11 City Baseball Coaches Say They’d Honor Picket Lines

A group of City Section baseball coaches said Thursday that they would honor picket lines and boycott the conclusion of the regular season next week if schoolteachers carry out a proposed strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The group of 11 coaches also joined United Teachers-Los Angeles in criticizing the Los Angeles City Coaches Assn., which has recommended that coaches continue to supervise their teams even if they participate in the strike set for Monday.

The association’s position was unanimously approved by 19 representatives from the City Section’s 49 high schools at an emergency meeting Wednesday at Belmont High.

The recommendation conforms to a directive issued this week by the district, which has reversed its field since the last strike 19 years ago, when coaches who participated in the walkout were forced to the sidelines.

The coaches’ association announced its recommendation at the same time the baseball coaches struck their position. After a seeding meeting for the City 4-A Division playoffs, the coaches agreed to honor picket lines. They also said that they will meet Monday to discuss plans for the playoffs if a strike is not averted. Baseball playoffs begin May 24.