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A Peachtree City youth baseball coach has been charged with disorderly

conduct after he intentionally tripped a player from the opposing team

during a hotly contested game Tuesday night, police said.

Fred Murphy, 56, of 204 Crown Point, was issued the citation after several

witnesses said he tripped player Andrew Cyrus, 18, as the Lugnuts and

Aeros switched sides at the end of an inning, said Police Chief James

Murray.

Murphy, who coached for the Lugnuts, has also been suspended from the

Peachtree City Big League for the rest of the season, said Linda North,

the district administrator for Little League in the south metro Atlanta

area. The Big League, which is for youths ages 16-18, is supervised by

North.

Officers were summoned to the South Highway 74 baseball and soccer complex

at 9:20 p.m. after one witness became worried about the rising tension

between the two teams, particularly after the tripping incident, Murray

said.

The game was a Big League matchup featuring players between 16 and 18

years old, officials said.

Several witnesses told police

that Murphy took several steps before sticking out his foot as Cyrus

went back to his team's dugout along

the third base line, Murray said.

Murphy denied tripping the player, saying they collided accidentally

and Cyrus spilled to the ground because Murphy was physically bigger

than Cyrus was, according to his police statement.

Cyrus told police he fell

to the ground face-first and when he rolled over to look at Murphy,

the coach glared at Cyrus to "intimidate

him," Murray said.

Witnesses told police that

tension between the teams had risen during several points in the game.

Moments before the altercation between Murphy

and Cyrus, the inning had ended with a play at home plate, ending a rally

North said she investigated the matter further Wednesday before deciding

to suspend Murphy for the rest of the season. She got statements from

parents and several coaches from teams not involved in the contest who

watched the game and saw the incident occur; all four persons said the

act was intentional, North said.

Murphy has the right to appeal the suspension, North said. He has been

notified of the decision by e-mail and the manager of the team has also

been notified, North added Thursday afternoon. Murphy will also receive

an official letter in the mail, she said.

All volunteer coaches and managers in the league are subject to background

checks, North said.

"There was no reason for me to believe or think that I would have

had a problem," she added.

Such conduct has no place in the local five-team league, which is governed

said.

"This is nothing that our program condones," North said. "...

It is just not conducive to a good program."