Softball coach assaults female umpire

An assault charge during a local youth softball game?

Yep. Only this time, it wasn’t one of the players assaulting another. Rather, it was one of the coaches, big bruiser of a guy, assaulting a female ump maybe half his size, while she had her back turned to him, no less, after he came charging at her like a bull in a China shop. All captured on video for the world to see.

All the while, the female players (high school age?) were watching, part of the Protect Our Nation’s Youth (PONY) International Softball League in McAllen. By the sounds of their voices, they sounded traumatized by what they were witnessing: “You don’t do that,” several of them screamed as the umpire was knocked to the ground.

Of course, on social media, once the video was uploaded, the usual morons showed up, trying to blame the victim.

This from a guy with the handle “Ed Rei”:

“This was totally avoidable. VERY poor game management. Once you eject, you walk away! You NEVER EVER EVER follow the coach or say another word to them after the ejection. Let your partner handle it if coach comes for more.”

More of, let’s blame the victim mentality. Ed apparently resides in the Neanderthal Age. Media outlets don’t even have to use the word “alleged” when writing about the arrest of softball coach Joel Gonzalez during the July 19th game, later charged with assault/bodily harm after the softball game was canceled.

His bond was set at $5,000.

Gonzalez not only knocked the female ump to the ground but attacked her from behind while she was walking off the field.

What a guy. What a role model.

By the way, is anyone vetting these coaches? Or was this Gonzalez’s first rodeo with regard to assaulting an ump, a referee?

On one media outlet (the story has gone national), someone from the PONY association said Gonzalez will never coach again in the league. That’s reassuring. Let’s hope he doesn’t move over to peewee football, or soccer.

With the prevalence these days of smart phones with cameras and digital video capabilities, many crimes committed in public are captured live. Such was the case with the softball assault, something that will probably forever remain online for anyone who Googles “Joel Gonzalez McAllen.”

The Smackdown

If you do an online search for the umpire body slam in McAllen July 19, the first news link that pops up on Google’s page isn’t pretty: “Texas coach arrested after assault during youth softball game.” (The Hill.)

On YouTube, the video is uploaded by a channel with no known local connection and doesn’t source the video.

It’s also been uploaded to Facebook from another angle.

Gonzalez has to feel embarrassed if he watches his actions that game. Or, maybe not.

Wait a minute. Another one of the coach’s supporters wants to weigh in: “No, it was clearly the ump’s fault.”

Okay, thanks.

Strange Days indeed.