Harold Kasselman's Blog - Posts Tagged "mlb-netwrok"
Mitch Williams eats his words in law suit with MLB Network
Mitch Williams retook the stand today on direct examination from his attorney. Williams formally denied ever ordering his pitcher to "bean an opposing little league batter" in a tournament in Maryland in May of 2014. He also denied calling the opposing pitcher (a ten year old) a "pussy." In fact, Williams went further and said he was incapable of calling any young child a name because he has seen what his two autistic children have gone through in their lives with name calling. Williams also denied cursing at the games in the presence of children or cursing the umpire.
His counsel attempted to demonstrate that her client was hood winked by the network into thinking his job was safe, and then after a week of work was fired. Williams claimed he had no further conversations with former MLB Network CEO Anthony Petiti after a May 17th call. Petitti told Williams in that conversation that the second article from Deadspin and the video of the Sunday game were "bad". Petitti told Williams to go to the office of Lorraine Fischer of the network's publicity and human affairs department to view the video. Williams admitted on direct that he was frustrated and upset by his situation and expressed it in a loud manner. He said that he merely said, "what are you seeing here that I don't?" But he did admit that Fischer began to cry. Williams said he apologized and later texted the woman to again apologize. His demeanor on direct was calm, deliberate and he often made eye contact with the jury.
On cross examination, defense counsel demonstrated that the video did not begin until after the warm up tosses by the pitcher and suggested that the argument with the umpire was not captured on video. He also played a portion of the video and audio which purported to show Williams' disgust at a called strike by yelling "fuck" out loud from his first base coaching position. The jury will have to determine if that was said by Williams or even uttered. This writer was unable to determine whether it was uttered.. But Williams was thereafter ejected.
Williams got into trouble by volunteering in his answer on cross, a cardinal rule of law is never volunteer, that he has never cursed at a little league game. Defense counsel for MLB jumped on that statement and introduced into evidence a string email between Williams and a parent of one of Williams' players on his own team from a year earlier. The parent had said he no longer wanted his son to play on the team. In the email, which Williams reluctantly admitted he wrote, he admits cursing at the game and says it will never happen again. Williams admitted the authenticity of the emails but said he couldn't remember cursing. At this point Williams' face became very red, but he maintained his control. In a lesser relevant matter, the defense got Williams to admit that he had written an email saying he wanted to "run up the score" against the opposing team by scoring 50 runs to embarrass the other team's coach. That coach had cut Mitch's son from the team. Defense counsel suggested that he was using ten year olds to humiliate other ten year old children for a personal vendetta.
Defense counsel was able to demonstrate a more significant point in a video played to the jury. The video shows the pitcher for Williams' team throwing a ball that was wild and over the head of the batter in Saturday's game. The very next batter gets beaned in the head by the pitcher on a wild pitch. The ball hit with such force that the ball rolled half way up the first base line. The child had to leave the game as a result. Clearly defense counsel will argue that, even if Williams didn't deliberately instruct that same pitcher(he pitched both Saturday and Sunday games) to bean the opposing pitcher the next day, telling the pitcher to "knock the batter off the plate" was egregiously reckless. That is especially significant given the wildness of the pitcher on Saturday.
The jury was excused when defense counsel tried to ask Williams about an autograph signing event a few years ago in which allegedly Williams used the f word against Dykstra in public. The judge, with little hesitation ruled such behavior was totally irrelevant to the facts of the current case and ruled it out.
The case will continue tomorrow.
His counsel attempted to demonstrate that her client was hood winked by the network into thinking his job was safe, and then after a week of work was fired. Williams claimed he had no further conversations with former MLB Network CEO Anthony Petiti after a May 17th call. Petitti told Williams in that conversation that the second article from Deadspin and the video of the Sunday game were "bad". Petitti told Williams to go to the office of Lorraine Fischer of the network's publicity and human affairs department to view the video. Williams admitted on direct that he was frustrated and upset by his situation and expressed it in a loud manner. He said that he merely said, "what are you seeing here that I don't?" But he did admit that Fischer began to cry. Williams said he apologized and later texted the woman to again apologize. His demeanor on direct was calm, deliberate and he often made eye contact with the jury.
On cross examination, defense counsel demonstrated that the video did not begin until after the warm up tosses by the pitcher and suggested that the argument with the umpire was not captured on video. He also played a portion of the video and audio which purported to show Williams' disgust at a called strike by yelling "fuck" out loud from his first base coaching position. The jury will have to determine if that was said by Williams or even uttered. This writer was unable to determine whether it was uttered.. But Williams was thereafter ejected.
