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Manny Alvarado, a 24-year baseball coach at Kennedy, is facing a three-week suspension because of alleged campus hazing incident two months ago, and the coach is getting a lot of community support from parents, players and former players.

A rally was held Monday in front of the Granada Hills school in support Alvarado after the LAUSD issued a statement Friday that read: "The District responded to concerns, investigated and took appropriate action to ensure the safety of students on the Kennedy campus. Coach Manny Alvarado remains the baseball coach at Kennedy. Any litigation or personnel matters concerning Alvarado are confidential and cannot be publicly discussed."

The decision to punish Alvarado so severely does not sit well among those in the Kennedy baseball community.

"Manny Alvarado is a true gentleman, a man among men, and he wants the best for his players," said former player Andrew Gold, now a member of Santa Barbara City College's golf team. "He has never stood for any kind of hazing. I was there for four years and never any kind of hazing. I'm loyal to Manny Alvarado because he's a great guy.

"He pretty much shaped me into who I am today and taught me how to be a man. He was a great baseball coach, but he's more than a baseball coach - he really cares what happens on and off the field."

From Chatsworth High to the first round of the 2007 Major League draft to the big leagues, Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez made their grand return Saturday to the high school baseball diamond where it all started.

The dynamic duo returned to Chatsworth to have their Chancellors jersey numbers retired in a special ceremony in conjunction with Chatsworth's annual alumni game.

Moustakas, who hit a state-record 52 career home runs including 24 as a senior before being picked No. 2 overall by the Kansas City Royals, hugged and laughed with his former Chatsworth teammates, signed autographs, posed for pictures and took a few swings in batting practice.

The third baseman also did a lot of reminiscing.

"This is where it all started," said Moustakas, who batted .263 with five home runs in 89 games as a rookie for the Royals last season. "I learned more than just how to play baseball here. I learned how to go about my business and how to be a man, and I learned a lot from my teammates at the time, because I had so many great teammates."

Moustakas and Dominguez have remained tight with Chatsworth coach Tom Meusborn, and together the three worked out a schedule so the major leaguers could participate before reporting to spring training, moving the alumni event to Saturday instead of later in the month as usual.

"I just remember coach Meusborn showing us and teaching us how to do things that other teams wouldn't do so we could make things happen the way they did," Moustakas said. "We used to sell Christmas trees as a fundraiser three months before the season started, stuff like that. So many Christmas trees.

"I was always loyal to coach Meusborn, and I always will be because he was always loyal to us, too."

Dominguez, a third baseman with the Florida Marlins, appeared in four games last season after being drafted No. 12 overall in 2007.

"I'm enjoying it a lot, coming back here again for the first time," Dominguez said. "There are a lot of good memories here. It's great seeing everyone again. This is something pretty special."

Chatsworth has won a City Section-best nine baseball titles, seven since 1999 including two during the Moustakas/Dominguez era. There is a strong sense of community in Chatsworth baseball circles, as hundreds of spectators and dozens of former players showed up.

"It's an inspiration because you look at Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez, you know what they've done, and you see how they're role models," said John Shaikin, whose son, Sam, has made the varsity as a freshman infielder. "Those two prove that anything is possible with hard work and determination."

Meusborn was the maestro, tossing 45 minutes of batting practice - no home runs by Moustakas nor Dominguez because a fierce wind was blowing in - and enjoying the company of his two prized pupils.

"I think the most special thing about them is they're the same guys they always were. All the success hasn't changed them one bit," Meusborn said.

When it was suggested Meusborn was the one who taught the youngsters everything they know, he could only shake his head and smile.

"Oh no, I just tried to stay out their way," he said with a laugh.

The loyalty of Moustakas and Dominguez is infectious. Chuck Hetfield, a longtime Chatsworth assistant who turns 90 in June, keeps saying every year that he is going to retire, but there he was Saturday, in full uniform ready for another season.

"There's a lot of pride," Hetfield said.

Hetfield said the fun part is he always knew Moustakas and Dominguez would make it to the majors.

"They worked hard for it. You could see it right from the beginning, how hard they worked," Hetfield said. "Everyone works really hard. That's what Chatsworth baseball is all about. That's why I'm never going to retire. I'll be finished when it's time to bury me in center field."

Louisville Slugger has published its list of preseason All-Americans. There are a lot of names but only three from the area -- Harvard-Westlake pitchers Lucas Giolito and Max Fried and Valencia infielder Trey Williams.

Havard-Westlake catcher Arden Pabst received honorable mention.

Former Major League Baseball players Glendon Rusch and Matt Whisenant are hosting the 1st annual Full Count baseball Academy golf tournament Monday Jan. 30 at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale.

Ruch and Whisenant started the Academy, which includes lessons, instruction, skill work and travel teams.

As many as 40 former and current players are scheduled to compete.

The event is open to the public.

Cost is $275 per individual or $1,000 for a foursome.

Contact fullcount5633@aol.com for more information

Michael Silva, a West Ranch pitch who threw just five innings last year but throws 90 mph, has committed to LMU.

Mike Gaber, a long time Hart statistician and former L.A. Daily News employee -- and one of my best friends -- died Saturday from cancer. He was 78.

Gaber is survived by his wife, Nancy, and a sister.

Gaber was a volunteer but incredibly dedicated to all things Hart.

I'm going to miss him a lot.

Kennedy coach Manny Alvarado, a fixture at the Granada Hills school since since 1988, has been placed on administrative leave, he confirmed Wednesday.

"I'm not exactly sure what I'm being of accused of yet," Alvarado said. "No one has said anything to me. I don't know."

Alvarado confirmed a freshman baseball player was injured on campus.

"Some kids were messing around. They were hiding it from me because they thought that was being a good teammate," Alvarado said. "But I don't know if that's even a part of it."

Alvarado did not describe the incident as hazing.

"I certainly hope not," he said.

Burroughs baseball coach Eddie Alvarez was fired Monday.

Alvarez was hired last June after the previous coach and three assistants were fired following an incident with alcohol at a tournament during the regular season.

Alvarez was dismissed because of "inconsistent leadership", according to principal Emilio Urioste.

Former Saugus and USC left-hander Tommy Milone made his major league debut Saturday in an 8-7 victory against the New York Mets.

His outing of 4 1/3 innings pitched won't really be the highlight. He gave up four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

The big deal will be that he became the eighth pitcher in major league history to hit a home run on the very first pitch he saw.

The last to do it was Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.

A school source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, because it is not official says former Montclair Prep coach Rick Weber is in line to take over as baseball coach at Sierra Canyon.

Weber led the Mounties to the Div. V quarterfinals this past season and to the semifinals in 2010.

Weber previously coached at Birmingham.