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Teen ump addresses fistfight at baseball game

Boy thought a warning would help coaches and parents ‘chill’ – it didn’t

LAKEWOOD – A 13-year-old umpire said his warning against both sides for using foul language prompted a fistfight between adults at a youth baseball game in suburban Denver.

Josh Cordova tells KUSA-TV that after the warning, the coaches “were getting into my face,” and the melee started soon after.

Video released by police shows men exchanging punches on the field during Saturday’s game in Lakewood. Six people have been cited so far for disorderly conduct.

Cordova said that “maybe by issuing a warning everyone would just chill, take a step back and realize how stupid they were acting. ... but (I) guess not.”

The Bear Creek Junior Sports Association said Wednesday that it has zero tolerance for such behavior and canceled the remaining games for both teams of 7-year-olds.

Video released by police shows men exchanging punches on the field during Saturday’s game in suburban Denver.

Police spokesman John Romero said the fight broke out because some coaches and parents were angry with the umpire.

Romero said authorities found the sixth suspect with help from people who watched video of the fight shot by spectators.

Several adults were injured, but none required hospital care.