PITTSBURGH(AP) 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 did not play, police said.

"The coach was very competitive," state police Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater said. "He wanted to win."

Downs has an unpublished telephone number and could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.

He was arrested and arraigned Friday on charges including criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault and corruption of minors. He was released from jail on an unsecured bond.

The alleged assault happened June 27 in North Union Township, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, authorities said.

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.

Eric Forsythe, the president of the R.W. Clark Youth Baseball League, said Downs had two daughters on the T-ball team.

League organizers investigated accusations against Downs before the T-ball season ended earlier this month but could not prove that he did anything wrong. If Downs is convicted of any crime, he won't be allowed to be a coach next year, Forsythe said. The league is not affiliated with Little League International.

Incredible. I'm speechless and ready to be sick to my stomach. That's beyond contempt. :mad:

:mad: :mad: pissed: :sarah: pissed: :sarah: pissed: :sarah:

:mad: :mad: :mad: That's horrible

That is so awful, damn! :( :mad: :livid: Words can't describe how terrible it is. :mad:

It's just a game for crying out loud! These parents/coaches go way overboard just to win. I find it appauling that they hurt an innocent child, that kid could have been killed.

I hate people who are overly competitive with sports...especially for something like T-ball. Lord. I remember whem I played T-ball this one coach was flipping out at the umpire and all of the kids were sitting on the bench watching him and then people getting him to stop for the longest time.

The coach was very competitive," state police Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater said. "He wanted to win."

That's no ****ing excuse. :rolleyes:

OH MY GOD! :eek: That just makes me want to throw up. I feel bad for the kid who got hit. I hope he's alright and that sick bastard goes to jail. :mad:

:barf: People are so screwed up these days.

:mad: :sarah: :eek:

wtf :mad: :mad:

PITTSBURGH(AP) 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.

If Downs is convicted of any crime, he won't be allowed to be a coach next year, Forsythe said. The league is not affiliated with Little League International.
A YEAR? how about a ban for LIFE from coaching at ANY level????? :mad:

Well just remember -


Winning is everything - It's the ONLY thing.

I am beyond words. Shock and disgust comes to mind.

That is sick. :mad:

******* is that coach's middle name.

That is just sick :mad: :mad: :livid:

lol hehe rofl

This guy is one of the reasons I have had little interest in participating in sports. I was humiliated when I was a kid by my stupid alpha male older brother in order to get psyched up for it. Didn't work. (Not because I had problems like this kid.)

Completely idiotic! Kids sports have become way to serious. I hope whatever charge that gets put on him he gets the full penalty that comes with it! Jackass.

What is going to happen to the child who actually commited the assault?

What is going to happen to the child who actually commited the assault?He probably wont get into that much trouble, because most of it was the coach's doing.

PITTSBURGH(AP) 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 did not play, police said.

"The coach was very competitive," state police Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater said. "He wanted to win."

Downs has an unpublished telephone number and could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.

He was arrested and arraigned Friday on charges including criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault and corruption of minors. He was released from jail on an unsecured bond.

The alleged assault happened June 27 in North Union Township, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, authorities said.

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.

Eric Forsythe, the president of the R.W. Clark Youth Baseball League, said Downs had two daughters on the T-ball team.

League organizers investigated accusations against Downs before the T-ball season ended earlier this month but could not prove that he did anything wrong. If Downs is convicted of any crime, he won't be allowed to be a coach next year, Forsythe said. The league is not affiliated with Little League International.


OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! :sarah: :sarah: :sarah:

World's biggest ******* is an understatment!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

What an ass :mad:

I'd like to punch that guy right in the face.

For a lousy game of T-ball?? Gawd...I hope my kids become geeks, because sports for kids are too damn serious anymore. I hope someone beats that coach with a baseball bat.

That's one of the sickest stories I've heard...someone needs to take a T-ball bat to this guy's face.

For a lousy game of T-ball?? Gawd...I hope my kids become geeks, because sports for kids are too damn serious anymore. I hope someone beats that coach with a baseball bat.
i really would beat his ass with a baseball bat if i were the kid's mother, and i'm saying that seriously.

I just read the first line of this post, and I'm absolutely disgusted. I'm not surprised though, just another arsehole.

i really would beat his ass with a baseball bat if i were the kid's mother, and i'm saying that seriously.

I bet I would too.

Well just remember -


Winning is everything - It's the ONLY thing.
i do HOPE youre being sarcastic here,,,,or do you think its ok to purposely hurt someone just cause they are disabled, using winning as an excuse?????

What a ****ing bitch. :sarah: