DeCinces bolsters tourney

With a little business savvy and some memories of his youth, a long-standing high school baseball tournament got a little more local flair.

In September, the tournament was still called the Pride of the Coast, a local mainstay, and Tim DeCinces’ Beach Pit BBQ restaurant would host the coach’s dinner that preceded the tournament. It was a logical move for all parties, the restaurant was centrally located and DeCinces, who starred at Corona del Mar, before going on to play at UCLA and the minor leagues, was connected with the local baseball scene.

As the sides, including Newport Harbor Coach Evan Chalmers, Costa Mesa Coach Jim Kiefer, Corona del Mar Coach John Emme and DeCinces, continued to talk it became obvious the restaurant should take a larger role in the tournament as sponsor.

Soon the group cooked up a plan to have the Beach Pit cater the first Saturday of the tournament. And DeCinces, who played eight years in the minors, had 150 tournament shirts produced.

“It just seemed like a natural fit,” Emme said. “He’s a baseball guy starting out with business ties to the Newport-Costa Mesa area.”

While business won out on both sides, Westlake, Oxnard and Ventura high schools gave positive feedback about the experience and the Beach Pit received local exposure, the move had a personal element for DeCinces, the son of former major leaguer Doug DeCinces.

DeCinces remembered looking forward to the tournament when he was in high school. While taking in a doubleheader the first Saturday of the tournament a scout reminded DeCinces of how in 1992 he helped set a Southern Section record as part of a foursome that hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs.

“I was laughing,” DeCinces said of his reaction to the reminder. “It was pretty fun.”

DeCinces also recalled that while he was playing in the minors, Emme would let him use the Sea Kings’ field and batting cages.

“I got to know him really well,” DeCinces said. “I have a lot of respect for what coach Emme has done.”

With more time for next year’s tournament DeCinces believes he can really focus on bringing in the top schools from the surrounding areas.

DeCinces, Emme and Kiefer agree it is the strength of the host programs that will, in part, determine the success of the tournament in the future.

Newport Harbor won the tournament this year and is having continued success. Corona del Mar is a perennial power and Kiefer is turning around Costa Mesa.

“Good fields and good competition attract schools from out of town,” DeCinces said. “If they’re coming from far away, they want to play at a nice facility.”

Still, the coaches involved are looking at upgrading the facilities, or adding venues to accommodate 24 teams instead of the usual 16.

“If we can grow it that would be great,” said Kiefer, who said 16 teams is a good number. “We need a bigger field. Time will tell, it’s a big issue right now.”

Also an issue is the variety of dates schools take for spring break. Kiefer said he came across four different dates for spring breaks, causing cancellations.

“Teams would love to come back. It’s a real issue we’re dealing with,” Kiefer said. “We can’t count on teams coming back year after year. Teams make commitments and have to drop out. The toughest part of the tournament is putting a field together that can play.”

The trio of host teams would like to be a foursome, adding Estancia High.

“It’s a shame to have three of the four schools involved and not all four,” Emme said. “I hope Estancia will recommit to that. We’re all in this together.”