An Oklahoma youth baseball coach who allegedly instructed his 12-year-old son to throw into the opposing dugout has received a lifetime ban from the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), which sanctioned the tournament in which the incident occurred.
Tensions flared between the 11-and-under teams from Oklahoma and Nebraska during a game in Kansas City over Memorial Day weekend.
A video of the shocking incident has since gone viral on social media.
The act immediately infuriated fans and family in attendance, with many calling for the pitcher to be removed from the game.
Michael Ryals, 38, of Welling, Okla., was identified as the coach who allegedly directed his son to throw into the dugout. The pitcher's name has not been published because he is a minor.
In a statement to USA Today, Ryals said the Nebraska players verbally taunted his son before the incident.
"Just kids being ruthless kids," Ryals said. "I don't think any kid should be in trouble for what they said. But he (Ryals's son) reached his breaking point. He told me he was going to throw the ball in between innings and I said, 'There's consequences for it. You should really think that through, but there are consequences for it.'"
According to USA Today, an individual associated with Ryals' team said a player's parent apologized to the Nebraska team's head coach, Brandon Magni, on Facebook.
The outlet reported that the message said, "Our athletes and our parents were 100 percent blindsided when Michael instructed his son to do what he did," and added, "We left the park immediately after the game. We are no longer associated with the coach. And we never will be again."
When asked whose idea it was to launch a pitch into the dugout, Ryals told the outlet, "I'm his dad. I'm a grown man. And I'm not going to answer that question. Because I don't want people thinking he's any worse than he is."
