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T-ball coach gets 1-6 years for ordering beaning
Post Gazette ^ | Oct 12, 2006 | Moustafa Ayad

Posted on 10/12/2006 4:16:46 PM PDT by 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

(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: good; hopeherots; littleleague; shouldbe20; tball
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To: Vision

He could have hurt the kid. He was disabled. What if the ball hit him in the throat? Beaning an autistic kid on your own team, risking his injury just so you don't have to play him.

He deserves to be flogged. 1-6 will suffice.


41 posted on 10/12/2006 5:00:08 PM PDT by dogbyte12
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To: 1rudeboy

"You're entitled to your opinion, of course..."

Sigh...No where did I condone what this man did.
Sentence is out of line.


42 posted on 10/12/2006 5:00:44 PM PDT by gate2wire (Please Lord, look after 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub)
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To: 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.

What is wrong with you? Do you think you're being hyperdramatic? Some jerk is a abusive and now you want to send him to prison for longer than what murders get and you've condoned the entire state of Pennsylvania? And why do you believe this has been going on in Pennsylvania for a long time? Ridiculous.

What is wrong with you?
43 posted on 10/12/2006 5:01:04 PM PDT by Vision ("As a man thinks...so is he." Proverbs 23:7)
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To: All
If the kid wasn't wearing a helmet and the ball struck him on the head, he coulda been killed.

These aren't adults playing professional baseball, where the unwritten rules are well-known and accepted.

These are frickin' little kids.

44 posted on 10/12/2006 5:01:10 PM PDT by Mr. Buzzcut (metal god ... visit The Ponderosa .... www.vandelay.com ... DEATH BEFORE DHIMMITUDE)
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To: gate2wire

This is the most psychotic thread I've ever seen on FR. If you want to meet for a beer tonight I'm in(:


45 posted on 10/12/2006 5:02:01 PM PDT by Vision ("As a man thinks...so is he." Proverbs 23:7)
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To: gate2wire

What should be the sentence for trying to injure a disabled kid so he can't play? He wanted the kid hit hard enough so he would be injured out. Did he just want a fractured wrist? Perhaps we should feel sorry for him then. He was just trying to make the kid medically unable to play. That's all. The autistic kid just needed toughening.


46 posted on 10/12/2006 5:02:16 PM PDT by dogbyte12
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To: Vision

While you are having a beer, maybe if you see a 7 year old kid in a wheelchair you can throw darts at him to toughen him up a little.


47 posted on 10/12/2006 5:03:13 PM PDT by dogbyte12
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To: dogbyte12
While you are having a beer, maybe if you see a 7 year old kid in a wheelchair you can throw darts at him to toughen him up a little.

Awesome!

48 posted on 10/12/2006 5:03:47 PM PDT by Mr. Buzzcut (metal god ... visit The Ponderosa .... www.vandelay.com ... DEATH BEFORE DHIMMITUDE)
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To: Vision
If you want to meet for a beer tonight I'm in(:

I will join ya.

49 posted on 10/12/2006 5:04:38 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: dogbyte12
But the kid wasn't hit in the throat.

1-6? your being obnoxious.

The guy should be fired and made to look like the prick he is in his community. You're not much better than liberals.


Say what you want. Free Republic is filled with a bunch of big brother psychotic freaks who are ready to hyper react to anything.
50 posted on 10/12/2006 5:05:19 PM PDT by Vision ("As a man thinks...so is he." Proverbs 23:7)
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To: Mr. Buzzcut
If the kid wasn't wearing a helmet and the ball struck him on the head, he coulda been killed.

T-ballers are hurling 100mph these days? Get real, bruises are good for kids. Perhaps the kid needed to learn to pay attention. Hit him with a thrown ball so he won't be hit by a batted one later.

I suspect there is more to this story then is being reported. Certainly including an overprotective mother.

51 posted on 10/12/2006 5:05:32 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: gate2wire

Why thank you, it's tons of fun.


52 posted on 10/12/2006 5:05:58 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (Prayers to the Lidle family)
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To: Vision

I'm making perfect sense.


53 posted on 10/12/2006 5:06:14 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (Prayers to the Lidle family)
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To: Owl_Eagle; brityank; Physicist; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; GOPJ; abner; baseballmom; Mo1; Ciexyz; ...

ping


54 posted on 10/12/2006 5:06:51 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: RadioAstronomer

I'm making an exception in this scumbag's case.

Honestly I just don't care. anyone who attempts to injure ANY child intentionally deserves what's coming to him/her.


55 posted on 10/12/2006 5:06:58 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (Prayers to the Lidle family)
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To: dogbyte12; Mr. Buzzcut
You know what, I doubt that will happen.

But I sure as hell know there's no reason to give someone a tougher sentence than murder if we did.
56 posted on 10/12/2006 5:07:37 PM PDT by Vision ("As a man thinks...so is he." Proverbs 23:7)
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To: gate2wire

I must have missed the part about Robin Ventura being an autistic 11 year old. He could have been charged with elderly abuse except Nolan whipped his butt


57 posted on 10/12/2006 5:08:22 PM PDT by Figment
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To: All

The guy was wrong and he should be banned from the baseball league. But 6 years??? For what?? It's freakin T-ball, the kids probably throw about 40 MPH.


58 posted on 10/12/2006 5:08:27 PM PDT by CaliGangsta
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To: MikefromOhio
You're out of your mind and completely irrational.
59 posted on 10/12/2006 5:08:42 PM PDT by Vision ("As a man thinks...so is he." Proverbs 23:7)
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To: Disturbin
The child was not pitching.

He was just one of the players who was offered the money to hit the kid with autism so as to either scar him from playing or else hurt him bad enough he would not want to play in the game.

Personally, as a father of 6 I would try to put the major hurts on such an ignorant ass coach and sorry excuse for a human in whatever manner possible if he did that with one of my children.

Ignorant lowlifes who do not understand children with disabilities need to grow up and act like adults.
60 posted on 10/12/2006 5:08:56 PM PDT by OKIEDOC (Kalifornia now a certified socialist state reporting to Mexico City for further instructions)
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