Lincoln coach Jesse De La Torre (middle) gives
his athletes a motivational talk during a
between-innings huddle in front of the visitors
dugout at Muirlands Wed., May 13.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
I had an interesting experience during the Vikings' game versus Lincoln Wed., May 13. I spent most of the game at the end of the Lincoln dugout.
It's a common place where photographers get a clear view of the pitcher and the rest of play. There is a lot more room there to move around, and to stand at the fence, next to the field. The La Jolla dugout and sidelines were filled with people for the Senior Game and crucial game against the Hornets, in which the City League title is at stake.
The Lincoln head coach, Jesse De La Torre, began an off-and-on conversation with me during the game. I found that quite interesting, since coaches are pretty much occupied with the game, especially one as important as this, which the visitors won, 6-2, setting up a do-or-die game Fri., May 15, to decide the league title.
De La Torre was also the third base coach when the Lincoln bats were at the plate. So he was a busy man. He asked how long I was reporting games; I said about 12 years (for the La Jolla Village News; actually 20 years with photos and my blog on Head Coach Gary Frank's Vikings, dating back to a game at Canyon Crest in about 2006--my granddaughter was a sophomore or junior).
I said I played baseball in youth ball (also up to American Legion, but I didn't mention that to De La Torre). He definitely wanted to know who he was sharing space with in the visitors' dugout.
Another photographer from La Jolla went up on the "roof" (platform) behind the dugout (Stephanie Alvarez). So, there were other people around. A female student photog from LJHS came into the dugout, where there is space at the far end where such observers often stand and do their work.
A male student came and sat inside the fence, on the playing field. He probably got great photos; I didn't say anything to him--he might get kicked off the actual field, if an umpire or coach took offense.
At one point, I walked up to the assistant coach near the other end of the dugout who was keeping a scorebook and asked him about a player.
So, De La Torre was aware I was moving around. He could have said, "Please remove yourself from the (main part of the) dugout," but he didn't.
Later, as Lincoln forged ahead, he giving intense coaching-up to one player to correct him, teach him, and motivate him in front of the dugout not too far away from me, he asked me, "So, do you write a story on every game?"
"No, I cover all sports at La Jolla, so I will write a game story only once in a while," I said. He was probably curious about what I knew about the Viking team. "I wrote a story on the game Monday (May 11, when Lincoln also won, 3-1)."
There was a kind of mutual respect, I was feeling. He didn't scoff and look down on me. Years ago, I went onto the field between innings to take a photo of the pitcher warming up at Mission Bay and the opposing coach scowled, shouting, "Get off the field!" So you never know what reaction you're going to get.
Much to Gary's credit, from that first game at Canyon Crest, he told me when I began to move out of his way, "No, stay (in the dugout). Make yourself at home." Which was pretty incredible, giving me the feeling I had the freedom to roam about the Vikings' dugout during the game taking photos.
The Lincoln players started from the beginning of the game with quite a ruckus from the dugout, doing chants, making quite a bit of noise, razzing Will Grebe-Arzate, starting on the mound for La Jolla.
It turned kind of pure "street" when a La Jolla player called out, "Balk", on Lincoln's pitcher. De La Torre went to the home plate umpire and pointed the player out.
A player in La Jolla's dugout responded, "We're good. We got you." I thought they were going to keep it in check.
Instead, Viking players began a calling out of "Balk" more than once or twice the rest of the game, just to get back at De La Torre and his minions.
Lincoln players, in English and Spanish, made some intelligible and some unintelligible sounds and chants. Hey, they won, more credit to them.
By winning the first two games between the two teams, De La Torre's squad has really put the pressure on La Jolla. "They have to beat you," said the coach to his team during Wednesday's game. Somehow, they have played loose enough to win to get to this point.
