Toronto Sun

DUNEDIN, Fla. — The heir graduated from Bellflower High School.

When the heir to Vernon Wells’ job at the Rogers Centre takes over as the Blue Jays centre fielder, credit will go to more than old Bellflower, Calif., home of the Buccaneers.

Centre fielder Anthony Gose attended the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., merely from “dawn ’til dusk” in the summer.

The Academy, run by Major League Baseball, opened in May of 2006, with a $10-million US, four-field, facility at the El Camino College Compton Center. The goal, like the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program, is to return baseball to children in urban America.

Thirty years ago, 24% of MLB rosters were composed of African Americans.

On opening day this season, it was 9%.

Eddie Murray and Ozzie Smith came from Los Angeles and wound up in Cooperstown.

L.A. major-leaguers include Bobby Tolan, Willie Davis, Ellis Valentine and Chet Lemon to name a few.

The Academy is making inroads, such as a trio of first-rounders in outfielder Aaron Hicks, given a $1.78-million US bonus by the Minnesota Twins in 2008; Christian Yelich to the Florida Marlins this year and the Jays took right-hander Aaron Sanchez, 34th overall after he went 7-0 with a 0.69 ERA, striking out 95 in 50 innings at Barstow, Calif.

In all, 25 players who played or trained at the Academy were selected this year.

Gose was selected in the second round by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and wound up with the Blue Jays in July as part of the three-team swap that sent Roy Oswalt to the Phils and Toronto’s triple-A first base prospect, Brett Wallace, to the Houston Astros.

- - -

“African-Americans turn to basketball and football because the path is shorter,” says Gose, sitting in the clubhouse at Dunedin Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

“Kids think they can make money faster going to college and the NBA at 20 or 21. Or going to college and going into the NFL at 22,” the young outfielder says. “In baseball, you’re looking at four or five years in the minors.

“For kids, baseball is more expensive. You need gloves, cleats and bats. Not everyone can afford that. All you need is sneakers for basketball.”

The Academy provides gloves, bats and tutors.

And more.

“It keeps kids out of trouble, keeps them off the streets,” he explains.

Darrell Miller, former Los Angeles Angel, ran the facility and is opening another Academy in Houston.

Kenny Landreaux, Doug Takaragawa, Johnny Washington, Andrew Toussaint, James Bishop and Carl Nichols are some of the instructors.

“If I had a bad mark at school, Darrell would call me into his office, shut the door and tell me how important school was,” Gose says. “I didn’t want school. I wanted to play on TV.”

Mostly, Gose spent time with Nichols, talking ball at the Casa Gamino Mexican restaurant.

“I’d do anything for Carl,” says Gose, who bought Nichols a new Suburban as a thank you and flew him into class-A Lakewood for his swing’s 300 at-bat checkup.

“He’s mature, hardest working kid I’ve come across,” says Nichols, who caught parts of six seasons in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros.

“I gave him some tips. I knew he wanted to play pro ball, his heart was in baseball. I tried to educate him on the advantages and disadvantages of school versus signing.”

Gose was in Grade 9 when he was approached by his first college recruiter. He wasn’t interested. Then, his best pal, Reggie Williams, signed a letter of intent to attend Cal State Fullerton.

Williams was drafted in the fourth round in 2007 by the Twins and received a $153,000 bonus.

“I was so happy for Reggie, you’d have thought it was me,” Gose says. “I thought that could be me.”

Gose signed a letter of intent to the University of Arizona, but turned pro after the Phillies gave him $772,000.

“I don’t know how many times I was told: ‘You need school as an option, in case baseball doesn’t work out,’ ” Gose says.

Nichols points out how each team has an academy in the Dominican Republic.

“It’s a place for kids to come and get direction, advice on college, pro, or fixing their swings,” Nichols says. “It’s long overdue for all of us who grew up in the area. At some time, we’ve all had the idea, but we didn’t have the resources.”

Miller has said graduating 20 kids from college is more important than the first major-leaguer.

- - -

“I’ve done some dumb stuff, nothing bad enough to send me to prison,” Gose said.

The dumbest?

Well, one day in high school, Gose and two pals “pancaked” a girl’s car while she sat inside the International House of Pancakes having breakfast.

“It was a stupid prank, we bought a 25-pound bag of flower and emptied it on her car,” Gose says. “Then, we threw a couple of dozen eggs and put water on it. Eggs takes paint right off.”

The result was Gose and company were in “serious trouble” at school.

Then, according to Gose, the woman shot paint balls at both his car and house. Nobody was charged.

- - -

Gose will work at the academy this winter, throwing batting practice, monitoring after-school programs, organizing scrimmages and passing on the good ward about baseball, his game.

He ran track in high school (100- and 200-metre, plus relays) and played wide receiver.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder says he was not big enough for football.

Of course, he’ll work when not hunting dove and pheasant with his father, Steve, who works for the city of Bellflower or when he’s back in Sawyerville, Ala., where his mom Malinda is from. There he hunts squirrel and rabbit.

- - -

Gose didn’t play Sunday as the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays beat the Tampa Yankees 4-2. On Friday, he slid head first into second and an infielder stepped on his right hand. X-rays were negative, showing only a bruise.

He is, as Nichols says mature. He gives thoughtful answers, far beyond his age (20 as of earlier this month) especially when discussing his season.

“I’m progressing with (batting instructor) Justin Mashore, learning the strike zone,” Gose says. “I may have a three strikeout game, but I’m not swinging at pitches in the dirt. I don’t want to say I have it figured out — you never have it figured out — but I’m improving.”

Gose is hitting .262 with 20 doubles, 13 triples, seven homers and 26 RBIs in 130 games.

A year ago, in spring training a reporter from Lakewood, N.J., asked how many bases he’d steal. He said he’d lead the team and break the club record (59). Gose swiped 76 to lead all of minor-league baseball.

This spring, he told the same reporter he’d swipe 100. He’s stolen 45 bases but has been thrown out 32 times.

“I struggled at the start, getting my reads, ran on bad counts, second-guessed myself and lost confidence,” Gose says. “I was asking myself the question: ‘Am I really what I think I am?’ But those comments make me look big-headed which I’m not. I made myself look bad.”

“Now, I’m back to reality. It’s like my mother always said: ‘Words don’t mean anything. Let your actions speak.’ ”

bob.elliott@sunmedia.ca