Wasilla Post 35 appeals Alaska Legion Baseball decision

WASILLA — One coach is busy putting together a coaching staff and game plan, as another is left in limbo. Both, in separate ways, are trying to pick up the pieces, left by a mess created by the controversial dismissal of a local American Legion baseball coach.

A handful of players and parents huddled inside Wasilla Post 35 Thursday evening, voicing their opinion of Alaska Legion Baseball’s recent decision to oust Myrl Thompson as head coach of the Road Warriors baseball program. Wasilla Post 35 commander Jim Petito declined the Frontiersman’s request to attend the meeting, citing the local American Legion post is a private club. But Petito, reached Friday afternoon, did confirm that a formal appeal of Thompson’s dismissal is being forwarded to Alaska Legion Baseball.

Several people spoke on Thompson’s behalf during the Thursday meeting, Thompson said afterward. Petito said he has no specific timetable in regard to how long the appeal process will take, but if the state’s appeal is denied, the Wasilla Post would take the matter to the national level.

Thompson, who posted a 49-13 mark with a pair of first-place regular-season finishes in three years as the team’s head coach, was fired earlier this month. Thompson’s dismissal came after league officials disqualified the team from the posteason last year and appeared prepared to issue additional punishments to the post this year, including another postseason ban.

League and Post 35 officials met March 26. After that meeting, Petito told the Frontiersman he received an ultimatum from Alaska Legion Baseball Department Chair Russ Baker: Penalties would not be levied against the team this year if Post 35 removed Thompson as head coach of its baseball program.

Thompson, who is also the distribution manager of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, said league officials brought documents to the March 26 meeting detailing allegations that included, and go beyond, the inadvertent use of an ineligible player in the 2014 state tournament.

Despite Legion rules that state ineligible player protests must originate with the opposing team – in the 2014 case, Juneau – Legion officials disqualified the team based on an anonymous tip about the player. The Road Warriors were forced to forfeit a victory during the 2014 state tournament because of the allegation. That forfeit marked the second loss of the tournament for the team, which ended the Road Warriors season.

Meanwhile, Jamie Mayo, a longtime Valley coaching staple, was inserted by league officials as the new field manager for Wasilla Post 35. Mayo said he’s working to move forward, past the controversy. He acknowledged the atypical circumstances under which he was brought into the position, but said he’s been assured the Road Warriors are eligible to qualify for the state tournament, so he’s trying to calm the situation.

“My message to all the kids is, whatever happened, it happened. We can’t change it by dwelling on it,” Mayo said. “All it can do is continue to create a bad feeling. We want these kids to come out and play ball, and have a great time. We don’t want them to have to worry if they are going to be eligible for state.”

Since he was officially named Post field manager on Tuesday, Mayo said he’s spent his time meeting with potential players.

“I’m trying to get to all of the players who may be interested in playing Legion,” Mayo said. “(I’m) trying to get them energized, explain to them all this stuff transpired, but it’s really not their doing. Right now, we need to try to move on, get the team going in the right direction, and not worry about all the stuff that’s out of their control.”