Lake Elsinore Valley Sun-Tribune from Lake Elsinore, California • 11

i I I Sun-Tribune Wednesday, August 11, 1982 0 High school Local leagues Standings B-l fv 4- I i Sun-Tribune photo by John George JIM SCRANTON delivers one of his devastating sidearm throws complet- Scranton is now playing on the Jacksonville Suns 2A minor league ing a double play during a recent game versus the Columbus Astros. baseball team. Elsinore grad Scranton alive, well in Florida By JOHN GEORGE Sm-Tribrnw Staff Bapwtar JACKSONVILLE, Fla. In February 1980, Jim Scrantons baseball career took a giant leap for the better, as he was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Royals. And now, three sea-, sons later, he is going stronger than ever, mastering his shortstop position for the Jacksonville Suns, a 2A ball club.

Scranton started his baseball career at the For the next year, Scranton played for the University of Arizona baseball team where he eventually competed in the College World Series. After spending most of the year on the bench, Scranton took a break of about nine months, working with his father while still working on his baseball. But in February 1980, things turned around. Kansas City scout Ro- ripe age of 8 in Lomita, then moved to Elsinore in the summer of 1972, where he played four years on the Elsinore High School varsity team, achieving allleague honors four straight years. From high school, Scranton attended Palo-mar Junior College for two years, where his efforts netted him all-conference honors both years and MVP honors his sophomore year.

Sun-Tribune photo by Dave Miller MEDAL WINNERS during the sixteenth annual Police Olympics in San Francisco were Deputy Joe Arteaga, left, silver, 181-pound wrestling, and Capt Oliver Thompson, bronze, senior cycling. Lake Elsinore Sheriffs men' capture medals By DAVE MILLER Sun-Tribune Newt Editor LAKE ELSINORE Two Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station personnel were medal winners during the sixteenth annual Police Olympics, sponsored by the California Police Athletic Association and hosted this year by the City of San Francisco. Capt. Oliver Thompson, station commander, captured a bronze medal in the senior cycling division, while Deputy Joe Arteaga won a silver medal in the 181-pound wrestling competition. Also competing in the Police Olympics were Deputy Dave Collins, swimming and bowling; Deputy Steve Dail, motocross riding, and Deputy Kevin Duffy, motocross competition.

None placed in the top three finishers. The Police Olympics are open to every regular sworn police officer In California. This year there were 42 events, with about 4,000 police officers participating. Arteaga, 24, who lives in Corona, finished second out of 15 action in the 181-pound weight competition, wrestling action taking place at the University of San Francisco. Last year, Arteaga was a gold medal winner in the same weight competition, but this year he lost a tough 8-6 decision in the finals to a San Gabriel police officer.

I made a mistake in the finals, Arteaga said. I got my legs crossed, lost my balance and he got a takedown and the winning points. Going into the finals, Arteaga had won four straight matches, all by first-period pins. The San Gabriel police officer also won four straight matches, two by pins and two by decisions. Thompson, 40, of Perris, found 27 entrants in his cycling class which used a half-mile sprint course" at Lake Merced.

The captain finished behind range County Sheriffs Department and San Jose Police Department competitors. Thompson said he prepared for the Police Olympics by riding his bicycle for two hours over one of four courses he set up for himself: around Lake Elsinore to Wildomar and back to the sheriff's station; north to Toms Farm and back; east to Perris and back, and west into the Ortega Mountains to El Cariso Village and back to the sheriffs station. The captain said he averaged 40 miles a day on his bicycle getting prepared for the competition. I rode four times during the Olympics, losing to the guy who finished in second place in my first heat race, then winning two straight in the losers backet to get to the finals, Thompson said, adding he thought there were seven in the final race. Thompson said he started competing in the Police Olympics in 1972 and has been to five such events, But this is the first medal I nmn sey Gilhousen signed Scranton as a free agent, ending his dry season.

