San Diego Prep Review / Chris De Luca : Coach Has an Answer for All Calls

It’s not that Christian High School baseball Coach Jerry Huson is proud of getting kicked out of a game, but his telephone answering machine early last week addressed the incident lightly.

“I don’t know about you, but I was thrown out of a ballgame today, and I’m still out of here . . .” were Huson’s opening words.

Huson was tossed out of a recent City Central League game against Hoover for disputing a call at first base in the second inning. The call involved a routine groundball situation, but the umpire on the bases said Christian first baseman Mike Castle had pulled his foot off the bag and he called the runner safe.

Huson protested, saying the umpire was out of position to make the call. He asked the umpire to appeal the call to the home-plate ump. The call was appealed, with the home plate umpire ruling that Castle’s foot was on the bag and the runner was out. According to Huson, this caused a heated discussion between the two umpires, with the call being reversed again.

“I went out there and asked what good the appeal was if he was going to reverse the call anyway,” Huson said. “He just got in my face and yelled, ‘The play stands!’

“I stood back and said, ‘I’m sick and tired of (Umpire Services Associates) umps,’ and he yells out, ‘You just said the magic words,’ and kicked me out.

“Everybody must have thought I said something a lot worse, though.”

At the time Huson was ejected, Christian was leading, 3-0, but eventually lost the game, 11-8.

Add phones: “Hello, you have reached the Eagles’ nest, perch of the soaring Avocado League champion Eagles of San Pasqual. Coach Wester is out enjoying feasts of wild cat and cougar meat. . . .” That’s how San Pasqual track Coach Will Wester’s phone answering machine greeted callers Saturday night, after his team set five league records at the Avocado League finals Saturday morning at MiraCosta College.

Hurdler Andrea Miller set a league record in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (45.93); Trinesa Boyd leaped a record 35 feet, 1 inch in the triple jump; Nicole Rothey ran the 400 meters in record time (57.7), and San Pasqual’s relay teams set records in the 400 meters (49.37) and the 1,600 meters (4:05.3). Pole vaulter Pat Alduenda tied teammate Jurt Brown’s 1985 record of 14-6.

Baseball, take two: Don’t try to tell University baseball Coach Dick Serrano there are no second chances.

Earlier this season, Serrano protested a game between University and Kearny in the top of the eighth inning after the home-plate umpire was hit with a throw to the plate while a University runner was attempting to score. The umpire said the ball was dead and the runner, who was sure to score, was sent back to third.

Serrano charged onto the field to argue his case, saying the ball was not dead because the umpire is considered part of the playing field. The umpire held his ground and Serrano protested the interpretation of the rule. Kearny scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to win, 8-7.

CIF officials considered the protest and sided with Serrano, saying there was no umpire interference.

On Tuesday the teams will meet again. The game will resume play in the eighth inning with two out and a runner on second. University will be credited with the run that would have scored on the controversial call. The score will be 7-5.

In the original game, the runner who was sent back to third scored later in the inning on a hit batter with the bases loaded. Serrano, however, feels that the outcome of the game may have been different had the runner scored earlier.

“Everything after the protest is immaterial,” he said. “Who’s to say what may have been done differently?”

If University wins the game Tuesday, it will be assured of second place in the City Western League with Mission Bay.

Prep Notes

Patrick Henry’s Terri Rice pitched her third no-hitter of the year last Wednesday as Henry downed Serra, 1-0, to clinch a berth in the City Eastern League playoffs. . . . Mike Hook of Santana High pitched a perfect game last Monday against league rival Valhalla in a 10-0 victory.