Rival Leagues Propose Truce

Even as he prepared to take his argument to federal court, the attorney representing Woodland Hills Sunrise Little League spoke with a rival Encino league administrator Tuesday to discuss a resolution in the case of two disqualified players.

The Encino administrator confirmed that he had a telephone conversation with Don Roberts, a Calabasas attorney whose grandson plays on the Woodland Hills all-star team.

This comes as Roberts planned to seek a federal court order today to reinstate Junior Garcia, one of two 12-year-old players who were declared ineligible by national Little League officials Friday.

Encino administrators filed a protest claiming both players were living outside the official boundaries of the Woodland Hills league.

“If the adults who orchestrated the recruitment of illegal players were to come forward, that’s what our interest is,” said the Encino administrator, who asked not to be identified. “[Our interest is] not in hurting the kids.”

But even if the leagues were to hammer out an agreement, which could include an admission of guilt and the resignation of a Woodland Hills administrator, there is no guarantee Little League officials in Williamsport, Pa., would allow Garcia and Garrett Feig to return to the team.

National officials denied a third appeal from Woodland Hills on Tuesday, minutes before a sectional game between Woodland Hills and Hanford was rained out in Lompoc. The appeal did not address Feig’s eligibility.

“We met and we denied the request for reconsideration,” said Frank Lupacchino, a member of Little League’s executive tournament committee. “It took a while because we had to check with our legal advisors.”

Garcia’s father, Juan Garcia, had the address changed on his driver’s license Monday to reflect his move from Van Nuys to Woodland Hills, documentation the Little League tournament committee said it needed to prove Junior’s residency.

However, the committee ruled that changing the document at this time only ensures that Junior is eligible to play for Woodland Hills beginning next season.

Lance Van Auken, a Little League spokesman in Williamsport, said Garcia remains ineligible for one reason: Juan Garcia is unable to produce a legal document establishing his residency at the time he registered his son to play at Woodland Hills.

Allegations that a player is recruited by a league or that someone other than a parent is paying the rent are immaterial to establishing eligibility, Van Auken said.

“That type of thing would be distasteful but no, there is no Little League regulation prohibiting that,” he said. “[The Garcias] simply have not proven they had legal residence at the time the player registered.”

Roberts believes the Garcias have proven beyond a doubt that they moved to the apartment within the Woodland Hills boundaries before Junior was registered.

Included in the documents Woodland Hills presented to Little League, Roberts said, is an occupancy order with a receipt for Juan Garcia’s deposit on the Woodland Hills apartment dated Feb. 6, 1997. Woodland Hills registration was not conducted until Feb. 8.

“Each day that passes increases our urgency, and now that Little League has had its final word, we are fully prepared to take action outside the Little League structure,” Roberts said.

The fact that Juan Garcia failed to change the address on his driver’s license is not a reason to deny Junior eligibility, Roberts added.

In fact, he offers the oversight as evidence that the player is an innocent victim.

“Junior’s eligibility was established through proper evidence by persons charged with making that determination at the league and district levels,” he said. “He should be in uniform.”

Woodland Hills and Hanford are scheduled to play their rained-out game today at 5 p.m.

A Woodland Hills victory would set up a rematch with Thousand Oaks, which defeated Woodland Hills, 11-7, Saturday in a first-round game. Woodland Hills must defeat Thousand Oaks twice to advance to the Southern California divisional tournament in La Puente.