Valencia Tiger Is Grrreat! : Along <i> This</i> Madison Avenue, the Advertisements Are for Booming Home Runs Powered by Ruscitto

Here’s a tip for motorists driving weekdays along Madison Avenue, adjacent to Valencia High School in Placentia: Beware of flying baseballs from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

It’s a good bet that some time during those two hours, Valencia slugger Andy Ruscitto will sock a baseball high over the Tigers’ fence and onto the busy street. Batting practice can sometimes become target practice.

“Practice is show time,” Tiger Coach Kevin McConnell said. “I haven’t seen anyone in high school with Andy’s power. He far exceeds any power hitter I’ve seen on this level. He’s hit some mammoth shots.”

Ruscitto, a 6-foot 2 1/2-inch, 205-pound junior, proved earlier this season that his long shots in practice are certainly no flukes. He belted a home run against Anaheim over the flag pole in center field that traveled over the 420-foot sign and landed on Madison Ave. more than 500 feet from the plate.

But that homer was a chip shot compared to the two homers Ruscitto hit during his freshman season. While playing for the Tigers’ freshman team, he belted a ball out of Western’s ballpark that sailed onto the Pioneer’s football field.

“I didn’t see Andy hit it, but our coaches swear the ball traveled between 550 and 600 feet,” McConnell said. “We quickly moved him up to the junior varsity team and a couple of games later, he hit another long one against Edison.”

Ruscitto matched the homer at Western with a blast at Edison’s junior varsity field that carried halfway to the varsity field, more than 550 feet away. Charger Coach Ron LaRuffa later told McConnell he had never seen anyone come close to hitting a ball that far at his facility.

This season, the right fielder leads the county with nine homers and is closing in on Bill Dodd’s Orange County season record of 10. Ruscitto has 12 career homers, but McConnell claims he should have more.

“He should have about 10 more,” McConnell said. “We play league games at Glover Stadium, where it’s 396 feet to right field, and at Savanna, where they don’t have any fences. I know for sure Andy was robbed of two homers at Savanna last year.

“He settled for a triple once and was robbed by a great catch another time. They would have been homers at any high school park with a fence.”

Ruscitto’s power--and there’s plenty of it--is generally to right-center, which means the Tigers’ track team has to remain alert behind the right-field fence when he steps to the plate. But McConnell claims his slugger is just starting to blossom as a hitter.

“He just learned how to hit this year,” he said. “He benches 365 pounds and has been doing most of his hitting with raw talent. All the hard work Andy puts in has been paying off. He wasn’t happy with the way he hit yesterday against Magnolia, so he stayed an extra hour to work in the batting cage. He’s not afraid to work.”

Before the season began, McConnell decided to move Ruscitto from first base to right field to showcase him for major league scouts and college coaches.

“We both agreed the move was the best for my future,” Ruscitto said. “I want to go on and play in college, and we thought this was my best chance of attracting a college scholarship.”

Ruscitto seems almost embarrassed to discuss his hitting exploits.

“I didn’t start lifting weights until my sophomore year and really didn’t know I had that kind of power,” he said. “After I hit the homer against Anaheim, the word got around school the next day pretty quick. Nobody could believe I hit it that far.

“I never go up to the plate thinking home run. I just try and concentrate on turning my shoulders in and hitting the ball hard. I still have a lot to learn.”

Ruscitto also figures to exert some power on the football field in the fall. He was a second-team, all-Orange League selection as a strong-side linebacker for the Tigers’ championship team. Although the sport offers another option for his future, he’s uncertain about which sport to pursue at this juncture.

“I can’t really say which sport I enjoy most or which one I’ll concentrate on in college,” he said. “I think the decision will take care of itself next year. I’m just enjoying myself this season.

“I like the intensity and the crowds for football, but I also like the relaxed atmosphere in baseball.”