T-ball coach allegedly paid to have boy hurt

[Pirate Smile]

T-ball coach allegedly paid to have boy hurt
Dunbar allegedly didn't want to play mentally disabled 8-year-old

PITTSBURGH - A T-ball coach allegedly paid one of his players $25 to hurt an 8-year-old mentally disabled teammate so he wouldn’t have to put the boy in the game, police said Friday.

Mark R. Downs Jr., 27, of Dunbar, is accused of offering one of his players the money to hit the boy in the head with a baseball, police said. Witnesses told police Downs didn’t want the boy to play in the game because of his disability.

Police said the boy was hit in the head and in the groin with a baseball just before a game, and didn’t play, police said.

-snip-
The boy’s mother asked state police to investigate her son’s injuries because she suspected Downs wanted to keep the boy off the field, despite a league rule that required each player to participate in three innings a game, Broadwater said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8587599/

He was charged with criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault and corruption of minors.


:(

[havocmom]

1. T-ball should NOT be about training the next generation of Hit Men

:wtf: Hope this clown gets serious punshiment.

[mccoyn]

2. So much for teaching good sportsmanship. -nt

[leesa]

3. Hope he gets 8-10 years, at least, for assault

I'll bet he went to church on Sunday though.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

4. An Example

This is a perfect example of what happens when winning becomes everything.

[Joey Liberal]

5. That coach and the kid(s) that did it are lowlife scum

How anyone could intentionally hurt a disabled kid (or any kid for that matter) is beyond me.

[mccoyn]

6. Well, the kid isn't so bad.

An adult, who was directly in charge of the kid told him to do it and even offered a reward. The kid was manipulated. I think it is important though for some sort of punishment, because otherwise the kid has learned a terrible leason from this.

[Joey Liberal]

22. What kind of punk kid hurts a disabled kid?

That fucking punk kid is just as bad as the sorry coach.

[Scooter24]

7. This is so sad.

:(

[Old Vet]

11. Ya know, Sometimes I just sit and shake my head............

Don't kid yourself, The cops will crash your house and drag you out to prison, For weed. And this scumbag wont do a day, You watch.

[readermostly]

24. Absolutely agree. This is so shocking, and it makes me just sick. My

heart goes out to the injured little boy and his family.

[Reformed_republican]

8. Looks like Bush will finally be able to fire Rove......

Seeing as how a suitable replacement has been found. :eyes:

[Ms. Clio]

13. Yeah, he's surely headed for the big leagues of evil and corruption now

Welcome to DU, a big congrats on your reformation! :D

[anotherdrew]

9. I call on T-ball coaches everywhere to disavow this tactic

This guy must be the ultimate looser

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. I want 10 minutes in a locked room with this clown.

Really. Just 10. Please.

[devilgrrl]

12. The parents of the boy should be able to pelt the coach.

Get a barrel full of baseballs and pelt away.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. I wonder if he's another "youth pastor", like the guy who wrestled the

foul ball away from the four year old at the Texas Rangers game a year or so ago...

[pilgrimsoul]

15. I hope the victim's parents

sue the pants off that sorry excuse of a coach! And I hope the criminal court judge throws the book at that scumbag as well. How low can you be to basically put a hit on a disabled child?!

[Warren DeMontague]

19. It's another symptom of the "win at all costs" value system IMHO n/t

[PittPoliSci]

16. i have family that lives in dunbar.

not a surprising story to have come outta that miserable shit hole.

[Tommymac]

17. Another good thread on this was around last night

I put my .02 in there...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4114668

[Greylyn58]

18. Years ago, when both of my nephews were little

my brother decided to coach their T-ball team. He finally gave it up because of the stupidity of the parents of some of the kids.

He said the parents would scream for their "little darlins"(be they male or female) to knock down the other team's players. They would yell at him to take out a player they felt wasn't good enough for the team. They would also scream at and deride their own child if they didn't hit right, run right, didn't score when they should have.

He finally had had enough when two fathers got into a fist fight during one game. I can't say I blame him. Some of the things he said happened during the games would have turned me off coaching and from what he told me, his problems during games wasn't unique--other coaches were having similar problems.

I guess the jock mentality of win, win, win doesn't just occur with the coaches, but among the parents too.

Just sick!

[skygazer]

20. I've seen those parents in action too

I rode horses as a kid and showed in local and regional shows. The attitudes of some of the kids but more so their parents was my main reason for giving it up and sticking to pleasure riding.

For me and for many of my friends, the whole point was to hang out with people who enjoyed the same thing and have a good time. For some though, it was all about winning and they could be out of control. I recall seeing kids in tears because their parents were berating them so badly. My father (who, surprise surprise, is a lifelong conservative republican) was one of the "win at all cost" assholes.

The final straw for me came when I'd taken my horse in a trail class where I was awarded fifth place out of around 20 entries. This was a horse who had been abused - long, patient hours of work had brought him around to a large extent and for him to perform so well in a class where he had to negotiate "scary" obstacles was such a wonderful victory. I was flushed with pleasure and pride as I left the ring, only to be greeted by my father who told me, "Well, if you practice more, next time you might win."

I never entered another show.

[Greylyn58]

23. Damn...I think I would have quit too

Thankfully, my folks weren't like that. My brothers and I all played sports and never had any problems like that. I played on a local park's softball team and it was a blast.

I think that's why it makes me sad that kids can't just be kids and have fun without either a parent or coach ruining it with all the win at any cost crap!!

Sad. :(

[ignatius 2]

21. I hope that sick son of a bitch goes to prison and gets twin

roommate named Bubba and Tiny who are into inflicting pain in a big way. Anyone who would do this to any child, let alone a disabled child, is an ignorant fuck and a waste of air.