Compton Softball Has Plenty of Fans

As Compton softball Coach Sean Corrigan spoke to a couple of representatives from Mt. San Antonio College on Monday -- they were on campus to give the struggling softball program some used bats -- a baseball coach drove his pickup truck into the infield and yelled to a couple of girls.

Corrigan heard part of the comment: “Your coach is making our school look bad!”

Since the plight of Compton softball was made known on May 7 by The Times, Corrigan has been surprised by the attention, goodwill and reaction -- positive and negative.

He has talked to a representative from state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally’s office, and he has talked to a bus driver who wanted to say good job. A lady who graduated from the school in the 1950s sent a $25 check.

The Compton-based Ralph’s/Food 4 Less grocery chain has committed $7,500 to the program. State Sen. John Burton said Thursday that he will make calls to youth foundations and, with a personal donation, probably add somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000 to the softball team’s budget. Horse racing jockey Julie Krone has indicated that she is on-board for drumming up additional support.

“I’m an optimistic person, but to see this reaction from people is really encouraging,” said Corrigan, a first-year history teacher who cleared more than a dozen messages on his cellphone at lunchtime Thursday but had 17 more by the end of his team’s 12-1 loss to Long Beach Jordan about five hours later.

It was the best game of the year for the winless team. It got the opposing team out in order for the first time this season and it got three hits -- one more than it had in 11 previous Moore League games. And, for the first time, it played into the sixth inning before being victims of the 10-run mercy rule.

“I think I noticed more motivation,” said Margarita Landeros, a junior who may be Compton’s valedictorian next year. “We didn’t realize how important our effort was to the community.”

The team with one bat before The Times’ story on its plight went into Thursday’s game with eight bats -- compliments of Mt. SAC and Covina Northview High -- and hope for the future.

Carolynn LaRocca of West Los Angeles was one of a handful of fans. She read the story and introduced herself to Corrigan afterward.

“I’m hoping I can help next year, maybe with fund-raising,” LaRocca said. “I’ve always been one for the underdog.”

Corrigan said school administrators haven’t spoken to him about the team since the story ran. Athletic Director Maxine Kemp and Principal Celeste Salmon-Asfaw did not return phone calls on Thursday from The Times.

Added Burton, who happened to be in Los Angeles the day the article was published: “The story just got me. I’d like to try to do something.

“I hope that article stirs up a hornet’s nest.”

It has already done that, focusing attention on an ignored girls’ program in a Title IX era and giving a forum to a teacher who sees his softball team’s problems as part of a larger issue.

“I told [Dymally’s representative] I would take their donation, but I’d rather have some effort to fix the bigger problem in our school,” said Corrigan, 23.

“Our sports program is obviously a reflection of some of the problems, but that I don’t have textbooks for my classes is a much bigger problem that bothers me much more.”