BY STEVE HANF
SALISBURY POST

Calvin Hayes Sr. didn’t watch many American Legion baseball games by himself this summer.

There was never a need to ask who the men around him were, though. The shirts were dead giveaways.

Pale blue?Must be Carolina’s turn to watch Cal Hayes Jr. play.

Brilliant red?Well, that got a little tougher —was is N.C. State or South Carolina making the rounds?

Some games, life got a little complicated — like when Tar Heels head coach Mike Fox and Wolfpack leader Elliott Avent both showed up for Saturday’s Legion state tournament contest.

“I was sitting there talking to Coach Fox and I go to get us something to drink,”the elder Hayes said. “I’m up getting the drink and there’s the State guy, so I’m talking to him and Coach Fox keeps looking over his shoulder. He told me, ‘You stayed too long over there. I thought I was going to have to come get you.’ ”

That same weekend, the Hayes family found itself running behind schedule on trips to N.C. State and UNC, but Fox didn’t mind.

He knew where they were.

“We were late getting to Carolina and Coach Fox said, ‘Yeah, I figured you were up talking to that ol’ State guy,’ ” the elder Hayes said with a laugh. “It’s funny.”

When it comes to Cal Hayes Jr., one thing is certain. Dozens of colleges and plenty of professional scouts would love to have the last laugh when it comes to wooing the East Rowan senior.

“It’s crazy. I just try to keep playing, not let it get to my head,”the younger Hayes said. “I haven’t thought much about it.I hear people telling me how it’s going to be, but Ijust have to play the same. I try not to notice the crowd when I’m playing the game.”

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In a year that promises to be chock full of important decisions, the younger Hayes already has one under his belt.

Instead of pursuing his baseball career full time, he’ll suit up for the East Rowan football team for the fourth straight year.

“I wanted a change now. I’ve been playing baseball all summer,”he said. “It’s time to start something new.”

Hayes enjoys playing football, and why not? In three varsity seasons he’s scored 27 touchdowns, rushed for 1,401 yards and caught 55 passes for another 804 yards. Hayes also has four kick returns for touchdowns, including scampers of 94 and 95 yards during his sophomore season.

In a bulging shoebox that sits in the Hayes’ living room, college letters from all over the country have been organized by Cal’s mom, Diane. The return address labels boast as many football helmets as baseballs. Some simply hail from the “Department of Athletics” instead of the baseball or football office.

The blazing speed and strength he packs into his 5-foot-11 frame make him a natural on the football field, but Hayes admits he “probably won’t play college football.”

His football stats are great. The baseball numbers, however, can only be described as mind-boggling.

In three seasons with the Mustangs, the shortstop is batting .393. He’s scored 90 runs in 79 games, stolen 41 bases and smashed 35 extra-base hits.

Turn up the competition a notch, and Hayes gets even better. In only three full seasons of American Legion baseball, he boasts a .411 average after batting at a remarkable .470 clip this past summer. His 211 runs scored shattered the previous Legion career mark, and 214 hits has him tied for first with Brian Hatley — with a whole summer still to come in 2002.

Professional scouts have been just as impressed as college coaches, which sets up Hayes’ really big dilemma.

“The scouts ask me about my decision: Do I want to go to college or straight into the draft?”Hayes said. “Now I’m leaning more toward college. I’ve always wanted to go to college”

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Plenty of suitors have thrown their hats into the ring, but Hayes lists four schools as the primary contenders:UNC, N.C. State, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.

A favorite has yet to emerge, although the Tar Heels appear to be pushing hard: letters from Chapel Hill fill up a large portion of the shoebox, and Hayes’ first official visit will be to UNC in September.

He entertains all offers. The letters from Harvard, Yale, Penn, Florida and Miami are nice to look at, and he’s received more media guides than your average newspaper sports department. The phone rings all the time, lighting up the Caller ID unit with numbers from near and far.

“I like talking to all the coaches. It’s been fun,”the younger Hayes said. “They talk about college visits and sometimes they just ask how I’m doing, like a normal conversation.”

The recruiting dance involves a few intricate steps, too. Some college coaches and pro scouts have suggested Hayes would make a better second baseman than shortstop — which lights a fire under the elder Hayes.

“He’ll do whatever it takes to play ball, but I tell them that we’re recruiting you as much as you’re recruiting Cal,”his dad said, fairly certain that his son can play shortstop at the next level. “That’s part of it.”

An even bigger part of the recruiting scene shows up in the younger Hayes’ bedroom: the pile of ACT and SAT study manuals he’s been poring over. Hayes didn’t qualify in his only previous attempt at the SAT, but he’s taking the ACT for the first time in September and taking another shot at the SAT the following month.

“I can do it,”Hayes said. “The grades really aren’t that hard — the other stuff just comes naturally.”

Making the grade on his standardized tests will simply expand the choices Hayes can make.

“Scouts ask how much money it’ll take to keep Cal from going to school,”the elder Hayes said, laughing. “I don’t know anything about money. He’s just got to weigh his options.”

“After I take my official visits I’ll compare everything,”added the younger Hayes. “I’m not going to try to rush anything. I’ll take my time.”

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Despite his youth, Hayes can handle tough decisions.

He got a call this summer from the Continental Amateur Baseball Association High School World Series and an invitation to play in the event near Cleveland.

The coach on the other end of the line was stunned when Hayes said no to playing in front of 75 college and 21 pro scouts — in an event that Alex Rodriguez, Todd Helton and recent No. 1 pick Josh Hamilton had all participated in — to stay with his Legion teammates.

“I really didn’t want to leave the team,”Hayes said. “We played all summer together.”

Hayes also missed out on the Pro Showcase in Wilmington in August when Rowan County was competing at the state tournament.

“You can’t put a price on that,”the elder Hayes said of both decisions. “I think the kids will look back later on that and say, ‘Man, Cal was loyal.’ ”

Hayes’ high school friends sometimes joke about how rich he’ll be one day when he’s playing in the major leagues, but Cal remains low key about the whole situation: picking a school, playing pro ball, being one of the greats of the game?Even his dad doesn’t know what his son thinks about the future.

“He’s quiet. He doesn’t have much to say,”the elder Hayes said. “It doesn’t faze him.”

The low-key approach looks like a good one to take. Football coaches, baseball coaches and pro scouts will be vying for a piece of the high schooler all year. Then there are the other “simple” things in life: helping to improve the East football team; taking the Mustang baseball squad on a run to the state title; keeping his grades up; the Senior Prom.

“I don’t see anything being that hard,”the elder Hayes said. “He needs to study, continue working hard and growing up, becoming a man. Only time will tell. I just say, ‘Calvin, you got a decision to make.’ ”

The younger Hayes said some of the best advice he received came from Legion assistant coach Sandy Moore: “Go where your heart wants you to go,”Cal reported.

It’s a decision that could take him practically anywhere, leaving his dad to offer one final thought.

“Wherever Cal goes, I want the people of Rowan County to follow him. He loves them and they love him,”the elder Hayes said. “I don’t care if it’s Mexico —but we’ll try to keep it close to home. Less than two hours.”

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Contact Steve Hanf at 704-797-4287 or shanf@salisburypost.com .