Amado Makes Pitch to Shed an Image Forged in Obscurity

In two seasons at Chatsworth High, left-handed pitcher Pierre Amado posted a 17-4 record and helped the Chancellors win consecutive West Valley League baseball titles. As a senior, he was 10-1 with a 1.82 earned-run average but still had trouble impressing his own teammates.

“He’s so unassuming, we started calling him ‘Plain Wrap,’ ” Chatsworth Coach Bob Lofrano explained. “One of our coaches said he should wear a shirt that just says ‘pitcher’ on it. He does everything without anybody taking notice.”

Amado accepted his nickname and anonymity but his good nature was tested when college coaches failed to include him on their scholarship lists. More than a month after graduation, Amado was scrambling to find a spot on a junior college team.

But the 5-foot, 11-inch, 165-pound prospect forced college coaches to take notice with a strong performance in last weekend’s “area code” all-star series in San Diego. Teams were selected from five California regions based on telephone area codes.

Amado pitched the Brewers from the 818-805 area to an 11-1 victory over the San Francisco-Oakland entry Friday in a game shortened to five innings by the 10-run rule. He pitched a no-hitter through four innings and settled for a three-hitter with four strikeouts and two walks. The victory was one of three in five games for the Brewers, who placed third.

One of the first well-wishers to greet Amado after his victory was Dave Snow, Cal State Long Beach’s new coach.

“I hadn’t had a chance to see him pitch until last weekend and I’m definitely interested. I’m going to try to get him to go here,” Snow said.

Snow was leery to elaborate, saying he feared other coaches would recruit Amado if they learned Long Beach was interested. But he acknowledged that Amado will make a recruiting trip to Long Beach on Saturday .

Amado entered the tournament with full knowledge that numerous college coaches would be in attendance, but he started Friday’s game with little trace of nervousness. He retired the side in the first inning on four pitches.

“You see these guys going to all these four-year schools and you think they’re better than you,” he said. “But once you’re in the game, you don’t think about anything except throwing the best you can.

Amado has struggled with a 3-2 record in American Legion play this summer. But his effort in San Diego complimented a strong showing in last month’s Daily News all-star game in which he pitched three scoreless innings.

“I guess when it really counts, I can pitch well,” he said.