MLB Network wraps up its case against Mitch Williams.
The defense team for the network called Brett Curll, assistant director for Ripken baseball to testify today. He was the May 9-11 tournament director in 2014. He was called down to the playing field by the stadium's announcer during Saturday's game. The announcer said one coach was very upset by a call and was afraid it might get out of hand. He thereafter watched the game and observed Williams, the coach he was advised about. This was after a disputed play at home plate. At one point Curll went down onto the field because of a commotion created after Williams was ejected. He saw the umpire walking away from Williams into centerfield. Williams was yelling that the umpire should be fired because the umpire had offered to fight him in the parking lot. He went further and said he would not leave the field until the umpire was fired. Curll warned Williams that he would forfeit the game against Williams' team unless he left the game. He then began to escort Williams to the parking lot but the game ended in the interim so he allowed Williams to go back with his team and gather his things. Curll said he and two other officials allowed Williams to coach the next day because he had only had an opportunity to briefly ask the home umpire Joseph Addis what occurred. He learned that Williams was ejected for arguing a call at the plate. When he later gathered facts from the other umpire, and from what he heard and observed, he felt the ejection had been justified and warranted a one game suspension. He also told the eight person jury that grounds for ejection include badgering an umpire, profanity, personal attacks at an umpire or player, and bad behavior. He did later hear from coaches and parents from the Pirates team that objected to Williams being permitted to coach Sunday's game against the Titans. He was told on Sunday by the Titans head coach that there had been prior incidents between the Titans and Wild teams and asked Curll to watch the game.
Curll cautioned Williams early in the game because the latter was yelling to his batters what pitch the opposing pitcher was about to throw as the pitcher was winding up to throw. Curll explained that was poor sportsmanship because it disturbed the pitcher and that Ripken baseball seeks good sportsmanship. During the game, he was told by the Titans coach that Williams had called the Titans pitcher a "pussy", but Curll could not verify it with either umpire and Williams denied it. He said the game was intense because fans were yelling across the field at each other. Curll left for a few minutes but when he returned the Titan coach was furious that his pitcher had been hit by a pitched ball. Curll testified that Titan coaches said they heard Williams order the catcher to tell his pitcher to deliberately hit the batter. Curll asked both umpires but they didn't feel it was an intentional hit by pitch. The game became unruly after that incident. Curll did testify that he heard Williams curse during the tournament when the two were talking in the dugout. Williams said "Why the fuck would I call a kid a pussy?". Curll cautioned Williams that a kid might walk up to them and hear the cursing. He also asked Williams whether he said during warm up words to the effect of "why would a fucking ten year old be throwing a curve ball?" Williams admitted he said it, but only under his breath and not loud enough for anyone else to hear. On cross examination, Curll admitted that the ejecting umpire also cursed with children nearby. Curll testified that the umpire accused him of taking Williams' side and "that was fucking bullshit". He also said that the umpire was suspended for his remark about challenging Williams to a fight. He did not hear Williams use the word asshole or bastards towards the umpires, but he recalls Williams asking, "Why the fuck are they throwing me out when the umpire threatened to beat me up." The legal team for Williams pointed out that umpire Addis didn't tell him about Williams cursing nor did he put that in his incident report.
Then Bill Ripken testified for the defense. he is co-owner of and founder of The Ripken Foundation. He is the brother of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken(co-owner). He said the foundation was created to give those millions of young children the chance to play on a field that is much like a major league baseball field. He described The Ripken Way as creating an atmosphere where baseball is taught in a fun way, simply, and to celebrate each individual's capacities. He is in his ninth year as an analyst for the MLB network. He began the same day as Williams-January 2009. Ripken was emailed after the Saturday game by one of his Ripken officials and Ripken forwarded it to Lorraine Fisher of MLB Network as a precautionary act. Once he did that he was "all good-I'm out. At first he did not think it was a big deal but later reversed his opinion when he viewed the video and got complaints from parents and coaches. He watched the video with Williams and told the latter he was concerned about the length(described as seven minutes) of the argument over the ejection He gets concerned about any coach ejection because parents pay a lot of money for the chance to participate and an ejection diminishes the value of the experience. He also gave an opinion that it is rare for a ten year old to be able to control a ball to the point that he can pitch effectively inside.
