LAPD Officer Banned as Manager After Melee at Little League Game

A Los Angeles Police Department narcotics detective was cited for misdemeanor assault and battery Thursday night after he allegedly knocked over an umpire at a Little League baseball game in Buena Park and a melee erupted, authorities said Friday.

National Little League officials said that Brian Edward Murphy did not strike the umpire and that no one was seriously injured. But league officials said Murphy violated a “cardinal rule”--umpires are never to be touched by coaches, managers or players.

As a result, Murphy, manager of the Downey Braves and a 23-year veteran police officer, was banned permanently from league participation, league officials said Friday.

Murphy’s son, Roger Brian Murphy, 18, a player on the team, also was issued a citation for the same charges, Buena Park Police Lt. Gary Rooney said.

There were no arrests, but the Murphys must appear in court on the citations.

Brian Murphy, Roger Murphy and Ted Cunningham, a first base umpire who ejected the manager, could not be reached for comment Friday.

The Braves were playing the Downey Pirates, two teams of 16- to 18-year-olds, the league’s oldest age bracket.

Murphy, 44, of Los Angeles, was on the five-member team of narcotics officers who conducted surveillances and then arrested 10 South Americans April 4 in the biggest cocaine bust in California history. Police seized 1,784 pounds of cocaine and $750,000 in cash at five Orange County locations that night. Charges were dropped against three of the suspects, and seven face trials in September.

Joe Pyle, president of the Buena Park division of the National Little League, said, “I’ve known the manager (Murphy) and his son for 4 1/2 to five years, and this was completely out of character for both of them. It was an unfortunate reaction to the emotion of the moment.”

The fracas erupted about 9:20 p.m. at Bellis Park, where the division championship game was under way, Pyle said.

Pyle and other officials who attended the game said Roger Murphy was thrown out of the game by the home plate umpire for “unsportsmanlike conduct” after he disputed a strike call, stepped back from the plate and dropped his bat.

As he searched for a replacement player, Brian Murphy called a timeout, reportedly complained “loudly” about his son’s ejection and threw a bat in the dugout. Cunningham, the umpire at first base, ejected him, Pyle said.

A pushing match between Cunningham and the manager ensued, and the umpire fell to the ground twice, said Pyle and Dennis Murphy, commissioner of Quality Officials, which employs Cunningham. Dennis Murphy is not related to Brian or Roger Murphy.

The manager claimed that he was being pushed by the umpire and shoved him only in defense, police said.

Roger Murphy charged onto the field because he thought the umpire was approaching his father and grasped Cunningham in a “bear hug” before both men toppled over, Pyle said. Several other players from both teams got involved, but, police said, no punches were thrown.

“It turned into a real donnybrook at that point,” Rooney said.

Umpire commissioner Dennis Murphy said the manager was ejected from the game for throwing the equipment, and Cunningham ruled that the Downey Braves had to forfeit the game when the manager knocked him down.

A Buena Park police officer on routine patrol at the park radioed for a backup unit, and officers broke up the confrontation. Brian Murphy was escorted from the playing field, witnesses said.

“The league president has suspended that manager from Little League baseball,” Dennis Murphy said. “He will never be affiliated with Little League baseball again. You’ve got to set a precedent because you can’t have umpires touched. Just like the Major Leagues.”

Pyle said Thursday that it can sometimes be a “delicate balance between order and mayhem” at Little League games because of the age, peer pressure and “ macho “ posturing of young players.

“Some definite mistakes were made last night, but they were unusual. This isn’t normal . . . ,” Pyle said. “And some guys wear a mantle of orneriness on and even off the field, but these two gentlemen (Murphy and his son) are not those types at all.”