T-Ball Trouble (coach pays kid to throw at autistic teammate)

[Astro]

UNIONTOWN, Pa. -- A baseball coach accused of offering an 8-year-old money to bean an autistic teammate so he couldn't play was convicted Thursday of two lesser charges against him, and evaded more serious charges.

A jury convicted 29-year-old Mark R. Downs Jr. of corruption of minors and criminal solicitation to commit simple assault, Fayette County authorities said.

Downs was acquitted of criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault, and jurors said they were deadlocked on a charge of reckless endangerment. The judge declared a mistrial on the endangerment charge.

Authorities said Downs offered to pay one of his T-ball players $25 to hit a 9-year-old autistic teammate with a ball while warming up before a June 2005 playoff game.

The verdict means the jury believed that Downs asked his player to hurt his teammate, but that the jury did not feel that the autistic boy -- who suffered bruises and an infected ear -- suffered "serious bodily injury," District Attorney Nancy Vernon said. Aggravated assault and reckless endangerment both require authorities to prove that serious bodily injury occurred or was intended to occur.

"Certainly, the bruising on the ear fortunately did not amount to serious bodily injury," Vernon said. "That's what [the verdict] boiled down to. It vindicates the fact the little boys, the jury believed they were telling the truth."

Downs took the stand and denied offering to pay Keith Reese Jr. to hurt Harry Bowers, his mildly autistic and mildly retarded teammate.

Earlier in the trial, Reese testified about Downs' offer, saying he purposely threw a ball that hit Bowers in the groin, then threw another ball that hit him in the ear on Downs' instructions. Bowers also testified about being hit by the balls Reese threw during pregame warmups.

Reese's father, Keith Sr., testified that Downs acknowledged after the game that he did something "ignorant" and confessed to the deed. When Downs called the elder Reese a liar during his testimony Wednesday, Reese shouted back "You're a liar," prompting the judge to restore order.

Jury forewoman Michele Lynn, a 28-year-old medical office manager, said the jury believed that Downs told his player to harm his teammate, but they didn't believe his injuries were serious enough to warrant the aggravated assault and reckless endangerment charges.

"I myself didn't believe he caused any serious bodily harm," Lynn said.

The jury didn't believe Downs, in part, because doing so would have required them to believe that all of the prosecution witnesses, including the two boys, were lying.

"His whole demeanor was flat, he was inexpressive," Lynn said of Downs. "That led me to believe he was not telling the truth. He would corrupt any young children's morals."

Downs, the boys, and their families left the courtroom without commenting, but Downs' attorney, Thomas Shaffer, promised to appeal.

Shaffer said he believes Judge Ralph Warman erred by not letting him call a witness who would have testified that Reese's stepmother called the whole incident "a misunderstanding."

"In reality, the truth did not come out," Shaffer said.

The maximum sentence for the Downs' crimes is five years in prison, but under Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines he likely faces only probation when he's sentenced Oct. 12 because he is not known to have a criminal record. Vernon said she will not argue for a particular sentence, leaving the matter entirely to the judge's discretion.

"This is a serious breach of sportsmanlike conduct," Vernon said.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/news/story?id=2588156

[Brian McKenna]

Sounds like Little League not T-ball.

I wasn't there so I don't know but if the guy did it, he is trash and I hope he serves the max.

The real problem is that society in general accepts violence in sports. Many just shrug it off when someone throws a punch at another or otherwise commits an illegal act on the field. It is also somehow acceptable when a coach or whoever blows a gasket and acts in an unprofessional manner which is against social mores. This plays well with red necks and hockey fans but the U.S. is a little more diverse than a Jerry Springer audience.

[Astro]

Originally Posted by bkmckenna

Sounds like Little League not T-ball.

I wasn't there so I don't know but if the guy did it, he is trash and I hope he serves the max.

The real problem is that society in general accepts violence in sports. Many just shrug it off when someone throws a punch at another or otherwise commits an illegal act on the field. It is also somehow acceptable when a coach or whoever blows a gasket and acts in an unprofessional manner which is against social mores. This plays well with red necks and hockey fans but the U.S. is a little more diverse than a Jerry Springer audience.

I figured it was little league aswell, but in the article it says T-Ball

"Authorities said Downs offered to pay one of his T-ball players $25 to hit a 9-year-old autistic teammate with a ball while warming up before a June 2005 playoff game."

[minivin5]

Originally Posted by Astro

I figured it was little league aswell, but in the article it says T-Ball

"Authorities said Downs offered to pay one of his T-ball players $25 to hit a 9-year-old autistic teammate with a ball while warming up before a June 2005 playoff game."

I can see how children would pick on a peers weakness but an adult, this is outrageous. This man in no way shape or form should ever influence a child in any sport again. This is the second story i've heard about an autistic child and t-ball in two months, the other being, the story of a coach purposly pitching around the star player ( if there is such a thing in t-ball) to pitch and strike out the autistic boy to end the game. This i heard on espn radio, couldn't believe my ears, why would an adult make such decisions t-ball is for fun isn't it??

