Conger catches a first-round dream

When the phone rang late Tuesday morning, Hank Conger knew he was about realize a childhood dream.

Surrounded by his family and a few friends in his family’s home in Huntington Beach, Conger took a call from Major League Baseball scout Bobby DeJardin of the Angels.

“As soon as I heard his voice, I knew,” Conger said of the 10:30 a.m. phone call from DeJardin who informed the Huntington Beach High senior that he was the Angels’ first-round selection in baseball’s amateur draft Tuesday. “It was the best phone call I’ve ever received. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of, ever since I was a kid.”

Conger, a catcher, was the 25th overall pick. There were 30 in the draft’s first round. Although he committed to USC prior to the start of his junior year, he said that he will “most likely” sign with the Angels.

Conger and his supporters watched the early stages of the draft unfold on the website, mlb.com. There was a slight delay between the posting of draft selections, so DeJardin’s phone call reached the Conger house before Hank’s name was posted on the website.

“It was nerve-racking, watching the picks posted, as the first round was coming to an end” said Conger, who noted that baseball scouts didn’t tell him where he’d go in the draft, although he said he had “somewhat” of an idea that it would be the first round. “There was that thought that it might not happen for me in the first round. Then I got the phone call.”

Benji Medure, head baseball coach at Huntington Beach High, said he is thrilled for Conger.

“Hank is a perfect fit for the Angels and vice versa,” he said. “If he had to pick a team for whom he could play, it would be the Angels. Their farm system is local and if he makes it to the big leagues, he could be a hometown hero.”

Conger, who lived in Washington state before moving to Orange County with his family at age 5, was a Mariners fan but became an Angels fan once he moved south. As a player on the local scene, he left an indelible mark.

While playing in Ocean View Little League, he was a key figure in the Majors Division All-Star team reaching the Western Regional championship game in 2000, where a 3-2 loss to Hazel Dell of Vancouver, Wash., left Ocean View just one game shy of reaching the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Penn.

At Huntington Beach High, Conger, a switch-hitter who also played third base in addition to catcher, had a .426 batting average. He slugged eight home runs, eight doubles and 20 RBI. He was named all-Sunset League, all-state, an AFLAC All-American and was a Louisville Slugger and Baseball American Preseason All-America selection.

In late May, Gatorade Thirst Quencher named Conger its 2005-06 California Baseball Player of the Year. Gatorade named state baseball players of the year for each of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program selects one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in football, baseball, volleyball, softball, soccer, basketball and track and field. Each state winner is selected by a panel of sport-specific experts in conjunction with a national media advisory board.

Each winner is selected based on his or her outstanding accomplishments on and off the field of play. In addition to athletic performance, award criteria include achievement in the classroom and overall character.

The honor made Conger, who holds a 3.51 grade-point average, a finalist for the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year award.

“It has been fun watching Hank develop into the player he is today,” Medure said. “I have watched and worked with Hank since the sixth-grade and I am proud of his accomplishments.

“He is by far the best baseball player I have ever coached. He can do some incredible things on the baseball field. He has played a huge part in the rebuilding of Huntington Beach High School baseball. He really helped us get on the map.”

Tuesday’s draft news touched off a big celebration in the Conger household.

“We know how hard he’s worked to make this dream he’s had since he was a little kid, come true,” Conger’s father, Yun, said by phone.

“A lot of kids who play baseball when they’re younger have a dream about playing pro ball. That was Hank’s dream, and now it’s become a reality. And how many youngsters are fortunate to get that chance?” hbi.o8-hankconger-2-CPhotoInfoG51RNEQ520060608iwuwrzknMARK DUSTIN / INDEPENDENT(LA)Huntington Beach High senior catcher Hank Conger makes a stop against Los Alamitos in a Sunset League game played in April.