Williams got into trouble by volunteering in his answer on cross, a cardinal rule of law is never volunteer, that he has never cursed at a little league game. Defense counsel for MLB jumped on that statement and introduced into evidence a string email between Williams and a parent of one of Williams' players on his own team from a year earlier. The parent had said he no longer wanted his son to play on the team. In the email, which Williams reluctantly admitted he wrote, he admits cursing at the game and says it will never happen again. Williams admitted the authenticity of the emails but said he couldn't remember cursing. At this point Williams' face became very red, but he maintained his control. In a lesser relevant matter, the defense got Williams to admit that he had written an email saying he wanted to "run up the score" against the opposing team by scoring 50 runs to embarrass the other team's coach. That coach had cut Mitch's son from the team. Defense counsel suggested that he was using ten year olds to humiliate other ten year old children for a personal vendetta.
Defense counsel was able to demonstrate a more significant point in a video played to the jury. The video shows the pitcher for Williams' team throwing a ball that was wild and over the head of the batter in Saturday's game. The very next batter gets beaned in the head by the pitcher on a wild pitch. The ball hit with such force that the ball rolled half way up the first base line. The child had to leave the game as a result. Clearly defense counsel will argue that, even if Williams didn't deliberately instruct that same pitcher(he pitched both Saturday and Sunday games) to bean the opposing pitcher the next day, telling the pitcher to "knock the batter off the plate" was egregiously reckless. That is especially significant given the wildness of the pitcher on Saturday.
The jury was excused when defense counsel tried to ask Williams about an autograph signing event a few years ago in which allegedly Williams used the f word against Dykstra in public. The judge, with little hesitation ruled such behavior was totally irrelevant to the facts of the current case and ruled it out.
The case will continue tomorrow.
Mitch Williams trial against MLB Network continues
Mitch Williams trial against MLB Network continues
The attorney for Williams called two female parents of little leaguers on Williams' team ( Jersey Wild) yesterday to contradict the MLB Network's allegations. Both attended the May 10 and 11 tournament games at the Ripken field in 2014. They denied hearing any improper language from the coach Mitch Williams. A male witness, a parent of the Olney Pirates team testified that he heard the Pirates' head coach say, after the alleged "pussy" calling incident, that the coach was going to bury Mitch Williams. The plaintiff Williams rested their case.
The lawyer for the Network called as its first witness the 13 year old catcher for the Jersey Titans, the opposing team in the Sunday game against the Jersey Wild. He testified to the events of that day when he was just ten years old. He said he heard Williams talking in the dugout to his own team. He heard Williams call his friend the Titan pitcher a "pussy". He did not say that Williams said it to him directly, but it was loud enough for him to hear it clearly, and Williams turned towards the pitcher when he said it. The 13 year old also testified that he had an autographed baseball signed by Williams that he gave to a teacher because he was so upset about what Williams had said about his friend. The next witness was the Public Relations MLB Network employee Lorraine Fisher. She verified that former MLB Network President Anthony Petitti told Williams to view video of the games played during the Mother's Day weekend Ripken tournament in 2014. While in her office, she said Williams watched the video and got very loud and said "Fuck the Ripken Tournament." She was so upset that she cried as a result of the outburst. Williams later apologized and said he had been frustrated because he didn't see anything that would have justified his termination.
The attorney for Williams called two female parents of little leaguers on Williams' team ( Jersey Wild) yesterday to contradict the MLB Network's allegations. Both attended the May 10 and 11 tournament games at the Ripken field in 2014. They denied hearing any improper language from the coach Mitch Williams. A male witness, a parent of the Olney Pirates team testified that he heard the Pirates' head coach say, after the alleged "pussy" calling incident, that the coach was going to bury Mitch Williams. The plaintiff Williams rested their case.
The lawyer for the Network called as its first witness the 13 year old catcher for the Jersey Titans, the opposing team in the Sunday game against the Jersey Wild. He testified to the events of that day when he was just ten years old. He said he heard Williams talking in the dugout to his own team. He heard Williams call his friend the Titan pitcher a "pussy". He did not say that Williams said it to him directly, but it was loud enough for him to hear it clearly, and Williams turned towards the pitcher when he said it. The 13 year old also testified that he had an autographed baseball signed by Williams that he gave to a teacher because he was so upset about what Williams had said about his friend. The next witness was the Public Relations MLB Network employee Lorraine Fisher. She verified that former MLB Network President Anthony Petitti told Williams to view video of the games played during the Mother's Day weekend Ripken tournament in 2014. While in her office, she said Williams watched the video and got very loud and said "Fuck the Ripken Tournament." She was so upset that she cried as a result of the outburst. Williams later apologized and said he had been frustrated because he didn't see anything that would have justified his termination.
