Mitch Williams takes leave of absence from MLB Network


It was the profanity heard 'round the baseball world: Former MLB reliever and current analyst Mitch Williams reportedly calling a 10-year-old something not suitable for work while coaching his son's youth baseball game. 

The youth coach reportedly called an opposing pitcher an unflattering word before ordering one of his own 10-year-olds to hit him with a beanball. 

And just the day before, Deadspin reported Williams was ejected from his son's baseball game after an alleged profanity-laced tirade in front of the children in which he called an umpire something else not suitable for work. 

Here's video the most recent incident. You can see Williams say something to the catcher, the catcher says something to the pitcher and then the next pitch hits the batter square in the ribs.  (ViaDeadspin)

Now, the New York Daily News reports, the weekend incidents aren't sitting well with MLB Network execs, who told the paper that Mitch will be taking a leave of absence from broadcasting. 

The MLB wrote in an email: "Mitch Williams has decided to take a leave of absence from his role at MLB Network at this time ... We are continuing to look into the matter." (Via New York Daily News)

A Philadelphia Phillies blog, where Williams spent part of his career, calls the former pitcher a "Baseball Terrorist" whose actions bordered on criminal. 

"When you use your role as a coach, especially one who has played at the major league level, to instruct your pitcher to throw at another team's pitcher to win the game, you are stepping squarely into the world of abuse, to say nothing of assault and battery and corrupting a minor."

Following the incident the All Star pitcher tweeted"I regret what happened at [last] weekend's tournament & apologize. I love baseball & coaching." He mentioned in a later tweet that he never cursed at the umpire. 

Williams pitched for six teams during his 11-year professional career. He has yet to release a statement about his leave of absence.