Middlesex County Baseball Umpire Suing Coach Who Broke His Jaw
James Neely, the 72-year-old umpire who was punched at a youth baseball game last month, is suing the coach who hit him.
According to Yahoo! News, on June 4, 2022, at a youth baseball game at White Oak Park in Branchburg, Neely ejected New York Prospects coach Jerry Otero for verbal harassment and profanity during the game.
Otero struck Neely in the face, breaking his jaw and causing a concussion. Neely is also suing the New York Prospects, its president Frank Cambria, the United States Amateur Baseball League, and other unknown people who encouraged the coach’s bad behavior during the game.
Incidents of these types have increased in recent years nationwide. Some agree that parents and coaches at youth sports events are getting out of hand.
Just chatted with a high school referee before covering Granger-Davis game at UVU. Listened to a great program on KSL about parents yelling at referees and incidents at youth sports. I was at a game yesterday where the fans were absolutely brutal. I'm no angel. But this is sad.
— Tom Wharton (@TribTomWharton) February 27, 2018
