72-Year-Old Baseball Umpire Suffers Broken Jaw After Being Punched By Coach Dad, League Says

umpire punched at youth baseball game
The umpire was punched in the face by a dad coach, according to a youth baseball league.Getty Stock

The 72-year-old baseball coach was punched in the face by a coach dad, who broke the man's jaw, according to an amateur league.

A 72-year-old umpire suffered a broken jaw after a dad coach punched him during a U.S. Amateur Baseball League game, officials said.

The umpire's jaw is wired shut and he underwent surgery following Saturday's game in New Jersey, the league said.

The coach, who also has a child on the team, began arguing with the umpire and was ejected from the game, the league said. The parent coach of the Staten Island-based New York Prospects then punched the older man in the face before fleeing, authorities said.

Frank Cambria, head of the New York Prospects, says the team is praying for the umpire and that the coach was removed immediately.

"He said 'I truly apologize. It never happened to me before.' I don't know what created that, but there is no room for violence in youth sports," Cambria told WCBS-TV.

New Jersey Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn said she is introducing legislation to increase penalties for people who attack umpires and coaches.

"There's going to be mandatory minimums and fines associated with that as well, as well as anger management," she said.

Local police are investigating the incident. Neither the coach nor the umpire was identified by the league.

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