Patton Shifts to His Backup Sport : Football: White Sox draft pick quits baseball, moves to defensive backfield at Saddleback College.

Scott Patton embarked on a professional baseball career in the summer of 1992 with hopes of hastening his goal of reaching the major leagues.

Patton, a fourth-round pick of the Chicago White Sox from Capistrano Valley High School, passed on a scholarship to Arizona.

But midway through his third season in the minors, Patton was a wreck. Baseball wasn’t fun anymore and he wanted to quit. But, unlike many other minor leaguers, he had a backup plan.

Patton knew if he left baseball he could always give college football a shot. He had been a standout quarterback and defensive back at Capistrano Valley.

Now, a little more than a year after walking away from baseball, he is ready to start his sophomore season as a defensive back at Saddleback College. The Gauchos open the season at 7 tonight at Long Beach (1-0) in a nonconference game.

Patton, an outfielder, was playing for the White Sox’s class-A team in Hickory, N.C., when he decided to quit in the middle of his third season at that level. He was hitting .300 at the time.

He considered his decision, talked it over with his parents, then had a meeting with Hickory Manager Fred Kendall and was through.

“The way I was going I knew I wasn’t going to get to the big leagues,” Patton said. “I just didn’t have the desire to practice the way you’re supposed to.”

Patton knew he might regret the decision. To ensure a limited amount of second-guessing, he told himself to never forget how miserable he was at the end of his baseball career.

His feelings have been much more positive on the football field for Saddleback. He went out for the team in mid-July last year and quickly won a starting position at strong safety.

This season he is reunited with his father, Eric, who was head coach at Capistrano Valley when Scott played there. Eric is Saddleback’s defensive coordinator.

“You really don’t lose that much,” Scott Patton said about being away from football. “You just have to get your mind to let you throw your body into somebody again.”

Saddleback struggled to a 1-7-2 record, but Patton did intercept seven passes.

“He’s a terrific player,” Saddleback Coach Bill Cunerty said. “He has a great sense for the game. He is a very good open-field tackler and because he’s played some quarterback he knows what they are trying to do.”

In other games:

Cerritos (0-0) at Orange Coast (1-0), 7 p.m.--Orange Coast figured to be much improved on defense this season, but the Pirates gave up 521 yards and lost to Pasadena, 47-18. “I am amazed that we could have played as poorly as we did,” OCC Coach Bill Workman said.

Golden West (0-1) at Pasadena (1-0), 7 p.m.--Golden West fell behind to Long Beach, 21-0, and eventually lost, 42-14, last Saturday. The Rustlers must improve their passing game, which accounted for 99 yards and three interceptions against Long Beach.