T-ball coach gets 1-6 years for ordering beaning

Post Gazette ^ | Oct 12, 2006 | Moustafa Ayad

[FFIGHTER]

UNIONTOWN, Pa. -- A youth league baseball coach convicted of getting one of his players to injure a teammate was sentenced to one to six years in prison today.

Fayette County Judge Ralph Warman said the actions by Mark Downs Jr., of Dunbar, in June 2005 were "outrageous" and "extremely reprehensible" because he was coaching a league of children 7 to 9 years old.

Testimony indicated Mr. Downs promised $25 to one of his best players if he hurled a ball at Harry Bowers Jr., 11, an autistic and mildly retarded teammate, presumably to keep him from playing in a game.

A jury convicted Mr. Downs last month of corruption of minors and conspiracy to commit simple assault.

Judge Warman sentenced him to six months to three years on each count

[DancesWithBolsheviks]

Do you think he'll be a pitcher or a catcher?

[MikefromOhio]

darn...

Too bad it wasn't 10 years.

[gate2wire]

Best picture?

Hypocrite.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

That's TWO MEN....BIG DIFFERENCE

And you are being absolutely intelluctually dishonest with yourself if you CAN'T see a difference.

Too bad it wasn't 20 years. scum like this need to be taught a lesson.

[RadioAstronomer]

I hope he becomes somebody's "Bat boy" for the next few years.

What an evil thing to say or even think. You seriously disgust me.

[Vision]

Is everyone out of their freakin' mind? The guy is a loser, but six years? Do you even get 6 years for murder anymore?

How any person, especially a Freeper could support this is beyond me. I guess I go have a Bud Light and contemplate that move to Alaska.

[gate2wire]

"And you are being absolutely intelluctually dishonest with yourself if you CAN'T see a difference."

And you want a man to go to jail for 20 years?
Enough. Who's being "intelluctually" (sic) dishonest?

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

You seem to think it's ok for a 25 year old to pick on and attempt to injure an MENTALLY DISABLED CHILD.

He should get 30 years.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[RadioAstronomer]

Too bad it wasn't 20 years. scum like this need to be taught a lesson.

You often don't even get 20 years for murder. I am not condoning what he did, but 6 years is too harsh IMHO.

[Mr. Buzzcut]

Me too.

I figure it was a throw on a fielding play or in a pre-game catch.

For the record, I whiffed 3 times in my first tee ball game!

[RadioAstronomer]

See my post 25

[gate2wire]

LOL, yourself.
Never typed such a thing. Typed-Sentence is ridiculous.

I repeat...Sentence is ridiculous.

[MikefromOhio]

6 years for a willful conspiracy to assault works for me.

20 is too much, but it was fun to tweak g2w....

This guy is scum. I seriously hope that he gets to play catch in prison.

[MikefromOhio]

I repeat 30 years minimum.

[RadioAstronomer]

I seriously hope that he gets to play catch in prison.

I cannot believe I am hearing this from you. You actually condone and cheer gay rape? My God. :-(

[Dinsdale]

I recall running down a second baseman who liked to guard his base physically (this was in peewee ball where a single was the same as a triple as you could always steal your way around). Coach told me to do it next time I got the chance. The second basemens parents got themselves into a huff, but I kept my bases. The ump had read the rules. The kid learned not to park on the baseline and that a bloody nose won't kill you. I learned that I prefered football.

Should my coach have gotten 20 years too?

Eight or nine is not too early to start toughening up. They're kids, they bounce.

[Vision]

You know you're crazed right? You're not making any sense.

[gate2wire]

"but it was fun to tweak g2w...."

Glad you're having fun.

[1rudeboy]

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but let's just say that Pennsylvania will no longer be the first destination for adult men seeking to injure disabled children . . . I can live with that.