No Offense, but Best Prep Baseball Might Be Elsewhere

You might not know a manatee from a mangrove, or whether Okeechobee (the lake) is anywhere near Okefenokee (the swamp). You might think Alligator Alley is a store that sells exotic leather shoes.

But if you get one thing straight about Florida, at least get this: The Sunshine State--Dade County in particular--is home to the best high school baseball in the country.

Before you choke on your sunflower seeds, Orange County coaches, know that the above statement is in no way a slap at you or your well-regarded programs. It’s merely the opinion of countless experts from around the country. Well, at least around Florida. The way they see it, the greater Miami area is baseball’s beehive, buzzing with talent like no place else.

Now if we were to name drop (Jose Canseco) we might mention some of the major leaguers (Andre Dawson) who played for Miami-area high schools (Steve Carlton). We might wax poetic about Dade County grads. We might ooh and ah over their megabuck salaries.

But the reputation of this region isn’t based on its alumni. It’s based on Dade County’s ability to produce national-caliber teams year in and year out. It’s based on a large population and top quality coaching and--if you don’t count humidity or an occasional hurricane--that lovely Florida weather.

Interest? You might say that. Miami Columbus, an all-boys’ school of 1,400, draws an average of 700 to 800 fans per game. This year, 120 boys tried out for Columbus’ junior varsity. Baseball is so popular in these parts, many athletes play year-round thanks to a steady supply of summer, fall and winter leagues.

Of course, not everyone is so enthusiastic.

“Baseball?” grumbled one area football coach. “It’s crazy down here with baseball! But hey, don’t say I said that, OK?”

OK. Just like we won’t tell the Miami newspapers that area coaches sometimes fib when they call in their line scores. One coach admitted that if his team wins by 10 runs or more, he actually reports a much closer score--just so the losing team won’t feel so bad. Another coach said he allows opponents to videotape his practices . . . as a gesture of goodwill.

A bit unusual? Sure it is. But remember, this is Miami--western corner of the Bermuda Triangle; wackiness comes with the territory. How else do you explain the manatee, the strange-looking mammal that mucks about in the local waters? Or a baseball game called on account of . . . mosquitoes?

Or the refusal of most Miami teams to play one of its own?

That would be tiny Westminster Christian (enrollment 199), the No. 1 team in the nation according to USA Today’s preseason rankings. Westminster Christian, which is competing in this week’s Upper Deck tournament, finished the 1992 season as USA Today’s national champion. The Warriors have won four state titles. The last five seasons, they are 152-20.

They are the most-hated team in Florida.

Let’s start with the recruiting rumors, which cling to the Warrior program like gum to a shoe on a hot day. Westminster Christian recruits. Westminster Christian pays kids to play. Westminster Christian bought its starting shortstop for a Ferrari, a yacht and a lifetime supply of Skittles . . .

Mike Phillips, a reporter for the Miami Herald, says the rumors generally hit a peak during the weekend of the state tournament. But the fact is, Phillips says, Westminster Christian has never had to forfeit a game. It has never been charged with any wrongdoing by the Florida High School Activities Assn. Even so, the grumbling continues.

“If you’re a large school, you don’t want to schedule them because if you get beat, people say you shouldn’t lose to a smaller school,” says Dave Bisceglia, coach at nearby Coral Gables (enrollment 3,000). “And if you lose, it only helps (Westminster Christian) promote itself.”

Still, Bisceglia took the risk and played Westminster Christian this season in a locally televised game, in front of 1,500 spectators. Coral Gables won, 8-5.

Westminster Christian Coach Rich Hofman says because most Miami-area schools refuse to play his team--and because teams in the Warriors’ small-schools district don’t offer much competition--Westminster Christian crisscrosses the state searching for quality opponents. If that means a five-hour bus ride to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area two weekends in a row, so be it. If that means memorizing every bump, rock and sign post along Alligator Alley, the desolate stretch of highway that crosses the Everglades, well that’s the price you pay.

Of course, sometimes outer forces intervene. Like two years ago, in the championship game of the Upper Deck tournament.

Who did the Warriors ultimately travel 3,000 miles to play?

Southridge High School. Of Miami .

Blame it on the Bermuda Triangle.