Youth Baseball Coach Knocks Team Out of Tournament
VALLEJO, Calif. (KCBS) A first base coach for the Vallejo Babe Ruth baseball team may face criminal charges, after allegedly punching an umpire during a game on Sunday.
The team of 13- to 15-year-olds had just scored three runs in the seventh inning, to take a 5-4 lead, when the first-base coach began arguing a close call by the umpire, said head coach John Larson.
Podcast
"The next thing I knew, the umpire was lying on the ground. We're very dissappointed and shocked, because of what happened and because we had to forfeit the game."
This is a blow to the team, coming just weeks after their home field grandstand, dugouts and storage facility were vandalized.
Larson said the coach, who works at a local oil refinery, apologized for his behavior after talking to police. He could face assault charges.
