Another umpire assaulted
 

Umpire sore after assault at game
BY SUSAN SZALEWSKI
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

A suburban baseball game between 12-year-olds ended with an Omaha umpire knocked to the ground and a parent ticketed on suspicion of misdemeanor assault.

Umpire Charles Andersen said he was "body slammed" to the ground Saturday by an angry parent after two angry coaches had sandwiched him between them, pushing him and bumping him with their bodies.

Andersen said he still had a headache, stiff neck and sore body Monday night from the incident. The injury caused him to miss officiating at baseball games Sunday and work on Monday, he said, but he was able to umpire at a game Monday evening.

During thousands of games over his seven or so years as an umpire, Andersen said, he occasionally has seen the wrath of players, coaches and parents. And he has feared that someday they might go too far. That happened Saturday after the tournament game between the teams from Gretna and Ashland, he said.

Umpires make mistakes, Andersen said, but no one should ever answer with violence. He lamented that four teams of 12-year-olds - two leaving a game and two arriving for the next game - witnessed the bad behavior of adults who are supposed to be role models. "All those players were watching," he said.

The parent and coaches involved in the incident could not be reached Monday night for comment.

Andersen said that some of the players, coaches and fans from the Gretna team had acted disrespectfully toward him and his fellow umpire during the game, and officials were able to handle the problems without ejecting anyone from the game.

When the team's last batter was at the plate, Andersen said, the batter jumped out of the batter's box and questioned the ball-strike count, saying "No, it's a 3-and-1 count."

"Yes, it's a 3-and-1 count," Andersen said he yelled back. And he said he yelled for the boy to get back in the batter's box because the youth did not call time out. The player swung and missed at the next pitch and popped out on the last one.

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

He said that after he was knocked to the ground he heard one parent say that it was too bad that he was still alive. "This is how angry people act over a baseball game?" he asked.

Others came to his defense by calling 911 and moving in to protect him, Andersen said.

The game was played at a field near 192nd and West Dodge Road. The boys' baseball leagues and Metro Umpires, an organization that trains and schedules umpires, will likely investigate what happened Saturday, said Denny Jones, chief of Metro Umpires.

"Baseball has its rules, and sanctions will likely be issued," Jones said Monday night. He said he was gathering reports from witnesses.

"Baseball is supposed to be fun for children," Jones said. "A lot of great parenting and coaching is being overshadowed by this."

Great Parenting
 

doesn't sound like that happens in THAT League.

Wonder if it's a felony where this happened. It is here in CT.

"911, State your emergency".

"I am an Umpire at blankety-blank baseball field. I have just been assaulted by blankety-blank and need an officer immediately."

I understand why many do NOT do small ball anymore.

ok and I know some people work 12's 1 man .... but if he had a partner... where was the partner?

Besides all of that... What on earth could make someone get that angry in omaha.... its baseball ... I love the sport .... I love to work the games....but holy cow a game could NEVER make me THAT mad... no one is worth going to jail

[QUOTE=Huskerblue]

"Baseball has its rules, and sanctions will likely be issued," Jones said Monday night. QUOTE]

Sanctions will likely be issued? How about sanctions AND LEGAL ACTION will likely be issued? Somebody ever "body slams" me on a ballfield, I'm not getting up until the medical team gets me up with the officer(s) standing right there telling the offender(s), "Would you slip into these, please?" (those of you who watch reruns of Nash Bridges will know what that means).

JJ

In Texas if it was a coach assaulting the umpire, Class A Assault, a misdemeanor. Actual physical contact and bodily harm would have to ensue, but they go to jail, I'd guess at least $2500 bond.

Now if it was a parent, non participant of the game, then simply threatening the umpire with harm is a Class B misdemeanor, no contact needed, free trip to jail.

for your reference...Texas Penal Code, CH 22, sect 22.01 (c)(2) A or B

and there is no excuse at all for parents getting that stupid.

Here in Nebraska I believe an assult on any sports official is a class C felony. This includeds parents, fans, coaches and players. Just like my strike zone, I'm not 100% sure.

Thousands? That would mean at least two thousand and kind of implies more. That would require nearly 300 games per year for two thousand and over 400 games per year for the next level of "thousands".

Every year.

In Omaha?

Wow, thousands of games in just seven years. He's been a busy boy!:rolleyes:

Dang it Mr. Umpire, you read my mind!

The only reason I brough it up is if this umpire will bullsh1t about his number of games, what else will he embellish?

Yeah, when I read that, my B.S. meter's needle went off the chart.

