Coach fractures 72-year-old umpire’s jaw during youth baseball game, NJ cops say
A youth baseball coach is accused of fracturing a 72-year-old umpire’s jaw with a punch that also bloodied him during a game in New Jersey, police said.
The punch was thrown after the umpire ejected the coach for “using foul language” while children ages 13 and younger played against each other, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office said in a June 21 news release.
Jerry Otero, 40, of Staten Island, New York, was charged with assault after witnesses said he struck the umpire in the face on June 4 in Branchburg Township, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The umpire was bleeding from his mouth and also suffered a concussion, police said.
His jaw had to be wired shut as a result of the incident, the president of the U.S. Amateur Baseball League, Brian Schifilliti, told McClatchy News in a statement.
Otero coached for the NY Prospects baseball team as they played in a tournament for league,Schifilliti said. He is the parent of a child on the team, and it is unknown whether “he was a paid coach or just volunteering for the organization.”
Schifilliti added that some witnesses reported Otero was seen drinking alcohol at the game.
Otero is accused of fleeing the baseball field before authorities arrived on the scene, according to the release.
He turned himself in on June 21, Somerset County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said in the release.
“Our message to the entire baseball world remains unchanged, this needs to stop. Parents and coaches arguing with umpires at youth baseball games is unacceptable,” Schifilliti said.
“Too many people out there have forgotten how to lose a game with grace and instead look to blame somebody else like the umpire for missing a call or having too tight of a strike zone. While we are happy to see justice was served in this one instance, it is a nationwide problem and one that should have never happened from the start.”
Schifilliti added that “Otero is permanently banned from all USABL league and tournament play,” and that the owner of the NY Prospects reported he was “’removed from the organization’ immediately.”
As for the umpire, Schifilliti said he “is in good spirits and has been receiving an abundance of support from the baseball community.”
The travel league, which involves roughly 2,500 teams, was created in 1985.
Branchburg is roughly 45 miles west of New York City.
This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Coach fractures 72-year-old umpire’s jaw during youth baseball game, NJ cops say."
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