MLB Network calls key umpires against Mitch Williams
Attorneys for the MLB Network played a video recording of a deposition given by Joseph Addis Sr., a former purchasing director for three large corporation. The deposition was given January 2016 (He was also cross-examined by Williams" attorney)to testify about the events of the Mother's Day weekend little league tournament in 2014. Among other things, he stated that over his decades-long career as a certified umpire for the little league, he had only ejected fifteen to twenty people, and only three coaches. But in describing the ejection of Williams during the Saturday game, Addis said Williams was "the most out of control manager I've ever been associated with."
He detailed the basis for that opinion by the following:
1. Even before the game began, Williams said out loud, in reference to the opposing team's pitcher who was warming up, "Look at that little fucker throwing a curve ball." Addis said he said it twice more and was asked by the other umpire to refrain from such language. (He explained that since the game had not officially begun that they didn't feel he had jurisdiction to eject him at that time). Williams shrugged and walked away. Addis had never heard of Mitch Williams until the start of the game when Williams "was bragging he had been a major league player." Addis said the Ripken tournament begins with an announcement about the importance of good sportsmanship. Despite that, while giving the coaches ground rule instructions at home plate, Williams had his back turned, and did not shake hands with the two umpires or opposing coach as is the custom.
2. Williams made loud complaints about balls and strike from the very first pitch through the fifth inning and that the Wild fans took their subsequent tone from their coach.
3. That there was a controversial play at home plate when a Wild player slid home. Addis hesitated for a couple of seconds and then called the runner out. Williams ran down from his coaching box at first base and told him in a strenuous outcry, "You don't know what you're doing! I remember you from last year". (Addis testified he had not even been an umpire the prior year) In a voice more loud than he had ever heard from a coach, Williams continued, "I'll have your job for this....it's what I would expect from Ripken baseball." He then yelled into the crowd to a woman, "You have the camera on don't you?" We'll get his job. he said Williams lost perspective and he argued for 5-10 minutes. Finally Addis issued a warning to Williams.
4. After he tried to walk away the other umpire Scott Bulwicki tried to come between them. Addis heard Williams say "bastards".Bulwicki took exception to the threat to have him lose his job and then ejected Williams. The latter got in the face of Bulwicki, so close that spittle from Williams inadvertently hit Bulwicki. Then Williams chest bumped Bulwicki and pushed him with the chest. When other coaches came on the field, he told them that he was going to forfeit the game and award it to the Pirates unless Williams left. When a Ripken tournament representative came on the field, Williams left, but not before yelling "fuckers as he left the field.
Addis said he had never heard of Williams before the game, was not biased, and was never disciplined in his career as an umpire.
On cross examination he said there was not just one reason for the ejection but rather a cumulative effect. But he did say cursing itself would have been reason enough. he denied hearing an words between Williams and Bulwicki regarding a challenge to fight. he admitted that Williams' statement about the opposing pitcher pre-game was not directed to anyone in particular.
Next a video deposition was played of 53 year old burly Scott Bulwicki. He had retired as a longshoreman at the Port of Baltimore at age 42 and worked as an umpire for many years. Bulwicki, who reminded me of actor Gary Bussey in his looks, supported what Addis had said regarding the nature of Williams' behavior and also described it as the worst ever. He had only ejected three coaches in his life. He said the personal abuse he and Addis took regarding the threat to his job was his major basis for ejection. He said Williams yelled it to the crowd and to him and bragged that "You don't know who I know, and this is what you get for $14-15 an hour. You are both going to lose your jobs tomorrow."
He reiterated the statement about the "little fucker throwing a curve ball(opposing pitcher) while warming up. But bulwicki went further and said Williams had used curse words every inning including mother fucker towards him and 'fucker" several times. He quoted Williams as saying that call(at home plate) "was fucking crazy".
On cross, Williams' attorney got the witness to admit he had been suspended for seven weeks by the Ripken officials and therefore lost a considerable amount of money. The thrust of the cross was to suggest that the witness was out for revenge and was exaggerating the behavior and piling on and fabricating cursing which didn't exist. The defense led the witness down the rosy path to a point where he was backed into a corner. "If he was calling you an asshole and mother fucker during the game, why didn't you eject him before the 5th inning?' The witness could only respond that he gives more leeway to teams from New Jersey and NewYork because it's a different culture than down in Maryland.
