Gunshots Cancel Memorial Home Baseball Games

[KFDM COOP]

Gunshots cancel Titans' home games

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By Dave Rogers Posted: 04/01/06 - 12:49:55 am CST

Port Arthur Memorial will not play any more home baseball games this season as a result of a parking lot shooting incident at Thursday night's game, athletic director Ronnie Thompson said.

“We will have no more home games here this year - none,†he said Friday.

The Titans, winless in District 22-5A baseball this season, were scheduled to play five more home games this season.

Thompson made his announcement at mid-day Friday. As of late Friday afternoon, no concrete plans had been made to reschedule the games, but the games would have to be played at a neutral site, at the opponents' home fields, or forfeited.

“The scheduling is up to the coaches,†Thompson said, “but if it keeps Houston teams from coming down here, they're not going to be upset by that.â€

Thursday night's game at the district's auxiliary athletic complex on 25th Street was against Spring High, a makeup game for one postponed from Tuesday by rain.

Spring led 11-0 in the top of the third inning at approximately 7:30 p.m. when the 50 or so fans in the bleachers and the players, coaches and umpires on the field heard gunfire break out in the parking lot.

Then the threat hit home.

“I've never been in a place where I heard guns go off, to be honest. I thought they were firecrackers, pop, pop, pop,†said Deborah Freeman, mother of Memorial player Marcus Freeman.

“Then they started hitting the top of the bleachers and the dugout, ding, ding, ding. My oldest boy (Derrick) was saying, ‘Momma, get down.'

“My son took me and Marcus' girlfriend down to the bottom of the bleachers and I covered her and he covered me.

“It was just stray bullets. I don't think they were shooting at anybody on the field, but Marcus told me one hit the dugout. We were OK, but it was kind of a frightening experience.â€

Port Arthur police say members of rival gangs fired about 15 shots at one another, apparently injuring no one, before leaving the park.

Witnesses say the shots were fired from moving cars.

Game officials stopped the game at that point. Spring athletic director Doug McCutchen said Friday school officials have decided that the game would be considered complete, although not enough innings had been played to make it ‘an official contest' under UIL rules.

There were no police officers assigned to work security for the game, Thompson said.

District spokesperson Jessie Haynes explained Friday afternoon the scheduling error happened because coaches decided not to reschedule a junior varsity game that was on Tuesday's original schedule ahead of the varsity game. The mistake came in communicating that cancellation to game workers, she said.

“This was a rescheduled game, due to rain, and not a posted thing,†Thompson said. “I'm sure there would have been (security if not for the late notice). Every one I've been to, there have been three cops down there.

“We've had games before over there without security, but they've gone real well.â€

Freeman took exception to Thompson's statements about police presence. She says she's attended nearly every Memorial home baseball game for four years and this was the first game she can recall where no policeman was present. Also, she said she couldn't recall ever seeing more than one at a baseball game.

George Coit, secretary of the local high school umpire chapter, said it is not a UIL requirement that schools provide armed security for games.

“The UIL doesn't say you have to have a cop there, all it says is you have to have a school administrator there. The school administrator is considered to be the security,†Coit said.

“I don't know that can be considered security, but that's what it says in the handbook.â€

The UIL requires a ‘game administrator' on the premises for each game, from 30 minutes before the game until the teams and officials have left for home. At most schools, assistant principals or other high-ranking school administrators fill the posts.â€

Thompson was at the game, he said, but departed just ahead of the disturbance. He said when he arrived home, he was greeted by a phone call from Titan baseball coach Wayne McKeller telling him what happened. After that, the AD said he spent the night on the phone with school and police officials.

Asked if a game administrator had been assigned for Thursday's game, Thompson wasn't sure.

“I can't tell you now,†he said. “With a rescheduled game, it's hard to communicate.â€

Freeman was upset when told Thompson had moved the remaining games away from Port Arthur and she called the AD, who was just hired in February.

“He told me the umpire association said it wouldn't come back to Port Arthur because the ball was dropped and there was no security,†Freeman said. “He (Thompson) said it was between him, coach McKeller and Lauri Hampshire (district athletic coordinator) to schedule security.

“All I know, is once again our kids are getting kicked in the teeth. This isn't fair to the boys.â€

McKeller did not return a phone call from The News Friday. Hampshire has not returned a phone call from The News in months.

Although the gunfire took place on athletic department grounds, Thompson said the incident was not otherwise related to athletics.

“It wasn't related to baseball or athletics,†he said. “It was just a turf deal. I don't know how gangs think and why they decided to come over to the baseball park.

“What I understand is this thing should have taken place at the auditorium, but that thing was canceled.â€

Thompson said he was referring to a school talent show scheduled for the school auditorium Thursday night.

“I heard the same thing was supposed to happen over there,†he said.

Haynes confirmed that the talent show was canceled Thursday because of rumors of gang activity planned there.

At Spring, athletic director McCutchen was grateful things weren't worse.

“Everyone got home safely,†he said. “We're just thankful nobody was injured. Safety comes first for the kids.

“As for our other game, (Spring) Westfield is scheduled to come to Port Arthur April 13. We're waiting to see what Port Arthur does. If they elect to play elsewhere, we'll consider it.â€

This is the latest in a series of incidents throughout the whole school year that prevented Memorial teams from playing games on campus.

Football and volleyball lost most of their scheduled home games and matches because of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The soccer and softball teams have been forced to play all their home games in Beaumont, because of hurricane damage to their facilities.

Basketball games had to be moved to James Gamble Gym at the ninth grade campus.

[Wes57]

I hate to see these games moved because of these thugs. I wonder if it sends the wrong message. I believe some security would take care of the problem.

[KFDM COOP]

I agree 100%!

[bigred75]

I am in agreement as well, a police presence of a couple of cops would help remedy this situation. The only thing is that the shooting has happened and now who really WANTS to play there. I know if my kids had a game scheduled there that would definitly be on my mind, as sad as that sounds. Tough break for the Titans. That ISD always seems to be in the news in a negative light.

[ESPN]

PTA is just a mess in my Opinion.

[MIF04]

Word is that Tuesday's West Brook vs. Memorial game has been moved to West Brook, with West Brook being the visitor.

[KFDM COOP]

That's correct.

[blt22]

It's a shame the world is coming to this :cry:

[Guest BobcatBeliever]

Administrators, police or anyone else in position of authority do not intimidate these types of kids.....If those gang type kids want to pose a drive by, they don't care who's on site. Trust me, I teach those kind of kids...they have no fear and no respect for any type of authority......Sad to say, but true.

[rhino1877]

It is sad not only for the ISD but the kids that play! Those are some good kids that play baseball and they have some great coaches.........