Beaumont Carries On After Tragedy

During Beaumont High’s playoff baseball game last Friday, Sam Phelps trotted out to center field, trying his hardest not to look left.

The team’s starting left fielder, Tony Gonzalez, had been killed in a car accident a week and a half earlier. Phelps and Gonzalez were best friends.

The pain goes deep for Phelps. He was driving the car that careered off a two-lane road near Beaumont in Riverside County on the evening of May 20, killing Gonzalez and injuring two other teammates.

Junior pitcher Danny Lara needed stitches for a head injury, and senior pitcher Robert Kelly suffered a broken left arm.

Phelps was taken to Loma Linda University Hospital, where he spent two days in intensive care. Although he did not have any serious physical injuries, he was in shock.

Gonzalez, a senior, also was taken to Loma Linda, where he died of internal injuries. He had been the only passenger not wearing a seat belt.

“Right now, I’m just trying not to let the accident bother me,” Phelps said. “I try not to think about it. I’ve been feeling very bad about the whole thing, but slowly I’m working through this.

“I will get through this,” he added.

According to the Highway Patrol, Phelps was driving at an estimated 110 m.p.h. when the accident occurred. The car left the road and rolled several times. All passengers were able to crawl out of the car.

An investigation is pending and Phelps, 17, is expected to be charged with vehicular manslaughter. If convicted, his punishment could range from home detention to eight years in the California Youth Authority. So far, no charges have been filed.

The accident, which devastated the school and this community 75 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, has bonded the baseball team. Players met the day after the accident and voted to continue the season.

Although they lost four starters, the Cougars (17-11-1) have won three playoff games in the Southern Section’s Division 1-A and will play Cerritos Valley Christian in the semifinals at 3:15 today at Cerritos High. The winner will play in the championship game Friday night at Cal State Fullerton.

“Tony’s death has pulled us closer together,” said Andrew Russo, a junior outfielder. “We couldn’t seem to get our whole game together during the season, but in the playoffs it’s all working. Each time we hit the ball or throw it, we’re doing it for Tony. We have a reason to win.”

Beaumont players are wearing patches with Gonzalez’s jersey number, 30, on their uniforms.

Coach Paul Coppage, in his 20th year at the school, said dealing with the young player’s death has been his biggest challenge.

“Telling all of the players what happened was very difficult,” he said. “A lot of them didn’t want to believe it. In a small community like this, everyone knows everyone. That makes it even tougher.

“I told the team that we could just call the season quits. But I told them that if they decided to play on, there would be no quitting after one game. They would have to go the distance. They certainly haven’t quit.”

The Cougars finished the regular season on May 15 as co-champions of the De Anza League with Twentynine Palms.

They were scheduled to open the playoffs on May 22 with a wild-card game against Ayala.

After a practice that week, several players met at a local park to watch some friends in a recreational league baseball game. When it was over, Phelps offered to drive Gonzalez, Kelly and Lara home in his parents’ late-model sedan.

Phelps said he cannot remember how fast he was driving, but recalls approaching a sharp turn and hearing a loud boom. After that he blacked out.

“I didn’t realize what had happened until the next morning,” he said. “Can you imagine how hard it is to hear your best friend died? It’s the worst kind of news.”

Phelps said he and Gonzalez met in the seventh grade and became close friends in recent years while playing baseball. They would often spend hours talking about the game while playing catch.

Two days after the accident, Phelps was released from the hospital. He attended Beaumont’s playoff game with Ayala.

With Ayala ahead, 2-0, rain began and the game was called in the bottom of the the fourth inning. The teams started over the next day; this time, Beaumont won, 4-0.

“Sometimes when strange things happen like that, you just figure someone up above has to have a grand plan,” Coppage said. “Someone was definitely looking out for us.”

Phelps saw Gonzalez’s parents at the Ayala game. He hugged them and offered his condolences. He said a lot of tears were shed.

Coppage has used a patchwork lineup during the playoffs. With the team’s top pitchers, Kelly and Lara, injured, senior reliever Dean Smith stepped in against Ayala.

Lara returned to the mound last Tuesday, leading Beaumont past Lancaster Paraclete, 9-4.

After the game, the team rushed back to Beaumont to attend Gonzalez’s Rosary. Then, on Wednesday, more than 700 attended the funeral.

Phelps returned to the team last Friday and played in the last two innings of an 8-2 quarterfinal victory over Santa Monica Crossroads.

“I feel it is important for me at this point to still be involved in baseball,” Phelps said. “I want my role to be whatever I can best do for the team. Our goal all season was to win the CIF title, and that has not changed.”

Although Kelly cannot pitch, he did suit up against Crossroads and will be in uniform again today for the Valley Christian game.

Coppage said that baseball is therapy for the team, an outlet to help the players deal with what has happened.

Perhaps a championship will help ease the pain even more.

“I know if Tony was in my shoes, he would have continued playing baseball,” Phelps said. “That’s the kind of guy he was. He was no quitter.”