But is he a Smitty?

[greymule]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,404885,00.html

[johnnyg08]

wow. that's all I have to say.

[Rcichon]

Stunned.

[lawump]

If I was a member of that association when its board made that decision, my only comment would have been..."here's my membership card."

[lawump]

Originally Posted by msavakinas

People can change sir.

But I agree that someone like that probably did not deserve a lifetime achievement award.

I agree.

But its a LIFETIME achievement award for his work with KIDS throughout a LIFETIME that includes child molestation.

And when he was given the award, he was still serving his punishment...he was still on probation.

[mattmets]

I worked with this group 2 summers ago....absolutely appalling to read this yesterday morning. Here's another article from the local paper http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2008/.../d92iq3e00.txt

[piaa_ump]

This would be enough for me to resign from the associations.....and I'd rather work with a army of smitty's than one child molester.......

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by msavakinas

People can change sir.

But I agree that someone like that probably did not deserve a lifetime achievement award.

Also from the Waterbury Republican :

A report given to the judge at Barbero's sentencing said he had engaged in this type of sexual activity for 27 years and he was likely to do it again. Barbero, who served time in prison, retired from umpiring in 1998, two years before his conviction. He is a registered sex offender.

[TussAgee11]

For the record, this is not my association in CT.

Ozzy et al? You guys are in New Haven right?

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by msavakinas

People can change sir.

YGBSM.

This type of behavior has the highest rate of recidivism.

Beyond that, the award was for the past, not his "potential" future.

[RPatrino]

I agree that people can change. Unfortunately pedophiles can't. They can surpress the urges but eventually they will repeat offend. People with records like this do not belong around kids, period.

[canadaump6]

Not a smitty, but wow does that association have to think over the kinds of people they want to honour.

[umpduck11]

"Tommy was one of the greats. He really was," Board President Lou Fracasso said Thursday when describing Barber's umpiring experience. "He's paid for what happened. He went to prison for it."


So that just erases what the guy did ? Molesting three kids undoes a lifetime of "good works" umpiring kids games, if you ask me. What were these people thinking ?

[waltjp]

A few months back there was a bill introduced here in NJ to name a portion of a highway after a retired congressman who had been involved in a motor vehicle accident that injured 2 people. The congressman was legally intoxicated at the time of the accident.

[mattmets]

Originally Posted by umpduck11

"Tommy was one of the greats. He really was," Board President Lou Fracasso said Thursday when describing Barber's umpiring experience. "He's paid for what happened. He went to prison for it."


So that just erases what the guy did ? Molesting three kids undoes a lifetime of "good works" umpiring kids games, if you ask me. What were these people thinking ?

Especially when the guy is serving 35 years probation and WORKING BABE RUTH GAMES, age 13-15, which is the same age range as the boys he sexually assaulted.

Totally embarrassing, and I'm going to be interested to see how the Torrington board does re: recruiting next spring.