Little League Mourns Tragic Death Of Eastlake’s Manager
- Updated: September 5, 2021
(Manager Randy Whitney, (left), of Chula Vista’s Eastlake Little League speaks to players during this summer’s California District 42 tournament. Photo courtesy of Jon Bigornia.)
Tragedy struck the youth baseball community this past week, as one of Southern California’s elite leagues mourns the loss of its manager. Randy Whitney, who led Chula Vista’s Eastlake Little League all-stars this summer to finish second in SoCal, reportedly passed away on Sept. 1.
That tragic news shocked this Little League writer. This summer, I enjoyed speaking with that manager before and after Eastlake’s tournament games. I first met Whitney after Eastlake’s dramatic victory, Jul. 25., at Fountain Valley Little League in Fountain Valley. As reported in District 42 Hot In Three Divisions, District 56 Takes Two Others, I asked him for a reaction after watching Eastlake’s walk-off home run. That was when he told me, “I feel like I can breathe now.”
A Little League dad.
During that first conversation, I made Whitney laugh. I mentioned that he looked way too young to be an all-star team manager. I told Whitney that I had assumed he was in his early 20’s. And, I said that I had speculated that he was an older brother of one of Eastlake’s players, or that he himself was a former Eastlake star turned-college student on summer vacation helping coaches. It never occurred to me that the youthful-looking guy was not only the manager but a player’s father. After the game, when I asked to speak with the manager, I was shocked that the young guy in question introduced himself as Eastlake’s skipper. When I retold that story to Whitney, he laughed. He then informed me that he was almost 50 years old. And, that not only was his son, Christian “Chango” Whitney, on Eastlake’s roster, but that Randy had an older son, Matthew Whitney, who plays for the Chula Vista Eastlake High School Titans baseball team. Jaw drop.
(Randy Whitney, (lft.), with Fletcher Hills Manager Jesse Brierley, (rt.), during SoCal Section 7 tourney. Photo courtesy of Jon Bigornia.)
Two days later, I returned to Fountain Valley to attend Eastlake Little League’s next match. When I arrived, I almost immediately bumped into Whitney again. That time I was nervous. You see, one day earlier, CaliSports News published District 42 Hot. In that, I quoted Whitney multiple times. I had not communicated with him since our prior interview. So, I expected that the manager would now share with me his reaction to my story. I braced for the worst. Maybe Whitney would say, “I read your article. You misquoted me. I never said such and such.”
The Cardiac Kids.
Or, perhaps Whitney would complain that I gave his 12-year-olds the nickname of “The Cardiac Kids”. I quickly prepared responses in my head to the skipper’s possible negative reactions. The last thing I wanted was to write something that would anger a manager or league president, causing them to ban me from speaking with players. Sadly, that had happened to me before.
Let’s Go Titans !!
But, my worrying proved to be a waste of energy. Whitney had no problem with anything I wrote. Instead, we started our conversation with jokes. He ribbed me for my being dressed in Eastlake High gear. I should explain that I was wearing a softball t-shirt, with big bold letters spelling “TITANS”. On my head, I put on an Eastlake Little League cap, but I think the blue “E” on it could cause the hat to double as one for the Titans. So, to Whitney, I looked decked out in Titans gear.
(The gear Rabbi Rabbs wore to Fountain Valley. Photo courtesy of Rabbi Rabbs.)
Okay, so I responded, “yeah, I had to go full-Eastlake High after you told me your son plays for the Titans.” The manager liked that one. The truth was that I did not own an Eastlake Little League shirt, so I went with what I had. The thought never occurred to me that he would mention, much less even notice, what I wore. Anyway, Whitney spoke with me for a few minutes prior to assembling his team for pregame practice. I mentioned that I was aware that the Titans have a top baseball program, and that Major League Baseball teams drafted many Eastlake High players. I think Whitney realized I am not just a writer, but a fan of his area’s teams. In any event, he made me feel so much more comfortable, as we had spoken again on friendly terms.
An abrupt goodbye.
Eastlake went on that night to chalk up another win. Whitney’s team next played two nights later. I returned for the action. Again, I wore Eastlake High gear. A different Titans shirt that time, though. Eastlake won that night. After the game, I waited to interview Nico “DoorDash” Sánchez. While waiting, Whitney walked by, and we greeted each other. He continued towards a parking lot. It was late at night, and Eastlake’s manager had a long drive to Chula Vista ahead of him. So, I did not initiate a conversation. I merely congratulated Whitney on the win. As it turned out, that marked the last time I ever saw him. That was Jul. 29. Whitney’s final game with Eastlake.
The manager never returned to Fountain Valley. When I attended the Southern California championship, I immediately noticed Whitney’s absence. I inquired about him, and was told that the manager’s back hurt too much to travel to Orange County. Oh man. I felt bad for Whitney. He had led those boys all the way from pre-California District 42 tournament practices to the Southern California championship game. And then, he would not get to celebrate with a banner.
(Pregame introductions in Fountain Valley. (From lft. to rt.), Eastlake President Alis Nicolaus, Cody “The Cannon” Moseman, Randy Whitney, Andrew Nicolaus, Myles Reyes. Photo courtesy of Jon Bigornia.)
But, Eastlake never won the banner. Instead, the team Eastlake lost to that day continued to the Little League World Series, where it finished tied for fifth in the United States. What a shock that only days after the Little League World Series ended, Whitney passed away. He shall be missed. Whitney made a positive impact on Eastlake’s players, according to that league’s president.
Support the family’s GoFundMe.
“He was a mamba-mentality coach,” Alis Nicolaus, Eastlake’s president, told CaliSports News. “Whitney’s ability to work with kids, and get the best from them, was unmatched.”
Eastlake held a prayer vigil in Whitney’s memory on Sept. 2, only hours after the manager’s death got reported to CSN. The league sent the following statement to its members in an email: “As a sign of unity for the Whitney family, we ask that you wear your Eastlake Little League gear as proudly as Randy did.” In my case, I can do better than that. I shall wear my Titans gear as proudly as I did when Randy noticed it. That will be my own personal act of honoring the dead.
The email continues: “A ‘GoFundMe’ page has been established to help the family with expenses.” Here is the link to that page: Support for the Whitney Family. According to that page, all proceeds shall go directly to Chango, Matthew, and Randy’s wife, Ana Vergara.
Signing off.
May He who comforts mourners comfort that family during their time of tremendous grief. Amen. In any event, on that somber note, I am considering calling it quits for my 2021 Little League coverage. Let us pick it up again next year on a happier note. Until then, Let’s Go SoCal !!
(Randy Whitney, (left), as third-base coach. Luis de León, (right), scores at Fountain Valley. Photo courtesy of Jon Bigornia.)
Stay with CaliSportsNews.com, Southern California’s undisputed leader in Little League coverage, as we keep you up-to-date on all things SoCal sports! All Cali, All the time!
Related Posts
About Rabbi Rabbs
