North Hollywood Didn’t Take Worst From Best

Three top players from the North Hollywood High baseball team were dismissed for disciplinary reasons and did not play in two games against Monroe last week, Husky Coach Rick Pally said.

The Huskies (6-10, 0-8 in Valley Pac-8 Conference play) played without their top two pitchers and No. 1 batter, who were asked by the coaching staff to turn in their uniforms April 15.

Junior left-hander Mike Delano (1-2, 2.59 earned-run average) and senior right-hander Patrick Fields (2-2, 2.33 ERA), along with slugger senior Robert Talamantes (.429), were suspended from the team after coaches “unanimously” decided that the trio’s unsportsmanlike behavior was disruptive to the team in general.

“The way we looked at it, we’re 0-8 and it couldn’t get any worse,” Pally said. “We had to send a message that no person is bigger than this program.”

Delano, who has 39 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings, met with the coaching staff on Monday and Tuesday, acknowledged his disruptive behavior, asked that he be allowed to clean up his act and return to the team.

“I’m not sure where I stand,” Delano said Tuesday. “We had some problems and most of them were my fault. We all got removed for the same reasons.”

Delano is the only player to express an interest in returning. His fate will be determined by the end of the week, Pally said.