Youth Baseball Coach Arrested on Beaning Allegations

(North Union Township, Pennsylvania) A local youth baseball coach was arrested and charged with bribing one of his boys to intentionally throw at an autistic player.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Eric Forsythe, who heads the R.W. Clark Youth Baseball League in North Union Township, said he was shocked when Mark Downs Jr., 27, of Dunbar was charged last Friday with bribing player Keith Reese, 7, with $25 to hit teammate Harry Bowers Jr., 9, in the face with a baseball to keep him from playing.

When hitting Bowers in the ear with a ball didn't keep him off the field, he intentionally hit him in the groin with another throw, state police charged.

The boy went to an emergency room and was treated for swollen red marks on his ear and groin. Specific charges Downs faces include criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault, corruption of minors, criminal conspiracy to commit simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.

If the allegations prove true, Downs obviously doesn't possess the moral and ethical qualities suited for leading youngsters.