There's Nothing Crazy About His Work, on or Off Field

Catchers usually have a high pain threshold because their bodies are treated like punching bags.

No matter how many chest, face, shin or mouth protectors they wear, the ball usually finds the uncovered spot.

That makes Jordan Sisson of Chatsworth High the ideal catcher because he has the toughness of a middle linebacker.

"I've gotten banged up pretty good blocking balls, running into people, going through fences," he said. "But I'm just trying to help the team out by sacrificing my body."

Teammates have affectionately nicknamed him, "Psycho." He reaches an intensity level others rarely match.

"You have to slow him down from time to time and it's very hard to do," Coach Tom Meusborn said.

Communication on pop flies near home plate is critical for the safety of Chatsworth players. Otherwise, Sisson will run them over to catch the ball. He collided with third baseman Mike Fernandez last month.

"Do you understand why you should communicate?" Meusborn warned Fernandez. "We'd like you to play the next game."

One revealing example of Sisson's toughness came when he was 12 and broke two bones above his wrist while diving for a ground ball at third base during an all-star practice.

Mike Vitullo, an emergency room physician sitting in the bleachers, came out to offer assistance.

"Everybody's going, 'Oh my God,' " Vitullo said. "I say to Jordan, 'I'm going to fix this but it's going to hurt a lot more for a short time before you'll feel better.' I pulled it, reduced it, literally straightened it out. You hear it cracking. Jordan screamed real loud, then went, 'Oh, thank you, Mr. Vitullo.' "

Two years ago, Sisson punched a hole into a wooden backstop while attempting to catch a pop fly.

"He runs out of room and puts his knee right through the wood," Meusborn said.

Last season, pitcher Justin Cassel was having trouble picking up signs during a night game, so Sisson borrowed nail polish to paint his fingernails red. Nothing fazes him.

Sisson is a 6-foot, 190-pound senior batting .381 with nine home runs and 34 runs batted in for the Chancellors (24-1), ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times. He had two two-run home runs Thursday in a 7-5 West Valley League victory over Granada Hills.

Whatever the assignment, he tries to excel. He has a 3.8 grade-point average and won a state award as a freshman for an exam dealing with physics, algebra and geometry.