Ebel, Gurrero team up at Home Run Derby

Dino Ebel’s last big appearance on the mound resulted in a no hitter and 9-7 win for the Barstow High School baseball team.

Monday night, he takes the mound again hoping to throw at least a few hittable balls.

Vladimir Guerrero selected the Angels third base coach and Barstow native to be his designated pitcher for the Home Run Derby Monday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The derby will begin at 5 p.m. on ESPN. The All-Star game will be played Tuesday night on Fox.

“I’m just thrilled to death,” said Richard Ebel, Dino’s dad. “I asked him, ‘Son do you realize all the guys that are going to be there all at once?’ ”

Ebel often throws batting practice for the Angels but spent most of his playing career as a shortstop until a game against Apple Valley when he was in high school. The Aztecs pitcher was injured and the Barstow coach handed the ball to Ebel. He never gave up a hit but walked or beaned enough hitters to help Apple Valley score seven runs.

“I don’t know how, but they won,” said Richard as he chuckled his way through the story.

Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher teased Ebel that he’d be looking to revive his pitch career in front of millions.

“He's going to be the first guy to strike out a hitter in the Home Run Derby,” Hatcher said. “He's going to go up and in then — breaking ball down and away.”

Ebel, however, confirmed he won’t be working with a large pitch selection.

“Down the middle, “ Ebel said. “Just throw it until (Guerrero) gets in a groove. Four-seam fastball. No cut. No slider.

“We going there to win it.”

Guerrero will make his first appearance in the competition since 2000 when he hit two home runs in Atlanta for an exit in the first round. He finally decided to give into the fans demand to appear in the derby again.

“(Ebel) knows where I like it,” said Guerrero through an interpreter.

“In batting practice, he knows where the sweet spot is. I won't say anything because he might get nervous.”

Along with balancing the All-Star game, Ebel is about to balance an addition to his family. His wife Shannon is due to give birth to the couple’s second child July 25 in Las Vegas.

The Ebel family’s original plan was to have Shannon induced early at the All-Star break if she was far enough along. The Angels have a 3:35 p.m. game against the Oakland Athletics at home on July 25th but are off the next day. Dino said he doesn’t plan to miss any games.

Ebel has thrown in home run derbies in the California League, but never at the Major League Baseball All-Star game. He spent 17 years in the minors leagues as a player and coach. Ebel picked up by Dodgers as a free agent signing after playing out his college ball at South Florida.

He progressed through the Dodgers minor league system but never got beyond AAA. He was eventually offered a spot as a player coach with the Dodgers before taking up coaching full-time in 1996. He left the Dodgers for the Angels in 2005 to manage their triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stingers. He joined the Angels as the team’s third base coach in Nov. 2005.

Bill Plunkett, Angels beat writer for the Orange County Register, contributed to this story.