Two Seniors Choose Loyalty Over Promises

Sal Ramirez lives three minutes from South El Monte High. Josh Casas resides only five minutes away. They’ve played baseball with the same neighborhood kids since the age of 7.

Why would they consider going to another high school before the start of their senior year?

The lure of winning a sports championship, that’s why.

“It was close to happening,” Ramirez said. “My parents said we could move somewhere else.”

Added Casas: “We figured if we went to another school, we’d get more looks.”

Both said they gave serious consideration to leaving after lobbying from members of their travel baseball team.

“That was promised to us -- if we transferred, we’d be on a championship team,” Casas said.

In the end, neither was willing to look his coach or teammates at South El Monte in the eye and tell them he was transferring.

“I couldn’t leave my friends,” Ramirez said. “I’ve been here so long.”

The two pitchers are having strong senior seasons. The 5-foot-11 Ramirez, a right-hander, is 4-2 with a 1.66 earned-run average. The 6-foot Casas, a left-hander, is 6-1 with a 0.80 ERA.

They’ve helped South El Monte, a Southern Section Division V school, to a 12-4 overall record and 8-3 mark in the Mission Valley League.

What these players considered doing is not uncommon as the growing influence of travel teams and club sports is causing athletes and their parents to reevaluate what’s important in their high school experience.

The club season has started for a number of sports. It’s a time when top players disperse to play on teams composed of players from many different schools, and that means trouble for some high school programs.

Friendships are made, egos are stroked and dreams are shared.

Most of the time, nothing happens after the club season ends. Players return to their old high schools, hopefully stronger and better. But every so often, the wooing done in the bleachers, gyms, batting cages, restaurants and airports gets through. They’ve been pumped with flattery and told things they’ve wanted to hear.

Enter the high school coach, who must offer a reality check. That’s often received with disagreement, then the transfer rumors begin.

Suddenly, it’s time to make a decision: Stay with long-time friends and teammates or leave for supposedly better sports opportunities.

There’s no right choice. Every situation is different. But leaving just to play on a team that might have a better chance to win a championship is one of the most absurd reasons for transferring.

That’s the easy way out. It’s harder to stay and help build a championship team.

Ramirez and Casas placed their trust in Gilbert Adame, the only baseball coach South El Monte has had since opening in 1992.

“We grew up here and wanted to come back and make a difference,” Adame said.

South El Monte has lost players in the past, what with La Puente Bishop Amat, one of the top private schools in the Southland, nearby. But Adame keeps teaching and training the neighborhood kids.

One of those was Ray Aguilar, a 1998 graduate who’s pitching in the minor leagues. He wrote a letter to Adame last year:

“Coach, this note is to say this year could be my biggest year so far. And if it is, you played a big part.... I might not have told you that you taught me the mental part of the game. Without that, I’m just an average pitcher. They say I got what other pitchers don’t have, and that’s a feel for pitching. I learned that from you.”

Adame put the letter in a plastic container to preserve it. It’s the type of letter every high school coach cherishes.

South El Monte had won one league title in 12 varsity seasons before this year. With Ramirez and Casas leading the way, the Eagles are contending for another.

“Why they stayed, I don’t know,” Adame said of his two standout players. “I’m glad they did.”

They stayed, undoubtedly, because deep inside they knew they could win a championship with their best friends. They stayed because they knew they were good enough to attract attention if they performed to the best of their abilities. And they stayed because, for them, it was the right thing to do.

“I started here,” Ramirez said. “Why not finish here?”

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric. sondheimer@latimes.com.