Baseball Coach at Cal Lutheran Resigns Position

Al Schoenberger, who has coached baseball at Cal Lutheran for 14 years, submitted his resignation Monday to Athletic Director Bob Doering, effective at the end of the 1987 season.

Schoenberger, who spent the past eight years as head coach, has a career record of 183-151. Eighteen games remain this season.

Although he has no set plans, Schoenberger, 52, said that 14 years as Kingsmen coach was enough, and that he is ready to find another job, hopefully in baseball.

“At my age, it seems like an opportune time to move on,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about this decision for a couple of years now. After so many years, you get a little burned out. Add recruiting and fund-raising to that and at some point you just say, ‘I’m not willing to make all the sacrifices any longer.’

“When you’re trying to push a grapefruit through a doughnut, it’s time to move on. Right now, I’m looking forward to finishing the season and taking the month of June to relax.”

Although he said his specific plans are still unclear, he added: “I know that scouting is in my future. Whether it will be part-time or full-time, I don’t know.” For whom he will scout, he said, is uncertain. Perhaps not coincidentally, Schoenberger tendered his resignation a week after his annual visit with long-time friend Sparky Anderson at the Detroit Tigers’ spring training site in Lakeland, Fla.

“I’ve talked with him about my plans in the past,” Schoenberger said. “But we didn’t really have a chance to talk about them while I was there. I spoke with him on the phone after I got back.”

Schoenberger has done some scouting for the Philadelphia Phillies in the past. “I’ve got some options,” he said. “We’ll just wait and see.”

Jim Buchheim, CLU sports information director, said the coach decided to move on because “he wants to get into a job where he can make some money.” Though Schoenberger was the head baseball coach, he was not a full-time coach and “didn’t make a lot of money,” he said.

Schoenberger’s case of burnout might have been expedited this season by a disappointing first half. The Kingsmen are 8-17 and have struggled in recent games. The coach announced his decision to his players Saturday after the Kingsmen dropped a doubleheader to Westmont.

“Some of them were surprised,” the coach said, “but a couple of the felt I might be contemplating news,18p6

something like this. Baseball at Cal Lutheran will survive my leaving.”

Highlights of Schoenberger’s college career include his being named NAIA District III Coach of the Year in in 1981. He coached Kevin Gross, now a pitcher for the Phillies, and Todd Dewey, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Atlanta Braves in 1985.

Doering announced that a search for Schoenberger’s successor will begin immediately.