On Friday, former major league player and current MLB analyst(brother of Cal Ripken) is expected to testify as well as Brett Curl a Ripken representative. Then there will be closing arguments. It is significant that neither side called as a witness the son of Williams or the pitcher for the Wild.
He detailed the basis for that opinion by the following:
1. Even before the game began, Williams said out loud, in reference to the opposing team's pitcher who was warming up, "Look at that little fucker throwing a curve ball." Addis said he said it twice more and was asked by the other umpire to refrain from such language. (He explained that since the game had not officially begun that they didn't feel he had jurisdiction to eject him at that time). Williams shrugged and walked away. Addis had never heard of Mitch Williams until the start of the game when Williams "was bragging he had been a major league player." Addis said the Ripken tournament begins with an announcement about the importance of good sportsmanship. Despite that, while giving the coaches ground rule instructions at home plate, Williams had his back turned, and did not shake hands with the two umpires or opposing coach as is the custom.
2. Williams made loud complaints about balls and strike from the very first pitch through the fifth inning and that the Wild fans took their subsequent tone from their coach.
3. That there was a controversial play at home plate when a Wild player slid home. Addis hesitated for a couple of seconds and then called the runner out. Williams ran down from his coaching box at first base and told him in a strenuous outcry, "You don't know what you're doing! I remember you from last year". (Addis testified he had not even been an umpire the prior year) In a voice more loud than he had ever heard from a coach, Williams continued, "I'll have your job for this....it's what I would expect from Ripken baseball." He then yelled into the crowd to a woman, "You have the camera on don't you?" We'll get his job. he said Williams lost perspective and he argued for 5-10 minutes. Finally Addis issued a warning to Williams.
4. After he tried to walk away the other umpire Scott Bulwicki tried to come between them. Addis heard Williams say "bastards".Bulwicki took exception to the threat to have him lose his job and then ejected Williams. The latter got in the face of Bulwicki, so close that spittle from Williams inadvertently hit Bulwicki. Then Williams chest bumped Bulwicki and pushed him with the chest. When other coaches came on the field, he told them that he was going to forfeit the game and award it to the Pirates unless Williams left. When a Ripken tournament representative came on the field, Williams left, but not before yelling "fuckers as he left the field.
Addis said he had never heard of Williams before the game, was not biased, and was never disciplined in his career as an umpire.
On cross examination he said there was not just one reason for the ejection but rather a cumulative effect. But he did say cursing itself would have been reason enough. he denied hearing an words between Williams and Bulwicki regarding a challenge to fight. he admitted that Williams' statement about the opposing pitcher pre-game was not directed to anyone in particular.
Next a video deposition was played of 53 year old burly Scott Bulwicki. He had retired as a longshoreman at the Port of Baltimore at age 42 and worked as an umpire for many years. Bulwicki, who reminded me of actor Gary Bussey in his looks, supported what Addis had said regarding the nature of Williams' behavior and also described it as the worst ever. He had only ejected three coaches in his life. He said the personal abuse he and Addis took regarding the threat to his job was his major basis for ejection. He said Williams yelled it to the crowd and to him and bragged that "You don't know who I know, and this is what you get for $14-15 an hour. You are both going to lose your jobs tomorrow."
He reiterated the statement about the "little fucker throwing a curve ball(opposing pitcher) while warming up. But bulwicki went further and said Williams had used curse words every inning including mother fucker towards him and 'fucker" several times. He quoted Williams as saying that call(at home plate) "was fucking crazy".
On cross, Williams' attorney got the witness to admit he had been suspended for seven weeks by the Ripken officials and therefore lost a considerable amount of money. The thrust of the cross was to suggest that the witness was out for revenge and was exaggerating the behavior and piling on and fabricating cursing which didn't exist. The defense led the witness down the rosy path to a point where he was backed into a corner. "If he was calling you an asshole and mother fucker during the game, why didn't you eject him before the 5th inning?' The witness could only respond that he gives more leeway to teams from New Jersey and NewYork because it's a different culture than down in Maryland.
On Friday, former major league player and current MLB analyst(brother of Cal Ripken) is expected to testify as well as Brett Curl a Ripken representative. Then there will be closing arguments. It is significant that neither side called as a witness the son of Williams or the pitcher for the Wild.
