Panthers win, but sluggish without coach

Nick Christensen

Monday, May 9, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

The Palo Verde baseball team struggled early Friday, the players playing like their heads were in the clouds that hung low over the team's Summerlin baseball field.

A few feet behind the Panthers' dugout, Mike Besser sat working at the concession stand amongst a crowd of around three dozen fans, unable to do anything but watch as the team that he'd been coaching up until last week struggled to get past a Mojave squad that had won just one league game before last Friday's season finale.

Palo Verde went on to a 9-4 victory to secure a third seed in this week's Sunset Region playoffs, but not many faces were smiling after the home win.

Besser was let go Wednesday as the Panthers' varsity coach after just short of five years at the helm of the Palo Verde program.

"All I can say right now is that we had a meeting with administration, and we didn't see eye to eye as far as the direction of the program," Besser said. "I thought it'd be in the best interest of the program if I was to resign."

Besser would not comment as to the specific reason for his resignation, but players and parents indicated that Besser's resignation may not have been voluntary.

On Friday, school officials declined to comment on Besser's dismissal, citing personnel confidentiality.

But the blanket of secrecy over the coach's removal didn't stop several Palo Verde players from criticizing the move.

"I don't like it because he was like a father to me," sophomore Justin Loya said. "I don't think a guy like him should be dismissed like that from this kind of baseball."

Senior Joe Intiso said he thought Palo Verde officials were too harsh in their move.

"I don't think what they did to him was right," he said. "I think he should have another chance."

Besser's younger brother, Artie, was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Their father, Artie Besser Sr., is an assistant coach at Palo Verde.

"I think today, this is definitely the toughest game they've had this year. It took us three innings to realize that we've got to keep playing," Artie Besser Jr. said.

Loya said the Panthers allowed themselves to get outplayed early.

"We wanted to come out and dominate but at the beginning of the game, we were down to not see him in the dugout and not have him shake our hands," he said. "We started to realize he's still out there and we'll do fine without him."

By the late innings, Mike Besser emerged from the concession tent and started vocally cheering on his former players. About 50 feet away, in the bleachers behind home plate, Palo Verde athletic administrator David Pearce watched but did not speak with his school's former coach.

Intiso said it was important to hear Mike Besser supporting the team from behind the chain-link backstop.

"It helped a lot just hearing him out there, you know?" Intiso said. "At least he's out there supporting us. He's made a lot of strides with players on our teams, not having him here hurts a little bit."

Artie Besser Jr. said the team was reminded of its motto for the season -- "Together."

"Yeah, we don't have one of our guys, but we've got to stay together. I think we're going to do that," he said, his voice cracking. "I could speak for my brother and my dad, we love this team. They have great camaraderie amongst themselves."

The Panthers are scheduled to face Bonanza at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Centennial High.

"We're playing for the 'together' motto," Artie Besser Jr. said. "It's not a rally cry, it's not win one for Coach Besser, win one for Coach Mike. We have to go play because there's nothing we can do about it."