Fair Oaks shortstop Trace Coquillette dives head first into third base in the first inning of Post 383's game against El Dorado on Saturday. Coquillette had a leadoff hit and stole second before the attempted steal of third, where he was tagged out by Post 119's Brad Simko. Photo by John Blenkle
Poor pitching, ejections plague Fair Oaks
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the June 24, 1992 edition of The Orangevale News)
    Last week wasn't quite what the Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team had hoped it would be.
    Playing five games against teams with losing records, Fair Oaks had hoped to gain some ground in the standings. Instead, Post 383 found itself dropping three out of the five contests, falling into fourth place in the District 6 American Legion's American Division.
    Post 383's wins came against Post 61 on June l7 and El Dorado Post ll9 on Saturday.
    Fair Oaks enjoyed a 13-0 win over Post 61 and escaped with a 4-1 victory over El Dorado in the second game of a doubleheader.
    In a week that had more low points than high points, however, Post 383 lost a one run decision to Fort Sutter, 6-5, on Thursday, a 4-1 game to El Dorado on Saturday, and a 12-10 decision to the same Post 119 team on Sunday.
American Legion - Post 383
Date Opponent Score
6-3 W. Sacramento W, 4-1
6-6 Citrus Heights W, 10-1
6-6 Citrus Heights W, 12-11
6-7 Citrus Heights W, 7-6
6-13 Charles Eggen L, 6-1
6-13 Charles Eggen W, 1-0
6-14 Charles Eggen L, 6-3
6-17 Post 61 W, 13-0
6-18 Fort Sutter L, 6-5
6-20 El Dorado L, 4-1
6-20 El Dorado W, 4-1
6-21 El Dorado L, 12-10
OVERALL: 7-5    LEAGUE: 7-5
    Sunday's game was definitely the low point of the week for Fair Oaks, which, according to coach Don Barney, was devoid of pitching and intensity.
    The low-lights of the game included the ejection both Barney and opposing coach Bob Ruh in the first inning, poor pitching, and a failed rally which saw Fair Oaks tie the game up only to lose it in the ninth inning as El Dorado scored four runs.
    Both Ruh and Barney had to question home plate umpire Bob Brown's abilities behind the plate early on as questionable calls in the first inning led to the ejection of both coaches. A comment from someone on El Dorado's team after an apparent wrong call on a foul ball down the line prompted Brown to go over to the dugout. Ruh received a warning, and as the coach directed a comment to his first base coach about the officiating, was tossed out of the game.
    "The umpire's first mistake was going over to the dugout," said Barney. "An umpire should never do that. He shouldn't be umpiring at this level of ball if a few comments are going to bother him like that. He should have got back behind the plate and let the game continue."
Post 383 coach Don Barney (right) tries to get his point across to umpire Bob Brown in the first inning of Fair Oaks' game on Sunday. Brown ejected both Barney and El Dorado coach Bob Ruh before the end of the inning. Photo by Joe Blenkle
    It was Barney's turn, however, for an ejection in the bottom half of the first inning. With Eric Brolin at the plate, Brown called a ball up in Brolin's eyes a strike, prompting Barney to question the call. Brown then warned Barney that he too would be ejected from the game if he wasn't quiet, resulting in an exchange between Barney and Brown as to whether Barney had the right to comment on questionable calls. Brown ordered Barney back to the coaching box down the third base line. Barney retreated a few steps, stopped to tie his shoe, and was ejected from the game.
    Barney then called in the other umpire - Ted Fritz, who also happens to be the head of the Sacramento Metropolitan Officials Association. Brown apparently tried ordering Barney off the field with the threat of forfeiting the game to El Dorado unless he left. But Barney quietly reminded him that he was now having a conversation with his "boss."
    The game finally continued - minus Barney and Ruh - with the players and the remaining coaches wondering who would be the next to go - and the fans on both sides making the next eight innings seem like an eternity for the home plate umpire.
    Fair Oaks trailed in the game 4-2 after the first inning was completed, and dropped behind 8-2 by the fourth. Post 383 began picking away at the lead, however, adding two runs in the fifth and mounting a game-tying rally in the sixth.
    Scott Kinsey led off the sixth with a walk and scored as Jason Reynolds and Trace Coquillette sent consecutive singles into center field. Reynolds scored to make it 8-6 and Coquillette went to third as Dave Scott hit a ground-rule double to left. Coquillette and Scott came home to tie the game at 8-8 as Leon Hamburg sent a double into center field.
    The game remained tied until the top of the ninth inning, when El Dorado scored four times to take a 12-8 lead.
    Another rally wasn't in the works for Fair Oaks, however, as Post 383 could only get two runs across the plate in the bottom of the ninth, as Coquillette doubled and scored on an error on a ball hit by Scott, and Hamburg doubled to bring Scott home.
    "We had a lot of problems with our pitching this week," said Barney of Post 383's 2 win, 3 loss showing. "We probably should have won four out of the five games. Our pitchers just weren't ready."
    Amazingly, Fair Oaks collected 52 hits in the five games and outscored the opposition 33-23, but still managed to win only a pair of the contests. Post 383's best showing came early on in their 13-0 win over Post 61 on June 17.
    After a slow start, Fair Oaks put a run on the scoreboard in the second on a solid home run by Brett Rapozo, but then warmed up to the occasion in the fourth with a nine run outburst that put the game safely out of reach.
    Third baseman Alan Coursey led off the inning with a hit to left field, and scored as Eric Henrikson bashed a home run over the right field fence to make it 3-0. With one out, Brolin walked. With Scott at the plate, Brolin stole second, but the theft proved unnecessary, as Scott rocketed a home run over the left field fence to make it 5-0. Hamburg followed with a walk and went to third as catcher Kent Guthrie got a hit to right field. Coquillette then hit a ground ball to third. The throw to first was low, however, loading the bases. Coursey then doubled to right to score Hamburg, Guthrie and Coquillette for an 8-0 lead.
    Coursey scored on a ball hit by Henrikson that bounced out of the left fielder's glove making it 9-0, and Henrikson came home with Fair Oaks' 10th run on a hit to center by Rapozo. Two more runs scored in the bottom of the sixth as Hamburg led off the inning with a hit to left. Reynolds then topped the ball down the first base line. The catcher fielded it, making a wide throw to to third. Hamburg then came home on a double down the third base line by Coquillette to make it 11-0. Reynolds scored with two outs on a passed ball to make it a 12-0 game.
    Fair Oaks' final run came in the sixth, as Tim Fuhrman led off with a walk and scored as Hamburg hit a ball that bounced over the left fielder's head.
    Post 383 pounded out 15 hits in the 13-0 victory. But the three losses last week dropped Fair Oaks into fourth place, half a game behind Citrus Heights in the American Legion's American Division.
    Charles Eggen remains entrenched in first place, with Haggin Grant close behind in second.
    Post 383 has a bye today and will face Haggin Grant in a three-game series this weekend. Saturday, the two teams will meet in a doubleheader at Bella Vista beginning at 11 a.m., and Sunday, Fair Oaks will visit Haggin Grant at Rio Linda High School in another scheduled 11 a.m. start.
    LEGION NOTES: With 15 games remaining on the schedule, head coach Don Barney is still confident that Post 383 will advance into post-season play this year despite Fair Oaks' current fourth place standing.
    "We've got some problems with pitching right now," said Barney, "but we'll be there one way or another." The top three National and top three American division teams will advance to the playoffs, with first place in each division getting a bye and second and third places opening with a cross-divisional playoff on July 22. As was the case last year, all the playoff games will take place in Woodland.
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