JOE URBAN

Steve Virgen

Joe Urban had, arguably, the greatest start to a high school baseball

career ever. It was one of many highlights the standout athlete

created while he competed for the Sailors at Newport Harbor High.

Playing as a freshman on the varsity team, Urban made the most of

his first at-bat. He hit a home run, an 0-2 pitch over the left-field

fence. And, he didn’t stop there. He also pitched his first

complete-game victory in the same game, his first start.

“Just to be pitching as a freshman was exciting,” Urban said.

Urban also enjoyed many highlights when he played football for the

Sailors.

“The biggest thrill for me is that I played in the championship

game as a sophomore,” he said. “I played the final three quarters on

offense and defense, and helped a great team, one of the best

all-time at Newport. That 14-0 season [in 1994] was definitely a

highlight for me.”

While making big plays was essential for his future as an athlete,

Urban sought out coaches and always looked to older people, even

teammates, for guidance. He thought to himself he would love to

coach, just so he could provide the kind of inspiration his coaches

did for him.

Urban developed into a standout baseball player in a short time

for the Sailors. He was the Newport-Mesa District Player of the Year

in his senior season, 1997. He also set a district record for career

home runs with 20. Corona del Mar’s Ty Harper broke the record in

1999 with 24.

Baseball was and, still is, close to Urban’s heart, but he also

loved football.

“It was just football and baseball for me,” he said. “I looked at

them both the same. I didn’t have a favorite. Sometimes I wish if I

was bigger and faster I could play at the next level for football. I

was fortunate to move on and play in baseball.”

After graduating from Newport Harbor in 1997, Urban remained

focused on baseball. He played two years at Santa Ana College. The

choice to play for Santa Ana proved pivotal for Urban and his future.

“It was a good time, a good experience,” he said. “That stop

turned me into the player I ended up being. I went through some

adversity and the coaches just stuck with me. I ended my final season

great and it got me a scholarship to play in the Big 12. I was also

drafted. [Santa Ana] was one of the best stops I’ve made.”

Urban had a few choices to make after his final season at Santa

Ana. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 30th round in 1999

and he also had a scholarship to play for Iowa State. He chose to go

with playing at a NCAA Division I program.

He opted to go with the Cyclones and live in the Midwest. But the

situation did not begin with much promise.

“I had an awful junior year,” Urban said. “I struggled my whole

junior season. It was tough on me and it was tough on my family. But

the next season, I was All-Big 12 first baseman my senior year. I was

part of Iowa State records. Just being on the team, the friendship

and the way of living in the Midwest, it’s something I enjoyed.”

Urban played two years in an independent minor league after

finishing up at Iowa State. He played for the River City Rascals of

the Frontier League. The team is based in St. Louis, Mo.

Urban took in the entire minor-league baseball experience, living

in the Midwest and thriving on the sport that sometimes drew 6,000

people to a game. He also made sacrifices to make time to play the

game he loved.

“It was a tough life to be a minor-league player,” he said. “There

were some nights that we were in a bus for 15 hours. It was real-life, minor-league baseball and I got to live it first hand.

“I made $700 a month,” Urban continued. “It covered all expenses.

I had a host family. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but I survived for

six months. I had free room and board, a lot of the small-town cafes,

they took care of the players, with the food. It helped cover the low

pay check.”

Urban decided to stop playing baseball to start coaching and to

work for a sod grass company.

“It was tough at first because I wasn’t used to having as much

free time,” Urban said. “To be honest, it was tougher [leaving

baseball] for my family. I kind of saw the end of the road coming and

I saw this different opportunity. I got into coaching last summer and

that got my head straight.”

Urban coached baseball at Newport Harbor last spring. This fall,

he has been an assistant for the freshmen football team under his

father, Joe Urban Sr.

“That’s something I’ve always wanted to do: give back what I got

from Newport from the great coaches at Newport,” the younger Urban

said. “With baseball, it was great. I was able to teach the kids what

I was taught throughout traveling ball and I was able to pass it down

to them what I learned. It was fun to be out there with them and get

in the cages and hit with them and show them that I can play, too.”

Urban plans to continue to coach.

“It’s going to be something I really enjoy doing,” he said. “My

goal is to help these kids playing and help them try to get into

college and go on to the next level. I also want to make them better

players.”

Joe Urban Jr., 25 and living on Balboa Peninsula, is the latest

honoree of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame.