Coach jailed for beaning autistic player

[Herman Munster]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061012/ap_on_sp_ot/bbo_deliberate_beaning_charges

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. of Dunbar, Pa. to consecutive six-to-36-month sentences for corruption of minors and criminal solicitation to commit simple assault. A jury convicted Downs in September.

Warman revoked Downs' bond and sent him to prison. Downs didn't speak at the sentencing but told reporters "I didn't do nothing" as he was led out of the courtroom.

His attorney, Thomas Shaffer, said Downs was upset and looked forward to appealing the verdict. Downs was ordered Thursday to undergo a mental health evaluation and barred from coaching any youth league sport while on parole.

[Kiouni]

1. I read this earlier

this is the most F*#& up thing i have ever heard of. it a freaking game what the hell. The purpose of these games is to teach children different aspects of life. hitting a child for 25 bucks isnt one of these moral lessons.

[bleedingheart]

3. I coach soccer and I see the same competitive nastiness

in other coaches, parents and even how some kids behave if they don't win or if another player is "holding them back"

It does not surprise me....and that guy deserved his sentence.

[OneBlueSky]

2. people in this country are just going fuckin' crazy . . .

mirroring our government, we're becoming a "me first and anything goes" society where seemingly no act is too immoral, too unethical, or too outrageous . . . just as long as it advances MY agenda, and to hell with everyone else . . . individually and collectively, we're becoming severely mentally deranged at an alarming rate . . .

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

4. Good. I would have punched his lights out

I am so tired of this BS it isn't even funny.

I run one of the divisions of our local league. We had a situation this year where one of the coaches had a team that could have gone undefeated, with his son as the only undefeated pitcher. Only a few rainouts and my schedule got in his way. It turns out the only makeup date available resulted in a weekend series between his team and another with the league's second best pitcher. The result was predictable. They split the games, so his team went 11-1 on the season.

The next time they played my kids' team (0-9) they threw his son as the pitcher, and ran the score to 18-0. Only his son, the first baseman, second baseman, and the catcher touched the ball the whole game. The smirk on his face after the game said it all.

When I talked to the other coach, I told him I didn't care either way, but I hoped he could explain any lessons that it taught the kids.

Next year there will be a hybrid 10 run rule in place or I will quit. If one pitcher is responsible for a 10 run lead, he gets the win, the team gets the win, and the pitcher must be replaced while keeping the remainder of their weekly innings.

DBDB

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. I remember when this happened

It was absolutely despicable. Prison is too good for this lunatic.

[mmonk]

6. He shouldn't just be barred from coaching while on parole,

but forever. Piece of crap garbage.