By Dave Dyer

Staff Writer

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

Scarborough High School baseball player Jake Rutt likes to pattern his game from two different major league ballplayers, Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek and Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley.

“Defensively, [Varitek] the most defensively talented catcher. He’s caught four no-hitters,” Rutt said. “I think Chase Utley has a swing that’s similar to mine, or mine to him. It’s amazing how he generates his power.”

Rutt, a catcher, finished the 2009 season with major league type numbers, including a .401 batting average and five home runs. The Red Storm finished with a 12-4 record and made it to the Maine Class A Western Maine Finals before losing to the Deering Rams, the eventual state champions.

“We had a really good season,” Rutt said. “Our goal was to win a state championship, but in our history, we never hosted or won a playoff game and we did that. Our batting average was third best in the [Southwestern Maine Activities Association] and our defense was third. I think that was why we had such a great season.

Rutt also had a good individual season behind the plate, committing one error on the season. 

Rutt said catching is a different position from others in baseball because of how involved the position is.

“The two most different positions is pitching and catching,” Rutt said. “With catching, you’re always in the game. It’s very tough physically, especially now in Legion, catching back to back games.”

Rutt said good catchers usually focus on defense more than on offense.

“Good teams are built around good catchers,” Rutt said. “It’s good for a catcher to focus more on defense than offense. If you have good offense, it’s a plus.”

Rutt has now turned his attention to his American Legion baseball season, playing for the Libby-Mitchell Post 76 team. As of press time, Libby-Mitchell had a 12-3 record on the season. Rutt attributes much of the success to having improved pitching.

“We’ve got Ryan Boyington from Cape [Elizabeth]. Joe Cronin and Ben Wessel got wins in the last double-header,” Rutt said. “I can throw too. We’re basically bringing back the same starting lineup, but our pitching is going to improve tremendously.”

Libby-Mitchell has players this season from Scarborough, Bonny Eagle and Cape Elizabeth. Rutt said the integrating of players from the three schools has not been a problem.

“It just makes it more fun,” Rutt said. “It just kind of clicks within the team, but Coach [Will] Sanborn interacts with the players pretty well. He’s sort of an ice breaker.”

Rutt said the Nova Seafood team, which is comprised of players from Deering, will be the team to beat as the American Legion season progresses.

“It looks like Nova is going to be good again,” Rutt said. “[Nova player] Matt Watson’s back. In order to beat them, we have to play a solid seven innings in the playoffs.”

Although Rutt loves the game of baseball, he said he is more skilled in hockey. Rutt, who is a defenseman, said he will play this fall for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. 

“I love baseball, but people tell me I have a better chance of going somewhere in hockey,” Rutt said.

According to the Monarchs Web site, 60 former players have gone on to play college hockey. The most recent success story from the team was of defenseman Brian Dumoulin, the former Biddeford Tiger hockey player who signed a letter of intent to play at Boston College and was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Rutt, who will be a senior next season, said he is looking forward to next year’s season, as many of the Red Storm’s players will be returning.

“I think we’ll be really good,” Rutt said. “There’s some players in [junior varsity], freshmen and even eighth grade who will be good. But you can’t really replace Chris Bernard’s season this year.”

Staff writer Dave Dyer can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 219