Seyler’s take on the Palisades-Chatsworth baseball game

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After Palisades relieved Tom Seyler of his job as the school’s baseball coach last spring, when seven Chatsworth batters were hit by three different Palisades pitchers during a City playoff game, he said he never had a chance to give his side of the story.

That opportunity came Tuesday, when he met for more than an hour with the City Section rules committee. The committee will decide if it agrees with the actions of the school, if further sanctions are necessary or if Palisades administrators were ‘excessive’ in firing Seyler.

At issue was the May 30 City semifinal game between the teams. Chatsworth won the game, 11-1, but seven batters were hit by pitches. Only one of the three Palisades pitchers, Cole Cook, was ejected.

Chatsworth Principal Jeff Davis asked CIty Section officials to investigate whether the players were hit intentionally. Palisades assistant principal Charlotte Atlas conducted an internal investigation. That investigation concluded there was ‘purposeful throwing’ at the Chatsworth batters and that Seyler ‘had determined that it was part of his strategy.’

Seyler, who still works at Palisades as a counselor, was relieved of his duty as baseball coach on June 8. His coaching staff -- Mike Bromberg, Patrick Andersen and Spencer Kirksey -- were also fired. School officials recently hired Mike Voelkel as the new coach.

On Tuesday, Seyler denied he instructed the Palisades pitchers, both inside the hearing room and outside the City offices after his testimony.

‘I told the committee I did not try to intentionally injure any players as was stated in [previous Times stories],’ Seyler said. ‘I never intended to injure any players in my entire time of coaching.

‘Now brush-back pitches are a part of the game. If you have kids that are standing on top of the plate, with their hands over the plate, and you pitch inside, then you’re going to have this sort of problem. And it is the responsibility of the hitter to get out of the way of a pitch.’

Atlas was not present at the hearing. Instead, Athletic Director Rich McKeon represented Palisades.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the committee had not made its ruling.

- Mike Terry