One of the coaches of the Little League World Series-bound Bonita team just learned he lost his day job.
Jaime Ramirez, the dugout coach for the Sweetwater Valley Little League team, was fired on Monday, the same day the team headed to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in preparation for the World Series on Thursday.
Ramirez worked as a sale representative for Altar Produce based in Calexico on a one-year probationary period.
“For him to lose his job over a commitment to kids and community, I don’t understand it,” said Allan Botterman, a Sweetwater Little League board member.
A manager of the company told NBC 7 that Ramirez’s time had run out and Altar Produce simply decided to let him go.
While some team members believe Ramirez’s firing was connected to his time coaching Little League, the Altar Produce manager said Ramirez’s team commitment had nothing to do with the termination.
The manager did admit it was “terrible timing,” though.
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The Sweetwater team beat Hawaii’s Waipo Little League team 12-10 on Saturday, giving the group of seventh graders a World Series berth.
The team will play the Bowling Green Eastern Little League representing the Great Lakes Region on Thursday.
Botterman said Ramirez was out of vacation time and had earlier been told if the team went to the World Series it would be on his own time without pay.
“But there wasn’t any knowledge that he’d be fired if he left to go to Pennsylvania,” Botterman said.
Team members say Ramirez wants to concentrate on the World Series game now and not the termination.
