Alvarez excels on mound, at plate

By GREG STILES

John Bruce has rubbed elbows with some pretty fair baseball players.

He played at Willamette University and later was an assistant at the University of Arizona before returning to the Rogue Valley.

Bruce knows talent when he sees it.

When the Cascade Christian High coach talks about pitcher/first baseman Tim Alvarez he fairly gushes. But Bruce tempers his enthusiasm about the junior left-hander with the realization that the Challengers' schedule isn't always that challenging.

The 6-foot-3 1/2, 220-pound Alvarez remains more a package of potential than a sure-thing to some day sign a hefty pro contract.

"I have worked with a lot of kids over the years and I don't think I've seen a better high school first baseman," Bruce says. "His only average marks come at foot speed, which is not that much of a concern at first base."

Alvarez has yet to strike out in 73 plate appearances this spring. He's 41-for-63 for a .651 batting average with 10 walks and 31 RBIs in 19 games.

Bruce is the first to admit the caliber of competition has something to do with Alvarez's phenomenal average. But he sees much more than quantifiable traits.

"He thoroughly enjoys baseball, loves it and has a passion for it," Bruce says.

That passion was kindled playing Little League ball in Central Point and developed at Fred Herrmann's winter baseball school.

"I was watching TV one day and heard the commercial and said this sounds like fun," Alvarez recalls.

His parents didn't make any promises, but told him to check it out and "if it works out, it works out."

Alvarez says the school cost too much, but Herrmann offered to exchange work around Miles Field for tuition.

Bruce first saw Alvarez when he and former North Medford High coach Jim McAbee were assisting Herrmann at the baseball school.

"Tim and his brother Josh were with 10 to 15 other kids," Bruce says. "He was a chubby little kid, yet to grow."

But Alvarez grew rapidly and was 6-2 and nearly 200 pounds as a Cascade freshman. He earned all-league honors that season, compiling an 11-4 pitching record and a .475 batting average. Alvarez earned District 6 MVP honors last spring, fashioning a 10-2 record and a .500 batting average.

"I've taken a lot of cuts and put in a lot of man hours to become a better hitter," the 17-year-old Alvarez says. "We had a saying on the wall at Miles Field that said: The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to work to win."

Bruce has seen Alvarez's work ethic.

"For most (Class) 4A schools he would be the No. 2 pitcher, or in some places No. 1," Bruce says. "And I'm not sure there's a better hitter in the valley."

The key elements that could earn him a ticket to a major college are bat speed and the discipline to lay off bad pitches.

"He very rarely swings at a bad pitch," Bruce says. "In practice I try to throw the ball by him, use every pitch in the book and he just hits everything.

"When he hits a single, there's a puff in the infield and the ball is through. He decapitates and handcuffs people. It can be scary, especially for a first baseman holding a runner on. The ball just rockets off his bat."

What has made Alvarez an even more effective hitter is his supporting cast.

Four of the Challengers' first five hitters are hitting above the .400 mark, including 6-foot, 200-pound freshman Bryan Edwards.

Alvarez sharpened his eye playing for the Medford Mavericks American Legion team and made brief pitching appearances for the Medford Mustangs last summer. With an eye on preparing his protege for big-time college ball, Bruce has turned his attention from physical to cerebral aspects of the game.

"He's got to make some strides if he wants to play (NCAA) Division I," Bruce says. "He has to develop mental toughness and perseverance. He has the discipline and passion. Now he has to combine it all."

With his hat scrunched down over his head Alvarez looks a bit menacing on the mound. But his personality is anything but intimidating.

"He's like a year-old, 150-pound St. Bernard," Bruce says. "He wants to enjoy the world and doesn't have a mean streak in him. He has to work harder to get that competitive edge than the bully down the street, where that edge is kind of innate."

Yoncalla and Riddle have beaten Alvarez in the playoffs the past two seasons. He will likely test his playoff mettle again later this month.