The president of Ceres Youth Baseball has accused Councilman Daniel Martinez of working behind the scenes to thwart his organization’s efforts to expand baseball opportunities in Ceres and diverting promised money for baseball field lighting improvements as a personal grudge.

Jorge Guerrero said the city pledged to use leftover federal ARPA funds to add much needed new lighting to baseball Field #3 but that it became unavailable after Martinez had a disagreement over his son being denied “special favors.”

Martinez denies Guerrero’s charges.

Guerrero said that in 2023 CYB was asked to get estimates on what it would cost to correct the poor lighting on the field.

“I got a quote for $77,000, which was within the money they had available,” said Guerrero, who added he had two other quotes over $100,000.

Guerrero, who was coaching a CYB Blaze team on which Martinez’s son was a member, gave Martinez the quote which was to be handed off to City Manager Doug Dunford with a promise that the lighting would be installed within two to three months.

“Nothing happens for a couple of months and I’m like, ‘what’s going on?’ They’re like, ‘Oh no, we’re thinking that that’s gonna be part of a solar project that we have.’“

Guerrero said the poor lighting on Field #3 is dangerous for outfielders who are unable to track balls flying through the air.

“Some of those kids back there have been hit because they lose (sight of) the ball in the light,” Guerrero told the Ceres City Council last week. “Unfortunately because of Mr. Martinez’s issues with me and CYB, and misleading the council and misleading information, those lights were not taken care of.”

After months of waiting, Guerrero learned that the ARPA money was no longer available for Costa Field improvements. He accused Martinez of informing the City Council “to believe that we needed (lighting) for all the fields” which would cost more than what was available.

Guerrero claims Martinez interfered in matters after he and Martinez found themselves in a “pretty heated” verbal altercation at the Bel Passi baseball complex in Modesto.

“He wanted his son to play certain positions on the field that his son was capable of. He wanted his son to bat in a certain position or a certain order in the lineup. Not that the kid doesn’t have the skills but he was not performing it. It’s a competitive team, you know? I don’t play daddy ball. I don’t play because of influences.”

“He left the team. I basically I kicked him out of the team. I told him he could leave because –  I love coaching his son, I love his son – but I was not gonna put up with his antics.”

Guerrero said bystanders stepped in to calm down Martinez “because they thought it was gonna get ugly the way he was attacking me.”

“Right after that that’s when all of a sudden the money disappeared for us. He wanted to get revenge on me but he’s affecting the kids.”

Martinez admits there was a heated exchange but said denied things were getting violent.

He told the Courier that he was the councilmember who pushed the council to increase the allocation of ARPA funds for CYB to $200,000, some of which went to improve the complex fields, upgrade restrooms, and add wrought iron fencing with a rolling gate at the front entrance. New signage was also added.

“I did my part in saving money and making sure the fields got renovated and jobs got pushed through,” said Martinez. “Now we’re trying to find a smarter, more economical way to get all the lights replaced at once and I’m sure we’re going to – it’s just a matter of time.” 

According to Dunford, the $77,000 lighting bid obtained by CYB was invalid because government agencies in California are required to pay prevailing wages which would more than double the contract price and thus exceed the leftover ARPA funds committed to Costa Fields. In the months after the bid was submitted, Dunford said the city engaged in talks with a solar lighting company about installing lights for all fields at the complex rather than piecemeal. City officials now believe solar-powered lights are a better option because the cost of the lights would pay for itself with electricity savings. The city also believes it can be successful in obtaining grants to fund the lighting, citing that the city Turlock was able to get a grant to equip Pedretti Park with a solar powered lighting system.

So where did the remaining portion of $200,000 in ARPA funds committed to the ballpark go? Dunford explained that the city found itself facing a deadline to commit the ARPA funds or lose them and originally wanted to use the funds previously committed to the lighting project to boost police salaries to retain officers. But because the city needed to have contracts in place by Dec. 31 or send the money back to Washington and the holiday vacations were approaching, a decision was made to spend the money on needs within the city Finance Department, including replacing worn-out carpeting throughout City Hall. Others funds, said Dunford, were spent on police dispatch center monitors.

At the March 24 council meeting, after Guerrero and Ismael Ontiveras, vice president of CYB, accused the city of reneging on plans to add new lights to Field #3, Mayor Javier Lopez told them: “I was under the impression that there was not going to be enough funds for that field so that’s why the city council took the direction. But I also wanted to acknowledge that as not only as a mayor but as a coach … we have to do whatever we can to upgrade that field because at the end of the day that’s what it’s for. So, with that being said, we could not afford to just do one and just leave it as that. We felt that it was very important to do the entire field.”

At last week’s council meeting, Gary M. Condit, a member of the Ceres Planning Commission who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last year, ripped the council, stating: “City staff and certain elected officials have promised action, yet those promises have proven empty. And even worse, key decisions have been made behind closed doors with no public communication.”

Martinez’s absence at the meeting fueled speculation that he was ducking CYB criticisms. But he told the Courier that he was unable to attend because his wife hadn’t arrived home in time and that he had to remain home to watch his young children.

Martinez answered Ontiveras’ accusation that he was trying to “stop the contract from moving forward” and trying to wrestle control of the fields away from CYB “because he’s no longer a CYB coach or associated with CYB.”

Martinez disputed his claims, saying he looks forward to approving a three-year contract with CYB at its Monday, May 12 meeting. The contract will resolve the matter of a player fee increase after the city and CYB were at odds in 2024 over the city’s planned fee increase of $50 per player. Realizing the proposed increase was ill timed at the start of the season, Dunford and staff backed away from the proposal until this year.

Martinez, who started his own team outside of CYB, also disputed Guerrero’s claims that Martinez tried to get the batting cages removed because he was denied use of them. Rather, he said he wants the cages opened up for public use.

“Why can’t every other age group have an opportunity to use them?” asked Martinez. “My understanding is that we’re not sure …that they bought it or owned it. So what I’m asking is if it’s they’re on our public park during the season then can other teams use it. And I heard that I was asking to get it torn down. They’re phenomenal four cages. They’re beautiful. They should be used by everybody. I would never want that torn down. That’s probably a lot of money.”

CYB claims they paid for the cages but Dunford said he believes they were approved over a handshake deal from past city officials. Dunford explained that the city has since become concerned about whose liable if a player is injured in the cages, thus the next contract will include language holding CYB responsible and indemnifying the city.