Aspies For Freedom

Updated: Sep. 11, 2006, 7:02 PM ET
T-ball coach to stand trial for $25 offer to bean player
Associated Press

PITTSBURGH -- A T-ball coach accused of offering an 8-year-old boy $25 to bean a disabled teammate is unlikely to receive a fair trial because of intense media coverage, the man's lawyer said.

Mark R. Downs Jr., 29, of Dunbar, was scheduled to go on trial Tuesday in Fayette County on a string of charges, including solicitation, corruption of minors and reckless endangerment. He refused a plea agreement in December.

The charges against Downs drew the attention of media outlets around the world. Many columnists expressed disgust at what they considered adult corruption of a child's sport.

"We feel he's been persecuted by the media," defense attorney Thomas Shaffer said. "[The case] was on from the nightly news in Japan to every syndicated network broadcast across the country."

Prosecutors have argued that Downs did not want Harry Bowers Jr., then 9, to play in a June 2005 T-ball playoff game because the boy wasn't as good as his teammates. Bowers has autism and mild mental retardation.

Keith Reese, 8 at the time, testified at a preliminary hearing that he hit Bowers with baseballs first in the groin and later in the ear. Reese said he did it because Downs offered him $25 to make sure Bowers wouldn't be able to play.

League rules require each player to play at least three innings.

Prosecutors did not return several phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment on the start of the trial.

Shaffer said Downs had joked at another game about paying players to hit an umpire with a ball. His words were later taken out of context and used against him by Reese, Shaffer said.

Bowers was hit because he misplayed balls while warming up with Reese, Shaffer said.

"[Bowers] was terrible. ... It's not like he got blinded-sided," Shaffer said. "He put his glove up, he missed it and it went off his glove and hit him."

The Falcons, the team Downs coached, are part of the R.W. Clark Youth Baseball League. Bowers was hurt before a game in North Union Township, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

League officials have said they investigated the matter and could not confirm whether Downs had done anything wrong. But they said he wouldn't be allowed to coach again if he were convicted of criminal charges.

"He didn't ask to return, which was a good thing," said Eric Forsythe, president of the league. "I'm just curious to see what comes out in trial."

Prosecutors have argued that Downs did not want Harry Bowers Jr., then 9, to play in a June 2005 T-ball playoff game because the boy wasn't as good as his teammates. Bowers has autism and mild mental retardation.

I will never understand why these neurotypical people take sport so seriously. It's just a freakin' game!

Especially a child's game like T-ball.  Besides, if the coach didn't want him on the team, why not just kick him off? It wouldn't be entirely fair, but it's better than paying a kid to beat him up.

Hasn't this case been resolved now?  I'm thinking I recently saw an article on it ... maybe he pleaded quilty?

Anyway, the whole thing is nuts.  Children's sports can be nuts.  Most parents now seem to get it, but some don't .... my son's soccer coach of 3 years finally had enough of parents screaming at him and is no longer volunteering.  Such a shame.

The leagues here try very hard to screen out the competetive coaches, and the crazy parents, but it isn't always so easy.  Here, the coach in the article would not have been allowed to remove the child from his team; he would have been told all kids have to play and that he shouldn't be coaching if he can't be understanding of children with difficulties.

It doesn't all go without kinks.  My son was placed on a soccer team this year with no one he knew.  The coaches were very patient with him, and tried hard to make it work, but the other kids couldn't resist subtly mocking his unusual way of playing.  We only did one practice with the team; we were able to get my son moved.  All the coaches (the old and the new) and the coordinator were very good about it.  THAT is how it should be.

It's all volunteers.  We do have to remember that.

I am glad that coach got called on his bad actions.  Prosecution was the right thing to do.  Even though the coaches are volunteers, we parents count on them to protect our kids while in their care.