Sergio Ambros: September 13, 1963 – June 28, 2015

In a community as large and close as the high school baseball family here in Broward County, there is always the risk of tragedy striking at any time. On Sunday morning, the Broward family was thrown into a state of shock over the sudden passing of West Broward Manager Sergio Ambros.

The Bobcats and Elite Squad coach started his day as he had thousands of times before over the past decade, on a baseball field, mingling with parents. My phone began ringing at 9:15AM, with the news that Ambros had suffered from a sudden fatal heart attack, and the phone has not stopped ringing since.

One of the advantages of having the job I do is that news within the baseball community here in South Florida often ends up on my phone in record time after it occurs. On most days, this is a benefit. But today it served as a continual reminder, minute after minute, hour after hour, of the pain not only myself, but the people on the other end of the phone were feeling.

Grown men, crying on the phone. Men who pride themselves on being tough and showing no weakness to their players, were suddenly exhibiting the type of emotional roller-coaster that nobody should have to feel, but one that is a necessary evil of being alive. The pain that was being explained showed just how important Sergio Ambros was to this community. Not only as a baseball coach and mentor, but as a friend and confidant.

One of the first calls I received was from Flanagan Manager Ray Evans. A man who had had some of the most intense on-field battles with Ambros, if for no other reason than their two teams have created one of the most intense rivalries of the past decade. Ambros on the field was a fiesty manager, one who motivated his players and led by the example of his love and passion for the game. His dedication to raising young men and to the game of baseball was never questioned, especially by his closest rival.

“The district rivalry between Flanagan and West Broward is probably one of, if not the best, in the county,” said Evans, who, like many on this day, was left to find the words that nobody wanted to face. “Sergio had such a fiery competitive nature about him, during not only our games, but all the games he coached. It was a very sad day for not only Sergio’s family, but also the many young men he has touched throughout the years of coaching baseball at the time of his passing. The entire baseball community is mourning, and he will be greatly missed.”

The fiery, intense Ambros on the field was met with an equally compassionate and calming presence off the field. He was instrumental in making sure his Bobcat program worked with charities each year, and last year HSBN covered the 3rd Annual Bats Against Breast Cancer that Ambros organized each Fall. At the time, Ambros explained the importance of giving back to the community through the charity game.

“We raise funds for them to help them out when they don’t have that extra paycheck to buy themselves supplies or a wig or a prosthetic bra or whatever,” Ambros said in October. “Not only females, but we’ve had male breast cancer survivors here as well. It’s something that is about giving back and helping out our community, and the boys get into it. They get into the whole game and the spirit of it… (however) the baseball game is meaningless and it is not about the baseball game. It’s about honoring these people.”

Maybe some of that charitable attitude comes from the years that Ambros spent in Broward County dugouts, a trek that began back in the early millenium, when he joined forces with longtime Broward Manager Mike Moss at Chaminade-Madonna. Ambros had been an assistant at the school when Moss took over the program, and instantly Ambros became a driving force for the Lions.

“He was my right-hand man,” said a stunned Moss. “The kids loved him, and he had such a passion and energy for the game. He was well-organized, and he was the spark behind everything we did. He truly was my Don Zimmer in the dugout.”

Soon after the pair left Chaminade and moved to West Broward. Ambros served as Moss’ assistant again, until Moss returned to Chaminade, and at that time Ambros took over the Bobcats program. He was an instant success, and his knowledge and feel for people and the game of baseball came through almost immediately. In his first year as manager, I sat down with Ambros for a Sunday Morning Chat, and his excitement was contagious in what has become one of the best Sunday Morning Chat’s to date. In that interview, he explained his desire for the kids to always have fun on the field.

“It’s a game, and we try and tell the boys, baseball is a game, lets enjoy it. This is what we’re here for. I try and bring a summer type of atmosphere. In the summer we’re a little bit looser, we can have fun, we can enjoy the game. If we’re always brow-beating them and all that stuff, we’re not going to get the optimum out of them. We like to make them feel a little more comfortable, and if they’re a little bit more laid back, not laid back, but comfortable, they’re able to, I think, perform for you and be loose in general. But absolutely, yeah, I love having fun,” said Ambros.

The mention of the summer is significant when speaking about Ambros, as some of his best work, and closest relationships have developed through his work with the Elite Squad, one of the premiere high school travel programs in the country. Richie Palmer, the leader of Elite Squad, is regarded as one of Ambros’ best friends. Palmer was on the field this morning, and spent the day at the hospital through Ambros’ last hours.

“Sergio Ambros was a dear friend of mine,” said Palmer. “When I started Elite Squad, he was the first coach I hired. As a 22 year-old, he was the only one who believed in me. He never left my side since that day. It’s not often you have two people that are 20 years apart be as close as we were. He had become part of my family, was there the day I got married, and there for the birth of my daughter…I am so grateful to have had Sergio in my life.”

Another coach who was alongside Ambros was former Plantation and Coral Glades Manager Jorge Miranda. This past season, when Miranda left Coral Glades, Ambros welcomed his Elite Squad partner to West Broward, as an assistant coach. Miranda, like hundreds of others on this day, tried to put the emotions of the day into words.

“Sergio was that lovable father figure that all of his players looked up to,” said Miranda. “He wanted nothing but the best for his players and coaches, everything he did was for them…His love for his wife, kids, and grandkids showed the type of human being he was. He was a dear friend, peer, mentor, and more importantly a good human.”

Ambros’ reach did not stop here in Broward; he coached many Miami players in his days with the Elite Squad. Like many of the coaches before him, Coral Gables Manager Phil Wisser, who joined Elite last year, picked up almost immediately on how contagious Ambros’ personality was.

“I met Sergio last year when I joined the Elite Squad family,” said Wisser. “He welcomed me with open arms. He brought a smile to the field every day and was a great role model for the kids. The West Broward Bobcats and Elite Squad family lost a great man today and he will always be remembered.”

Part of the aforementioned fieriness for Ambros on the field came out in the form of umpire arguments. Ambros was dilligent in protecting his players’ interest, and sometimes that spilled over in the form of a good old-fashioned umpire argument. Yet through all of the battles, Ambros never crossed the line or lost the respect of the umpires.

“Today I found out that we lost not only a baseball man in every aspect of the word, but a friend as well,” said HSBN Umpire-In-Chief Alex Balsinde. “Sergio was my friend and one of the most respected coaches in South Florida.”

So that all brings me to my own personal relationship and memories of Ambros. Professionally speaking, in the time he spent as manager of West Broward, he was diligent in getting HSBN any information we needed, always eager to promote his players through the website. Never late, never uttered an unkind word.

When any issues arose, he spoke directly to me, man to man, never once in a disrespectful or aggressive manner. His smile was contagious, and his personality infectious. Even through a 1,500 word article, I feel like I have not done justice in describing the raw emotion that was expressed to me throughout the day regarding a man who had the respect of everyone in the baseball community. That last statement is not one that can be said about many individuals. Vendettas, overzealous parents, rivalries, or simple bad days are all factors that can throw a coach’s reputation into flux, but that escaped Ambros.

While I will never be able to fully portray the outpouring of support from the dozens of calls I received today, I felt it my responsibility to Sergio and his family to try.

In a day and age when social media is the norm, and friendships are measured by whether or not we are Facebook friends (which Sergio and I were), I can pay him an even higher compliment, one that his generation and mine can understand. He was my friend in real life.

So, in closing, I will echo the most repeated statement from all. Today, the South Florida baseball family lost one of our truly special men. A friend, a mentor, a coach, a smiling face. RIP Sergio, you will be greatly missed.

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