Umpire altercation prompts officiating group to stop scheduling with organization

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

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The organization responsible for scheduling will no longer provide umpires to the Possum Recreation Program after an umpire was allegedly shoved to the ground by an adult youth baseball official.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Sheriff’s office investigating reported altercation involving umpire, baseball official

In an email addressed to the Possum Recreation Program, the West Central Ohio Umpire Assignors said they will no longer provide umpires, effective Tuesday, following the incident involving a 17-year-old umpire and an adult league official.

“(The adult baseball official’s) decision to approach the umpire about a non-umpire related issue that ended in assaulting / pushing the umpire to the ground has left us no option but to discontinue services to the Possum Recreation Program,” Jim Heatherly, Baseball and Softball Assignor for the WCOUA said in the email.

“I cannot ask an umpire to put himself/herself in harms way with the administration or fans of your program.” “West Central Ohio Assignors has the expectation that our umpires will be protected from fans and supported by program administration.”

Deputies were dispatched to the baseball field at Possum Elementary School, on West Possum Road, just before 9 p.m. Monday on reports an umpire was assaulted by an adult. The umpire reportedly hit his head in the fall, according to the dispatch from the sheriff's office.

The umpire told investigators he was ok and did not require medical attention at an area hospital.

The adult youth baseball official declined to comment on the incident Monday night. This news outlet is working to obtain comments and reaction from the Possum Recreation Program about the incident.

It was not known if any charges have been filed yet.

We’ll continue to update this story as new details become available.

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