Sentenced Coach Wants Second Chance : Little League: After pleading no contest to cocaine possession, Michael Benedetto hopes to return to the field.

Despite pleading no contest to possessing cocaine for sale, former Crescenta Valley Little League coach Michael Joseph Benedetto maintains that he is innocent.

Last Thursday, Pasadena Superior Court Judge Thomas W. Stoever sentenced Benedetto, 38, and his girlfriend, Shannon Burris, 31, who pleaded guilty to the same felony charge, to five years’ probation and ordered them to perform 400 hours of community service. Based on 23 letters of support for the couple’s involvement in the community, Stoever suspended three-year state prison terms.

Benedetto, who had previously declined to discuss the case on the advice of his attorney, said the 46 grams of cocaine that Glendale police seized from his La Crescenta home on May 27 belonged to his girlfriend. Burris, who has voluntarily enrolled herself in a drug treatment program, could not be reached.

“I met Shannon some 13 years ago,” he said. “It wasn’t until recently that her problem got bad. . . . I’m not saying that (knowing) Shannon was a mistake, but I probably should have handled it (the drug problem) differently and tried harder (to help) and not be as apathetic.”

The whole case “could be a blessing in disguise--a painful blessing,” he added.

The couple have a 7-year-old daughter together. From previous marriages, Benedetto has a 14-year-old son and Burris has two daughters, 15 and 14.

Benedetto said he wanted to have his day in court but realized he would not be able to afford the costs. He owes his father $20,000 in attorney’s and bail fees and has had to move from his home.

“I may regret the decision for the rest of my life, because I took the (plea bargain) deal,” he said.

Benedetto says he wants to coach again next season, and he’s willing to go as far as to write to Little League headquarters in Williamsport, Pa., to plead his case. He’s also interested in coaching for the La Crescenta Babe Ruth League, where his 14-year-old son will play next season. He has submitted no formal applications to either league.

“I got the feeling there were people who believed in me,” Benedetto said. “You can’t fake being under the influence, whether it’d be drugs or alcohol. People have value for people. They know me . . . I don’t drink, I don’t take drugs, I don’t even smoke.”

But some parents and league officials believe Benedetto should sit out, at least until he has completed probation.

“If . . . he helped out in practices, and he did it in an unofficial capacity, that would be encouraged,” said Rob Herman, president of the La Crescenta Babe Ruth League, who wrote a letter of support for Benedetto to the court. “To immediately come back to coaching would be improper.”

Crescenta Valley Little League officials declined comment.