off the scouts, what they are thinkingabout me. But seeing them at my games is new and enjoyable. Itgives me more confidence, knowing that scouts are looking at me. Itgives me an idea that I am better (than others) and can be better."
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