Here’s a stunner: Suppan is headed to Chaminade

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Jeff Suppan has been a major-league pitcher for 16 years and is probably the best baseball player produced by Encino Crespi. He also has been a loyal Celt, contributing money and time to the Celts’ program long after he graduated in 1993.

So it is a stunning public-relations blunder on the part of Crespi that his nephew, incoming freshman pitcher-shortstop Dylan Suppan, won’t be arriving at Crespi to begin classes this week. Instead, he’s expected to enroll at rival West Hills Chaminade.

Suppan had been working out with Crespi during the summer, then suddenly stopped. His father, Mike, is a Crespi teacher. Mike Suppan declined comment, but Crespi’s administration apparently did away with allowing children of faculty to attend school for free, and Chaminade came forward with a better offer.

Suppan is highly regarded as a pitcher and hitter. ‘I saw him throw this summer, and he looked real good,’ Chaminade Coach Frank Mutz said.

Also at Chaminade is Chad Gubicza, the son of former Kansas City Royals pitcher Mark Gubicza, so the Eagles are going to have some big names to turn to.

The issue of a Suppan not going to Crespi is so sensitive that Celts Coach Scott Muckey said, ‘You’ll have to talk to them about that.’

The alumni might want to have a talk with the school administration. If a Suppan decides not to go to Crespi, something is wrong.

-- Eric Sondheimer