Jury convicts T-ball coach of beaning

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Sept. 15, 2006

[Wolfie]

Jury convicts T-ball coach of beaning

Coach ordered 8-year-old to throw ball at autistic teammate

A Fayette County jury yesterday convicted a Uniontown youth league baseball coach of hiring an 8-year-old to injure a teammate last summer.

After almost seven hours of deliberation, and twice asking a judge to clarify the charges, the jury convicted Mark R. Downs Jr., 29, of Dunbar, of criminal conspiracy to commit simple assault and corruption of minors for promising $25 to one of his best players if he hurled a ball at Harry Bowers Jr., 11, an autistic and mildly retarded teammate.

Mr. Downs was found not guilty of the more serious charge of criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault, and the jury could not reach agreement on whether his actions constituted reckless endangerment.

Judge Ralph C. Warman ruled a mistrial in the reckless endangerment charge, and the prosecutor said the county would not retry Mr. Downs on that charge.

[FroedrickVonFreepenstein]

The autistic kids dad should have kicked the coaches arse.

[Gator101]

The man just wanted to win! Anything goes in sports...right? I mean, look at Barry Bonds! (sarcasm off)

[P-40]

That coach has....issues.

[MadeInAmerica]

OMG - what an animal this poor excuse of a human is. Here is an example of someone that should NEVER, EVER be allowed to associate himself with kids again.

[dighton]

Bad answer to “what are you in here for?”

[ozzymandus]

He hired an 8-yr old hit man? jeeze.

[Gator101]

LOL!! Yeah I imagine "I payed a kid to bean an autistic kid" doesn't give you much "street cred" in the pookey.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Was it a whiffle ball?

We used to chase each other around with the plastic bats because hitting each other with the plastic balls didn't have any impact.

[Gator101]

Why in God's name would you have someone throw a ball at an Austic Kid, let alone one on your team?

I am betting he wanted that kid injured and not able to play so that the team wouldn't be handicapped by him (no pun intended). Actually I think I may have read that when he was first arrested. That guy's a real piece of work alright!

[4yearlurker]

This poor kid was beaned twice. Once in the head and once in the groin. This "coach" should have the same done to him. Just so he knows how it feels.

[MikefromOhio]

I used to throw in the low 90s...I want a piece of this assH**e too....

[dubie]

Was the the kid that got beaned a democrat? If so, this is justified assault. =) KIDDING!!!!

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I mean, look at Barry Bonds!

Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs on himself - he hurt no one (maybe not even himself). This hardly compares to inducing one kid to attack another (autistic, to boot). Personally, I think athletes and rest of us should be free to use any performance-enhancing drug we choose, as long as we understand the risk and accept the consequences.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

What's anyone doing throwing a ball toward any batter in T-ball?

[quikdrw]

If it had been one of my boys, the coach would have taken a damn good beating for it.

[chief911]

Make a trip to Dunbar and you'll understand where those issues come from!!

[proudpapa]

As wrong as this is. I just finished coaching a kid pitch team with a 'slow'10 year old. He got hurt in the first 3 practices.

The parents had never worked with him on any of the basics of baseball. The kid didn't even know which hand to put his new glove on.

I recommended that they move him down to machine pitch with the 8 year olds. It's much safer. No wild pitches. Softer ball.

They freaked out and accused me of having a vendetta against their precious son.

They finally agreed to move him. But not without slandering me and attempting to ruin my reputation.


Sometimes the parents are the problem.

[steve-b]

I want a piece of this assH**e too....

I think that will be his cell mate's prerogative....