Coach Beaned Player With Baseballs, Convicted Of Assault

WAXAHACHIE (CBS 11 NEWS) - An Ellis County coach has been convicted of criminal charges for hitting one of his young players repeatedly with baseballs.

Prosecutors say Ron Santos, 26, threw as many as 15 pitches at the teenager ranging in speed from 60-80 miles per hour.  The hits left the 15-year-old covered in bruises.  Santos called it “training” to teach the players how to take a pitch.

However, a jury convicted Santos of a Class A misdemeanor, Assault with Bodily Injury and sentenced him to 15 days of jail, a $ 500 fine and 18 months of community supervision.

Injuries suffered as a result of Ron Santos intentionally beaning a player with pitches. (credit: Ellis County Prosecutor’s Office)

Baseball academy coach David Lovell says hitting a player with a ball should never cross the plate of abuse.

“And that’s the thing, are you going to take the passion of the game, or fun of baseball out of this player that you’ve done this to?” Lovell asks. “It hurts everyone in baseball to see this happen.”

Youth baseball coach Ron Santos, convicted of Assault Bodily Injury, after throwing baseballs at a player. (credit: Ellis County)

Nan Udell prosecuted Santos and says the case is not about whether he is a good coach, but about what he did that night.

“It would be like teaching kids to step into the street to get hit by a car.  Just stand there and say ‘I’m gonna hit you with a car, turn the right way, because if you got hit by a really fast car, it could kill you.’”

Santos would not comment on the case.  He still serves as a coach for Waxahachie’s “Gear Up Baseball Academy,” with parent and player support.  He is not allowed to pitch to any players for a year and must produce a video on the dangers of being hit by a pitch.

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Latest News:

Top Trending: