Softball dad found guilty for assult.

[JRutledge]

Softball dad guilty in assault of ump
Naperville man awaits sentencing
By Art Barnum
Tribune staff reporter

May 10, 2005

The Naperville father of a high school softball player was convicted Monday of misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct for swearing at and threatening an umpire.

Mark Riley, 44, faces up to 30 days in the County Jail when he is sentenced June 6 by Judge Brian McKillip.

"The purpose of interscholastic sports is to build character," said McKillip, who convicted Riley of the two charges, but acquitted him of the more serious charge of battery, which carries a sentence of up to a year in jail.

Riley was arrested after an April 28, 2004 game in West Chicago between the freshman teams from Naperville Central and West Chicago High Schools.

Assistant State's Atty. William Wu said that in an early part of the game, Riley's daughter was warned about wearing an ear stud and made her remove it. Illinois high school rules prohibit wearing jewelry during sporting events.

The next inning, when the same girl came to bat, she was wearing a bracelet. The umpire ejected her.

Riley began yelling and cursing at the umpire from the sidelines and was ordered to leave the field area, Wu said.

"The parent became upset and disagreed with the call," Wu said.

The umpire, Phillip Garee, 18, a senior at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, testified that after the game as he was walking to his car, Riley approached him, stood in front of him, swore at him and poked his finger in his chest.

Marc Wolfe, Riley's attorney, said, "there is no evidence of any physical contact. This was nothing more than a school baseball game and a slight disagreement between a parent and an umpire."

Garee, who is IHSA-certified to be a softball umpire, said he was happy with the judge's decision.

"Umpires aren't protected enough," he said.


Copyright © 2005, The Chicago Tribune

[tcannizzo]

WOW! 18 years old and umpiring high school?

[bkbjones]

We have an 18-year-old up here who does HS and JO ball. I'd work with him any where, any time. He is moving to the Phoenix area to go to trade school next fall, and Phoenix is getting a heckuvan umpire. He still has some work, but ... he's got a solid foundation, solid work ethic, and his age has never been a problem on the field. Most of the "problems" come from grousing old vets who often change their minds after they see him work...

[Andy]

Originally posted by bkbjones
We have an 18-year-old up here who does HS and JO ball. I'd work with him any where, any time. He is moving to the Phoenix area to go to trade school next fall, and Phoenix is getting a heckuvan umpire. He still has some work, but ... he's got a solid foundation, solid work ethic, and his age has never been a problem on the field. Most of the "problems" come from grousing old vets who often change their minds after they see him work...

I am on the board of the HS Umpires association in Phoenix. I am also active in ASA in the area. Send me an email with his information and I will make sure that he gets a warm welcome here in Phoenix.

[SRW]

Originally posted by bkbjones
We have an 18-year-old up here who does HS and JO ball. I'd work with him any where, any time. He is moving to the Phoenix area to go to trade school next fall, and Phoenix is getting a heckuvan umpire. He still has some work, but ... he's got a solid foundation, solid work ethic, and his age has never been a problem on the field. Most of the "problems" come from grousing old vets who often change their minds after they see him work...

I assume you're talking about Adam... and yes, he's solid. He started umping for us at what, age 16? He's good. I've worked with him as a fellow blue, and been a coach (shh, don't tell anyone) for a team he's officiated. He's a hard worker.

[outathm]

As an umpire who started at 16 I am all for the younger umps working. I have two umpires who are 16, and 17 respectively in my asssoc. I will work any game with them and would rather work with them than some of the more 'experienced' umpires we have. The younger of the two is also working JV ball this year and has had to complaints so far.

[FUBLUE]

Originally posted by outathm
As an umpire who started at 16 I am all for the younger umps working. I have two umpires who are 16, and 17 respectively in my asssoc. I will work any game with them and would rather work with them than some of the more 'experienced' umpires we have. The younger of the two is also working JV ball this year and has had to complaints so far.

I know a 13 year old who worked a HS fall league last year...and the girls loved him. He's been umpiring since, oh, about age 2! Seriously, I think he started when he was 8. He's better than some umpires I've worked COLLEGE ball with.

[ChrisSportsFan]

Probably has a real nice career ahead of him and certainly a better part time job than any of his buddies. Could you imagine graduating from college and already having 13 years experience?