PITTSBURGH - Mark R. Downs, Jr., a Fayette County T-ball coach, sentenced this month to prison for ordering a little league pitcher to throw at one of his players who is autistic, was freed pending appeals of his conviction and sentence. But that's not the only good news Downs received today. During a press conference at the Fayette County Jail, Pirates manager Jim Tracy announced that Downs will be the Bucs' pitching coach in 2007, assuming Downs is not serving time in prison.
Tracy read from a prepared statement: "Mark Downs has exhibited the unique ability to motivate his personnel to follow his instructions to the letter, even if those instructions violate universally accepted standards of decency and morality. That's exactly the kind of coach the Pittsburgh Pirates need."
Downs said he will work in the off-season to teach Zach Duke and Ian Snell to throw at opposing batters' groins.
