CLOSE-UP : Kuld Rides Waves of Inconsistency as Catcher at Pepperdine

As an aloof and free-spirited ballplayer who didn’t do much wrong while playing for College of the Canyons and Chatsworth High, Pete Kuld had seen better days. Lots of them.

Playing for Pepperdine in his Valley-area debut, however, things began poorly and got worse. Against Cal State Northridge on Feb. 6, the home-run hitting transfer from Canyons went 0 for 4. He also made two errors at catcher.

If that wasn’t enough, his glasses were broken on a play. Before going to the plate in Pepperdine’s half of the inning, Kuld put in his contact lenses.

“I went up there and my eyes were red and watery and Jeremy sat me down real quick,” said Kuld, referring to CSUN pitcher Jeremy Hernandez. Still, his team won, 7-5.

In an abrupt turnaround, Kuld went out the next day in Malibu and had two hits and drove in two runs for the Waves in an 8-4 win over defending Pac-10 Southern Division champion UCLA.

But against UCLA on Wednesday, he struck out three times. Known for power-hitting, he has yet to hit a home run for the Waves. A perplexing situation to be sure.

Kuld didn’t have to play at Pepperdine--he could have signed with the Chicago White Sox after last season. And sometimes, he said, he has second thoughts.

“I think everybody has second thoughts,” he said, “especially when you’re 0 for 4 on a day.”

There is pressure on Kuld. Pepperdine Coach Dave Gorrie recruited the 6-3, 185-pounder expecting him to make an immediate impact. Gorrie moved former catcher Steve Erickson into left field to make way for Kuld, who set a single-season record for home runs at Canyons (17) and was a member of the JC state championship team that went 41-6.

Said Kuld: “I think that after having a year like I did last year, people expect a lot from me.”

Especially Gorrie.

“We’re glad he decided on Pepperdine,” Gorrie said. “We expected him to come right in and catch and he has.

“We had a fine catcher, Steve Erickson, but we thought Steve might be better in the outfield . . . Pete’s a fine player, what you would look for in a catcher. He works well with all our pitchers and can throw runners out.”

“Offensively, Pete is someone who can swing with power and run the bases. He showed in the fall and now early in season that he could do all these things. And, he can hit the long ball.”

Kuld has 48 putouts in eight games. In eight games, he has gone 11 for 35 at the plate, with two doubles and four RBIs. He has a .314 batting average.

Still, no homers.

“I just go out there and play my hardest every time,” Kuld said. “If I don’t hit a home run, I don’t hit a home run. I know I’ll get mine. I like the pressure. I thrive on that stuff.”