(FORTUNE Magazine) – Staying cool in the face of catcalling fans and big-hitting opponents is part of the basic job description for anyone hoping to pitch in the big leagues. By that measure, H. Laurance Fuller, 52, a star hurler at Cornell University who signed on with Amoco 29 years ago because he didn't think he could make it in the majors, has the right stuff. In February, Fuller will succeed Richard Morrow, 64, as Amoco's CEO. He steps into a hot spot. Since Iraq's Saddam Hussein sent gasoline prices soaring, the American public has been giving Big Oil a giant raspberry. Has Fuller noticed? Yep. ''Our customers are very angry,'' he allows. But is he worried? Nope. For one thing, the price-gouging charge is a bum rap, he insists. While Amoco's costs jumped 50 cents a gallon between July and September, it was able to pass along only 27 cents of that increase to consumers. The result: Third- quarter operating profits fell slightly compared with the same period last year. In addition, Amoco sits atop natural gas holdings that would make even a more flappable fellow feel calm: At 17 trillion cubic feet, they are the largest of any oil company's and the equivalent of a 16-year supply at current levels of demand. If the latest crisis finally prompts customers to favor gas over oil, as many observers expect, Amoco will be a big winner. In the short run, however, Fuller isn't looking for much of a lift, unless oil prices -- and thus his costs -- fall. ''Quite apart from any concern about public perception and politics, we couldn't raise our gasoline price a nickel today,'' he says. ''The competitive marketplace is dictating today's level.''