Maybe he calls softball too? :cool:

I'm thinking more and more about one of those pocket Tasers in my ballbag.....coach/parent (using that term loosely) comes out, jostling begins, and zzzzzzzzzzzt!

evil cackle

Story says ticketed for misdemeanor assault. For the suspect to be taken to jail the assault would have had to happen in the presence of a police officer. Suspect may or may not get jail time down the line but unless he is a regular I doubt it.

How about a 44 Magnum That way we can FINALLY say to a Parent or Coach

MAKE MY DAY

Pete Booth

Hey...
 

Isn't that why some wear two ballbags?
;)

Concealed License Permit and gun in the glove compartment. I will protect myself, no way someone is body slamming me. Sorry just wont happen.

A gun in your glove box isn't going to stop Daddy from body slamming you or your partner.

No, but a quick hook to his jaw might work wonders!


Tim.

I remember on one occasion a certain partner who shall remain nameless and I were getting harrassed by a very angry fan after a varsity game. He followed us to our vehicles and when we got to my partner's SUV, my partner opened up the back and reached into his bag and pulled out a .357 magnum and said one word to the fan:

Disappear!

He did.

A little less talk and a lot more action, please.:)

Around here, you go to jail for that. Harassment is not a cause for deadly force.

BS on that! Following me to my car is an overt and active threat, period. Does it justify displaying or pointing a weapon? - HTBT.

He didn't point it, he just pulled it out of his bag.

And since when do they jail people for handguns in Texas? I lived there 10 years and knew few people who weren't packing 24/7. Friggin' gun capital of the United States.

Steve,

Displaying a weapon in a public place can be construed as brandishing (Showing a weapon in an attempt to threaten), a crime in every state.

It is also against the law to bring a weapon on school property, whether he digs it out of his bag or not. Gun permit or no gun permit.

Such a DPRKalifornia mindset is typical. In some states you are permitted to defend yourself, if you show that you were reasonably threatened.

Now, in this case, if the potential assailant was empty-handed, I would have de-escalated a dangerous situation and merely pulled out an axe handle. ;)

So are a lot of things. I never said what he did was legal, did I? I still liked the result.

I was brought up with many guns in the house, and to believe that gun control meant using two hands.

Steve, this is real bad advice as this can be a certain jail sentence in some States. Here in CT, even if you have a State permit to carry a concealed weapon, you cannot use it to threaten someone.

Let's say that you are having a heated discussion with me (here in CT). I am wearing a jacket and in the course of the discussion, I slide my hands so that my jacket opens and rest my hands on my hips. My right hand naturally rests on the butt of my revolver as we continue to "discuss" the issue. I have just threatened you with my weapon, even though I never drew it and even though it was a perfectly natural action! A friend of mine spent 3 days in lockup and received a 90 day suspended sentence for doing just this. I was present for the arrest and was present for the hearing. The judge explained that my friend "threatened" the other party by simply resting his hand on the butt of the .38 and it was witnessed by others at the drinking establishment. The law here says that this constituted pulling the weapon and up here (as in many other places) if you pull your weapon, you had better use it!

Sounds stupid but in different States, the laws for weapons can very tremendously. That incident was a lesson for me in that it doesn't matter if you are legal (having a permit) or not, the law is not on your side at all. That is unless you are in Texas and witness your neighbor's house being robbed and you have 911 on the line while you blow the perpetrators away with a 12 gauge! Heh, heh, heh!

It is also against the law to bring a weapon onto school property

. . . which has had made schools prime targets for people intent on committing mayhem.

I wasn't giving it as advice. I was merely recalling what happened once upon a time, many, many years ago. I was not condoning what he did, but it did take immediate care of the problem. Should everyone start carrying guns to the ballyard? NO!!!!

Yes, we are familiar with school shootings here:

Santana HS - 10 miles away
Granite Hills HS - 5 miles away (good thing there was an armed police officer on campus!)
Cleveland Elementary - 10 miles away (Brenda "I don't like Mondays" Spencer)

Columbine who?

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."

I hope Metro Umpires ends their relationship with Gretna. If they don't I hope any umpire assigned to work there would turn back the game. This is insane that Gretna even trys to put any blame on the umpires.

"... but if he had a partner..."

Did you not read this?
Andersen said that some of the players, coaches and fans from the Gretna team had acted disrespectfully toward him and his fellow umpire during the game, and officials were able to handle the problems without ejecting anyone from the game.

Bob

Wrong.

Tennessee is the patron state of shootin' stuff!

And, I'm damn proud to be a Tennesseean!

I stand corrected. Texas is pretty high up there though.

I had the same thought.

At least we don't do Tae Kwon Do...:eek:

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/bei...urn=oly,102963