Drootin says he's doing fine following heart attack

One week after suffering a heart attack because of a blocked artery, Newbury Park High head baseball coach Scott Drootin has been cleared to return to the Panther bench.

The incident occurred on the NPHS field last Tuesday afternoon during practice.

Drootin said he began to feel dizzy before walking over to talk with one of his coaches. Shortly thereafter he passed out.

"Next thing I know they're calling 911, and I'm yelling out, 'Leave me alone. I'm fine. I just have indigestion,'" he said.

The coach was quickly rushed to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, where he underwent a 30-minute surgery.

The team visited him at the hospital last Friday.

"If it hadn't have happened on the baseball field, I would've been dead," he said. "I would not have gone to the hospital.

"The doctors said, 'You see this artery right here? Well, they call it the widow maker. You had 100 percent blockage of the widow maker.' So I got lucky."

Drootin said he didn't suffer any heart damage, although he has been advised to closely monitor his diet. He returned to work earlier this week and even attended the Dodgers' home opener on Monday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Drootin said he was considering joining the team at the Phil Nevin National Classic, where the Panthers lost their first two games.

"I'll tell you what," he said. "It's killing me not being there with the guys."