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

[MikefromOhio]

No, take a deep breath. You're overreacting.

Coming from someone who is taking up for a scumbag who injured a child....

[Vision]

Screw it, I am done talking. Yes, it's hysteria. All autistic kids deserve a good beaning, that will fix em.

You are a freakin' lunatic. Because I don't believe some nut deserves SIX years in prison for telling a child to throw a ball at a handicapped kid, I'm advocating it?

Please seek professional help.

[RadioAstronomer]

Ah yes. Another advocate of gay rape I see. This thread sure brought em out.

[Vision]

The kid is AUTISTIC. Do you get that? I have been around autistic kids. My nephew is autistic and totally uncoordinated and isn't able to protect himself. He is 8 right now. It was an assault.

So at worst bring him up on assault and make him look like a prick in his community. But SIX years. Please.

[Dinsdale]

Nowhere in the story does it say anything about hitting him in the head. That's an invention of the nanny staters on this forum.

Have you seen how t-ballers throw? Could'nt hurt a fly. But could put a cry-baby on the bench (what I suspect was the coaches plan).

Not admirable, not good coaching. But definitly not intentional harm. Six years is crazy.

Getting kids to pay attention is a huge challenge. Some lessons need to be painfull to stick. Noone on this forum knows if that was true for this individual kid. I doubt it. We've only heard one side of this story however.

[MikefromOhio]

So at worst bring him up on assault and make him look like a prick in his community. But SIX years. Please.

From the story:

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

Read the story before commenting next time.....

[dogbyte12]

Yes. I should get professional help for thinking this is a crime. I will call up your shrink and see if he can fit me into his schedule.

Perhaps as I improve, I will see that this really isn't criminal. After all, the kid didn't get hurt because the offer wasn't taken up on. But 9 year old kids have such good aim that I am sure he would have been hit in a soft spot, not behind the ear or on the neck or in the eye or anything. With therapy I can see this wasn't a crime.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

that's right, he was just teaching him a lesson.

You're a joke.

[Vision]

that may be, but at least I'm not taking up for some SOB who intentionally injures a child.

So let me see if I get this straight. It's ok for you to be psychotically hysterical and sentence a man to prison for longer than he would have gotten if he killed a man, but at least I'm not looking like a bad guy who might risk standing up for common sense.

Way to go out on a limb.

[MikefromOhio]

So let me see if I get this straight. It's ok for you to be psychotically hysterical and sentence a man to prison for longer than he would have gotten if he killed a man, but at least I'm not looking like a bad guy who might risk standing up for common sense.

Way to go out on a limb.

Glad you see it my way....

[gate2wire]

"20 years was a rejoinder to those that think this scumbag shouldn't have any jailtime."

Not true. I never defended the guy. Never wrote "shouldn't have any jailtime."

No one on this thread has defended the guy.

[MikefromOhio]

don't care.

The guy was charged with crimes like corruption of a minor (BTW most child molesters are given that charge) and conspiracy to committ assualt.

he's damn lucky he ISN'T facing 10 years in the slam.

[Figment]

But I'm certainly not advocating he gets more time than a murderer.


The murderers in your state are getting off easy it seems, not the child abusers. Murderers should get about two years in prison, then be executed. Child abusers should get life

[MikefromOhio]

The murderers in your state are getting off easy it seems, not the child abusers. Murderers should get about two years in prison, then be executed. Child abusers should get life

BUMP!!!

[Figment]

Was not the point.

What was the point? The top of your head?"

[Dinsdale]

Well the kid I recall running over never stood on the baseline again.

I know for a fact he learned a painfull lesson.

[Vision]

LOL!! That's it. I'm saying that the guy should've gotten the sentence that he received, I get attacked for it, I respond, and NOW I hate handicapped kids?

WTF are you smoking?

Since there is no reason for any of the responses on this thread...Me thinks you protest too much.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

too bad it wasn't me, I would've put the next pitch upside your head.

[gate2wire]

Then stop lying about me.