Plenty to Smile About

Every baseball diamond is a field of dreams for shortstop Jerrit Redlich of North Hollywood High.

See him smile. Examine the dirt that covers his uniform. Count how many times he dives head first on a slide.

“The kid lives and breathes baseball,” North Hollywood Coach George Vranau said.

It’s not the powerful arm that fans notice when Redlich fires the ball to first. It’s not the clutch hitting he displays as the No. 4 batter in the Huskies’ lineup.

It’s that constant, irrepressible smile that leaves people feeling good about Redlich.

In an era where professional athletes have turned off fans because of their focus on fame and fortune, here’s a 17-year-old reminding everyone of what sports used to be about.

“Ever since I was little, there’s something about the game,” he said. “I just love it.”

Vranau calls the 6-foot, 170-pound Redlich “the best in the Valley” for his position.

“He’s got all the tools except one, and he’s working on that--speed,” Vranau said. “The thing that’s best about him is he’s always smiling. He’s having so much fun with every part of the game.”

It’s hard to imagine Redlich spending a spring without a bat and glove, but it happened when he was a sophomore. After starting as a freshman at North Hollywood, he was declared ineligible for the 1996 season because it was determined he shouldn’t have been allowed to play in the ninth grade while attending Walter Reed Middle School.

“It was the worst experience,” he said. “I had to go home at 3 o’clock. I swung every day. I knew I was going to be back and would have to prove myself.”

He returned to become an All-East Valley League selection last season while helping the Huskies win their first league baseball title since 1959.

For his senior season, he’s stronger and more confident than ever. He’s the one who challenged his teammates to run for a third consecutive year in the L.A. Marathon.

Vranau came up with the idea two years ago as a way to bring the players together and convince them they could achieve a difficult goal with hard work.

“When I was wavering, maybe we don’t have to run it this year, he [Redlich] stepped forward, ‘We are going to run it and we are going to finish it,’ ” Vranau said.

The players have been training since September in preparation for the 26-mile L.A. Marathon on March 29.

Last week, they ran in an 18-mile event. Redlich has completed two marathons and knows how grueling it is. But he believes the reward is too good to pass up.

“Running the marathon, I feel I can accomplish anything,” he said. “[The first marathon] wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t take it serious. Now I do. People doubted us running the marathon and everyone did it. The last two miles, when we run into downtown, I’m saying, ‘No way I’m going to stop. I got to keep going.’ My feet, legs--everything hurts.”

Just like finishing a marathon, Redlich is using high school to prepare himself for adulthood. He works at a hamburger chain to earn money for car insurance. It’s his way of “taking responsibility.”

He has vowed to live his life without succumbing to temptations that affect teenagers almost daily.

“I never get into trouble,” he said proudly. “There’s a lot of kids who drink. I just said I’m not going to drink or do drugs. No way.”

The high school baseball season is barely a week old, but Redlich provides inspiration for the season ahead just by seeing how much fun he has playing the game.

“Whatever it takes--that’s my motto,” he said.

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Freshman Eric Johnson of Chaminade singled in his first varsity at-bat last week. Johnson was the leader of Moorpark Little League’s 1996 World Series team. . . .

Sophomore Michael Frost of Campbell Hall struck out 11 in a shutout of Montclair Prep. He was an outfielder on Northridge Little League’s 1994 World Series team. . . .

The best freshman softball player in the region is catcher Christina Enea of El Camino Real. If her grades are good in three years, she can pick from among UCLA, Stanford and Arizona for her college choice. . . .

If there are any casting directors searching for a local teenager to play a Valley boy, second baseman Ben Metcalf of Canyon is perfect for the role. He can talk the talk.

“Let’s go boys. We’re on this dude,” Metcalf shouted in trying to fire up his teammates against Notre Dame last week. . . .

Now that Chatsworth’s already talented baseball team has picked up 6-6 left-handed pitcher David Hawk from North Bakersfield, are the Chancellors unbeatable?

“On paper, without a doubt, Chatsworth is the best team,” Sylmar Coach Gary Donatella said.

But Donatella points out that “everybody was penciling Kennedy” into last year’s City 4-A final until the Cougars were upset in the semifinals.

“[Chatsworth has] the best players,” Donatella said. “But in a one-game situation, who knows?” . . .

The first big track invitational is set for Saturday at Cal State Northridge. The Alemany Invitational will include a 100-meter race featuring Justin Fargas of Notre Dame and Miguel Fletcher of Alemany.

Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422.