Another umpire assaulted

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Published Monday July 21, 2008
Breaking News: Gretna bans dad from ballfields
BY CHELSEA KEENEY
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The Gretna parent accused of assaulting a baseball umpire has been banned from Gretna baseball fields for two years, and two Gretna baseball coaches have been banned from coaching during the 2009 season.

Jeffrey G. Johnson, 39, is banned from games played on Gretna Youth Softball and Baseball Association fields, said Mark Peterson, the association's president.

"The GYSBA does not condone the actions of the parent," the association said in a statement. "GYSBA is a strong proponent of teaching youth proper sports etiquette and has a zero tolerance policy regarding unsportsmanlike conduct. The parent's action is inexcusable."

On July 12, Johnson was ticketed on suspicion of third-degree assault after he was accused of knocking 59-year-old umpire Charles Andersen to the ground. Johnson's son's Gretna team had just lost a state tournament game to a team from Ashland, Neb., by a score of 6-3. The incident took place at a field near 192nd Street and West Dodge Road.

If convicted, Johnson faces up to six months in jail. A call this morning to his home requesting comment was not returned.

Andersen said that when Gretna's last batter - Johnson's son - was at the plate, the batter jumped out of the batter's box and questioned the ball-strike count. Andersen said he yelled back at the boy and told him to get back in the batter's box because the youth did not call time out. The player swung at the next pitch and missed, then popped out on the last one.

A confrontation followed immediately after the last play, Andersen said.

A parent of a Ralston player waiting for the next game on the field said the two Gretna coaches "sandwiched" Andersen between them and screamed at him.

Johnson, the parent said, then came out of the stands onto the playing field and shoved Andersen, sending him through the air. Andersen landed hard on the ground.

On the Monday after the game, Andersen said he still had a headache, stiff neck and sore body.

Today, Andersen said he still was dealing with the aftereffects.

The head coach, Quinn Coldiron, could not be reached today for comment. The assistant, Jeff Staashelm, said he had no comment.

The statement on the Gretna baseball group's Web site placed some of the blame for the incident on Andersen.

"We believe the umpire unnecessarily escalated the tensions before, during and after the game and did not help the coaches diffuse the high level of emotion shown during the game," the statement said.

In response, Denny Jones, chief of Metro Umpires, said, "This blame game thing is absolute nonsense. You didn't find an umpire lift a finger or touch anybody violently. And that's the long and short of it."

When informed of the penalties against the parent and two coaches, Andersen said he "applauded" the banning of the coaches, but said other coaches should be reviewed for their own poor sportsmanship.

"It's very interesting that the Gretna program realizes the part the two coaches took in this," Andersen said. "Are they going to address the other situations with other Gretna coaches? Are they going to clean house and straighten up their program?"

Peterson said the organization would implement additional umpire and coach training to "avoid anything in the future like that."

Jones said the Gretna association had worked with Metro Umpires for 15 years without any trouble and did not want Gretna to get a bad rap for the incident.

"They are all good folks in Gretna," Jones said. "Kind, nice people."

Andersen said he has heard of similar parent and coach violence against umpires across the Omaha metropolitan area and said he thinks it should be more widely addressed.

"What's your responsibility (as a parent or coach) at a ball field?" Andersen said. "To be positive."