A youth baseball tournament in Florida spiraled into chaos after a disputed call triggered a bench-clearing brawl — and now several adults and a teenager are facing criminal charges.
Police in Winter Haven say the violent scene unfolded during a travel baseball tournament on the evening of Jan. 17, roughly 50 miles southwest of Orlando.
According to investigators, tensions boiled over after an umpire issued a warning to 25-year-old coach Marcos Antonio Aballi. Authorities say the warning enraged Yosmany Guzman Fernandez, the father of one of the players, who allegedly confronted the umpire’s father — a man police say he already had a history of conflict with.
What started as a heated exchange quickly turned physical. Police allege Fernandez shoved and punched the umpire’s father, prompting the umpire to step in and try to break up the fight. That’s when Aballi allegedly struck the umpire from behind in what officers described as a sucker punch.
From there, the situation exploded. Players poured out of the dugout as the fight escalated into a full-scale brawl. One bystander reportedly jumped in to shield the umpire and was struck during the chaos. Authorities also say Fernandez’s 17-year-old son — a player on Aballi’s team — joined the melee and kicked the umpire while he was on the ground.
The teen was eventually pulled away but allegedly rushed back into the fight moments later, according to police.
The umpire was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. His father did not require medical care.
Aballi, Fernandez, and the teenage player were all arrested and charged with battery on a sports official during an athletic event. Fernandez also faces an additional simple battery charge, police said. The two adults were booked into the Polk County Jail, while the teen was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Bartow.
Aballi was released on a $5,000 bond, and Fernandez posted a $6,000 bond. The juvenile’s custody status has not been publicly disclosed. It remains unclear whether any of the defendants have entered pleas or retained attorneys.
Discover more from True News Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Lowlifes like this shouldn’t have kids, how embarrassing. Not to mention your kid won’t be welcome on any team that includes probably college. People don’t have time to deal with people who can’t control themselves, what an awful dad his wife must be so proud.
And they think their kids will make it to the big leagues
It’s a game! These adults are LOSERS.