Pa. beaning coach jailed for another 3-6 months

UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A former western Pennsylvania T-ball coach will spend three to six months in jail for violating a protection-from-abuse order while on parole for offering a player $25 to bean a 9-year-old autistic teammate.

Fayette County Judge Ralph Warman on Wednesday sentenced 33-year-old Mark Downs Jr., of Dunbar, after finding him guilty of violating the PFA by refusing to leave his estranged wife’s home and threatening to kill her April 2.

Downs had been released from prison five months ago after serving the minimum of a one- to six-year sentence for the beaning incident before a June 2005 playoff game. His sentencing was delayed by appeals.

Downs offered an 8-year-old player money to hit a mildly autistic teammate with a ball during warmups because Downs wanted the disabled boy to be too hurt to play in the game.