Agoura Oaks: Ground Zero

The Agoura Oaks American Legion baseball team was stripped of its 10 victories Thursday by Legion officials, yet another setback for the embattled squad.

Agoura Oaks (0-21) had already forfeited two games this week for using players Scott Christensen and Dan Wasserman after they were ruled ineligible.

Thursday, Area 6 co-Chairmen Charlie Hatfield and Julio Yniguez negated Agoura Oaks’ remaining victories and, hours after the ruling, the team forfeited an 11-0 victory over Valley South because Christensen and Wasserman participated.

“As it stands right now we declared [the victories as forfeits] until it’s proven which games they won [without Christensen and Wasserman],” Yniguez said.

The players were disqualified June 26 by District 20 Commissioner Mel Swerdling because they used two transfer waivers in their Legion careers when organizational rules allow only one.

Swerdling initially told Agoura Oaks Coach Lorry Gershon that only future victories earned with either player in the lineup would become forfeitures.

However, Legion rules state that any victories in which ineligible players are found to have participated must be forfeited. Hatfield and Yniguez, Swerdling’s superiors, said Agoura Oaks was punished for that reason.

Gershon said he will continue to play Christensen and Wasserman, meaning Agoura Oaks will likely finish the season 0-26.

“My reaction [to Thursday’s ruling] is that we’ll wait and see how this is resolved,” Gershon said. “I mailed appeals out to everybody today.”

But state Legion chairman Harold Hall said player disqualifications must be appealed within 24 hours of notification. Gershon’s appeals will arrive after more than a week.

In addition, Yniguez said Gershon failed to follow Legion procedures for protesting player disqualifications and could be the target of future sanctions.

A portion of the Department of California Legion Rules handbook dealing with protests states: “Should any player, coach or manager. . . write directly to the national director for interpretation of the rules, he shall be removed from further participation. . . for the remainder of the season.”

Gershon said he was unaware of the rule Thursday, when he faxed an appeal to Jim Quinlan, national program coordinator for American Legion baseball.

Gershon also pleaded his case to Hall, who said he told Gershon to follow procedure by first submitting an appeal to Hatfield and Yniguez.

Hall said if an appeal is forwarded to him by the Area 6 chairmen, he would back their ruling.

Wednesday, Burbank North Coach Frank Des Enfants protested the eligibility of four other Agoura Oaks players over residency rules.

With Thursday’s ruling rendering Agoura Oaks winless, Hatfield said he saw little point in investigating the charge.