LAKEPORT — Clear Lake High School junior varsity baseball head coach Rick Moreno and assistant coach Jesse Phillips won”t be around Tuesday when the Cardinals visit the St. Helena Saints for a North Central League I South game.
Moreno and Phillips will miss the game in accordance with school rules after being ejected from the Cardinals” 15-4 loss to St. Vincent on Wednesday in Lakeport.
Moreno was warned and then ejected by home plate umpire Bill Wood for arguing balls and strikes. Phillips continued to argue, was warned by Wood and finally ejected by base umpire Ed Sprinkel after he refused to stop his verbal tirade from the dugout.
After being ejected, Phillips tossed a bucket into the playing field, forcing Sprinkel to move out of the way or be hit.
Under rule 3-3-1 of the National Federation of State High School Associations, “A coach, player, substitute, attendant or other bench personnel shall not commit any unsportsmanlike act to include, but not limited to use of any language intended to intimidate or (display) behavior in any manner not in accordance with the spirit of fair play.”
Additionally, Phillips violated a sub-section of the above rule governing the throwing of a bat, helmet or other objects.
Judgment calls by umpires — balls and strikes, safe or out, fair or foul — are final and cannot be argued under NFHS rule 10-4.
According to the official ejection report filed by the umpires, copies of which were forwarded to Coastal Mountain Conference Commissioner Chuck Davison, Clear Lake High School athletic director Glenn Meyer, Clear Lake High School principal Steve Gentry, and Harry Schrauth, the coordinator of officials for the North Coast Section, “The Head Coach was arguing balls and strikes and was warned to stop, did not listen to plate umpire and was ejected. Jesse Phillips picked up where head coach left off and was warned by plate umpire to stop and get his players under control. When he (Wood) turned his back he (Phillips) continued to make remarks. Base umpire (Sprinkel) who was standing between third base and home ejected Mr. Phillips from game. After ejection, with base umpire between third base and home plate Jesse Phillips tossed a bucket out onto the field in the direction of base umpire, close enough so that the base umpire had to move out of way.”
Meyer, Clear Lake”s athletic director, said a substitute coach would fill in when the JV Cardinals play at St. Helena. Moreno and Phillips, both walk-on coaches, are eligible to return to the dugout after Tuesday.
The status of both coaches will be reviewed by the school”s administration at the end of the season, according to Meyer.
“We”ll make a decision at the end of the season,” Meyer said when asked if the two coaches would be allowed to return for the 2011 season.