On cross Williams' attorney pointed out that Ripken makes a lot of money from the 2,500 teams that play at the stadium and that bad publicity can devalue the tournament; that Brett Curll is his employee, and that Bill Ripken is employed by MLB Network. The suggestion is that he would have a bias or interest in the outcome of the case.
The testimony today was limited by legal arguments over the charge to the jury and other legal matters. Closing statements will occur Monday at about 11:30.
Curll cautioned Williams early in the game because the latter was yelling to his batters what pitch the opposing pitcher was about to throw as the pitcher was winding up to throw. Curll explained that was poor sportsmanship because it disturbed the pitcher and that Ripken baseball seeks good sportsmanship. During the game, he was told by the Titans coach that Williams had called the Titans pitcher a "pussy", but Curll could not verify it with either umpire and Williams denied it. He said the game was intense because fans were yelling across the field at each other. Curll left for a few minutes but when he returned the Titan coach was furious that his pitcher had been hit by a pitched ball. Curll testified that Titan coaches said they heard Williams order the catcher to tell his pitcher to deliberately hit the batter. Curll asked both umpires but they didn't feel it was an intentional hit by pitch. The game became unruly after that incident. Curll did testify that he heard Williams curse during the tournament when the two were talking in the dugout. Williams said "Why the fuck would I call a kid a pussy?". Curll cautioned Williams that a kid might walk up to them and hear the cursing. He also asked Williams whether he said during warm up words to the effect of "why would a fucking ten year old be throwing a curve ball?" Williams admitted he said it, but only under his breath and not loud enough for anyone else to hear. On cross examination, Curll admitted that the ejecting umpire also cursed with children nearby. Curll testified that the umpire accused him of taking Williams' side and "that was fucking bullshit". He also said that the umpire was suspended for his remark about challenging Williams to a fight. He did not hear Williams use the word asshole or bastards towards the umpires, but he recalls Williams asking, "Why the fuck are they throwing me out when the umpire threatened to beat me up." The legal team for Williams pointed out that umpire Addis didn't tell him about Williams cursing nor did he put that in his incident report.
Then Bill Ripken testified for the defense. he is co-owner of and founder of The Ripken Foundation. He is the brother of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken(co-owner). He said the foundation was created to give those millions of young children the chance to play on a field that is much like a major league baseball field. He described The Ripken Way as creating an atmosphere where baseball is taught in a fun way, simply, and to celebrate each individual's capacities. He is in his ninth year as an analyst for the MLB network. He began the same day as Williams-January 2009. Ripken was emailed after the Saturday game by one of his Ripken officials and Ripken forwarded it to Lorraine Fisher of MLB Network as a precautionary act. Once he did that he was "all good-I'm out. At first he did not think it was a big deal but later reversed his opinion when he viewed the video and got complaints from parents and coaches. He watched the video with Williams and told the latter he was concerned about the length(described as seven minutes) of the argument over the ejection He gets concerned about any coach ejection because parents pay a lot of money for the chance to participate and an ejection diminishes the value of the experience. He also gave an opinion that it is rare for a ten year old to be able to control a ball to the point that he can pitch effectively inside.
On cross Williams' attorney pointed out that Ripken makes a lot of money from the 2,500 teams that play at the stadium and that bad publicity can devalue the tournament; that Brett Curll is his employee, and that Bill Ripken is employed by MLB Network. The suggestion is that he would have a bias or interest in the outcome of the case.
The testimony today was limited by legal arguments over the charge to the jury and other legal matters. Closing statements will occur Monday at about 11:30.
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