[W_Marone]

I remember this story, was it really only last year, I thought it was a few years ago, and see, we all made a big deal out of that guy pitching around the best hitter on the other team to get to the player who lacked talent becuase he had just gotten through, what was it? Cancer I beleive.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Originally Posted by Go Gomes

I remember this story, was it really only last year, I thought it was a few years ago, and see, we all made a big deal out of that guy pitching around the best hitter on the other team to get to the player who lacked talent becuase he had just gotten through, what was it? Cancer I beleive.

Yeah, he wasn't autistic. There was once a news report that said, paraphrasing, he needs a shunt in his brain just to stay alive. So do I. My family and I made fun of the way the reporter said it for about a week.

[W_Marone]

Ahh yes I remember the shunt that the kid had too, you have a shunt as well?

[GiambiJuice]

The coach who ordered the beaning should be strung up on a tree and pelted with rotten fruits and vegetables by all the townsfolk, like in the olden days. That would be fun.

[cartersball]

Originally Posted by bkmckenna

Sounds like Little League not T-ball.

Please remember that when capitalized as so, Little League is an organization. One that this particular scenario did not happen in. I am assuming you are saying that the children's ages constitute that of a little leaguer, rather than t-ball. I only bring this up, because personally I am tired of seeing these stories in the media that say Little League, when in reality it happens to be another organization.

Now, stepping down from the soap box, I must say that if this were a tball group of kids that:

1. There shouldn't be a tournament to begin with.
2. This is just another classic example of a man living his childhood through coaching.
3. Somewhere in America there should be a jail full of people like this that we can line up one by one in front of us so we can shoot them for $1,000 per shot. All monies collected would then go towards a nationwide campaign for properly training people to coach youth sports.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Originally Posted by Go Gomes

Ahh yes I remember the shunt that the kid had too, you have a shunt as well?

Yep. I have hydrocephalus. My shunt takes water from my brain cavity to my chest cavity, so it's under the skin. Had to have revision surgery on it two times in the past seven years. Those water back-up headaches are NOT fun.

[bluezebra]

Originally Posted by cartersball

Please remember that when capitalized as so, Little League is an organization. One that this particular scenario did not happen in. I am assuming you are saying that the children's ages constitute that of a little leaguer, rather than t-ball. I only bring this up, because personally I am tired of seeing these stories in the media that say Little League, when in reality it happens to be another organization.

Now, stepping down from the soap box, I must say that if this were a tball group of kids that:

1. There shouldn't be a tournament to begin with.
2. This is just another classic example of a man living his childhood through coaching.
3. Somewhere in America there should be a jail full of people like this that we can line up one by one in front of us so we can shoot them for $1,000 per shot. All monies collected would then go towards a nationwide campaign for properly training people to coach youth sports.

There is such an organization. When I worked for a Parks & Rec organization in my area, ALL our coaches and officials had to join, and were instructed and tested. It's called NYSCA (National Youth sports Coaches Association).

Bob

[Erik Bedard]

Originally Posted by GiambiJuice

The coach who ordered the beaning should be strung up on a tree and pelted with rotten fruits and vegetables by all the townsfolk, like in the olden days. That would be fun.

I would gladly throw rotten tomatoes at him... DESPICABLE human being.

[drtybUsch025]

Is this t-ball or daddy ball?

[Mariano_Rivera]

coughcoughcrazycoughcough

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

Wow. I assume that he will be banned from coaching for the rest of his life.

[Dodgerfan1]

Dear God, why do we have to endure people like this?? This is a baseball related human interest story. People like this should be boiled in oil! We try to teach our children the joy of baseball and the value of sportsmanship, and jackasses like THIS are around the kids! There's no corner of hell hot enough for this jerk!! See article below:

============================

Coach Sentenced to Prison for Offering to Pay Kid to Throw Baseball at Autistic Teammate

Thursday, October 12, 2006

UNIONTOWN, Pa. — A youth baseball coach accused of offering an 8-year-old money to bean an autistic teammate so he couldn't play was sentenced Thursday to one to six years in prison.

Fayette County Judge Ralph Warman sentenced 29-year-old Mark R. Downs Jr. to consecutive six-to-36-month sentences for corruption of minors and criminal solicitation to commit simple assault.

Warman also revoked Downs' bond and sent him to prison.

A jury convicted Downs in September. He was acquitted on a more serious charge of criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault. Jurors deadlocked on a charge of reckless endangerment. The judge declared a mistrial on the endangerment charge, and prosecutors said they wouldn't retry him.

Authorities said Downs offered to pay one of his players $25 to hit a 9-year-old autistic teammate with a ball while warming up before a June 2005 playoff game.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Wow. Let's not bench the autistic kid. Let's bean him on the head. He's a loon.

[Erik Bedard]

http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=50582

EDIT: The threads were merged, so this post is no longer needed.