The Royals sent Scranton to 1A ball in Charleston, South Carolina, for his first season of professional baseball. It was then people started noticing his potential as one of the great shortstops. Manager of the Charleston team Ron Mihal said, I feel Jim's the best shortstop in the league (South Atlantic). Theres no one who carries his glove and there are only a few stortstops who can hit better. Theres no doubt hes number one in his league.

Other managers Ive to have been very impressed with Jim has lots of natural ability and instinct. He has good eye-hand coordination, a good arm and hes accurate. Jims a leader in the infield. Hes a take charge guy and he gets along well with his teammates. Hes tough, too.

He wants to play everyday whether hes injured or healthy. Basically, Jim's a winner. Hes dependable and aggressive. You need those two qualities to be a winner. During his stay at Charleston, Jim led the South Atlantic League in fielding percentage, while maintaining a .250 batting average with 115 hits, two of them home runs, and 30 RBI.

Following the season at Charleston, Jim then attended instructional ball for two months and a half where only 30 players from the Royals organization were sent to receive more coaching on some of the specifics of their positions. After returning home for fall break from mid-November to the first of March 1981, Jim was marreid Feb. 28 to Julie George. After a short honeymoon in San Francisco, iJim reported to spring training, where he was then sent to Fort Myers, Florida, while his wife. Julie, flew down to meet him.

While in Fort Myers 1A club, his fielding began to stand out. Manager Brian Murphy was quoted as saying that Jim is one of the great shortstops. Defensively I played good, but my hitting wasn't too well, said Scranton. Although his hitting had a little to be desired, he led Florida State League in putouts, assists and double plays. Jim was again sent to instructional ball following the season at Fort.

Myers and then came home for fall break. In March 1982, Jim was then sent back to spring training, and from there was sent to 2A ball in' Jacksonville, Florida. With the season near a close and only 15 more games remaining, Jim seems to be doing quite well, hitting .240 on 80 hits and around 40 RBI. The better Jim has gotten, the more he is being noticed. The interesting way in which Scranton handles himself on the field is beginning to spark in a lot of people's eyes.

As one Jacksonville newspaper put it, Hes an off-to-the-side, one-handed, sidearming, how-not-to shortstop of the highest order. But he makes it work. He fields everything off to the side or backhanded." Most coaches would always say the best way to field a ball is to get in front of it, use two hands while using your body to block it Thats just the way I learned as a kid, said Scranton. I dont know how may coaches have tried to change me, but I've always gone back to the way I learned. Jim only made 10 errors in the Suns first 38 games and is still one of the leaders in fielding percentage among Southern League shortstops.

The newspaper continued in saying, Fugi, as known to his teammates because of his Japanese heritage, deviates from the laws of baseball. His strong arm rifles the ball to first base aU right, but he comes from Laredo baseball jargon for sidearm. Balls thrown to first in a sidearm motion have a tendency to sail over the outstretched first baseman's mitts. But Scranton's sidearm ball comes in straight. the sidearm throw makes him one of the most dangerous shortstops in baseball.

This being because base runners usually have second thoughts about trying to take him out on a double play try. He has hit several players, one ended up with a fractured jaw while others got lucky by raising ther forearm in time to deflect the devastating throw. This year alone, Jim alone with second base-man Ron Johnson, have completed around 70 DPs together. He's one of the quickest guys in the field I've ever seen, said Suns coach Gene Lamont. Nobody dives for a ball, gets up faster and gets die ball to first base quicker than Jimmy.

I think people are always going to be skeptical about him because of his style, but he gets the job done. Scranton at the moment is finishing up his third season in professional ball and hopes to be in the major leagues in a year or two. Each year Ive been moving up and I know that defensively I can play in the majors, but I still have to work more on my hitting." Jim and his wife will be returning home to Lake Elsinore in about a month if he is not sent back to instructional ball and will be looking for a place to stay. Because this is Jims option year, in 1983 he will be placed on the major league roster, 3A roster or traded to a different franchise. i Sun-Tribune photo by John George JIM "FUGI SCRANTON as known by his teammates takes a breather between innings during a game at Wolfson Park in Jacksonville.

Scranton played high school ball at Elsinore High..