Mitch Williams takes leave of absence from MLB Network

Mitch Williams was ejected from a youth baseball game this past week for cursing at and arguing with the umpire. Serving as a head coach at the Ripken Baseball event, Williams reportedly acted like a jerk throughout the tournament as he argued with the umpire and eventually called for a beanball on an opposing hitter. The original report, including eyewitness accounts, came from Deadspin.

Williams, of course, is a regular on the desk as an analyst for MLB Network. If this outburst in front of 10-year-old players wasn’t enough to get him temporarily removed from that gig, who knows what it would take? Thankfully the news was handed down Sunday morning that Williams is taking a ‘leave of absence’ from MLB Network.

According to the New York Daily News:

"The MLB Network told the Daily News Saturday afternoon that Williams is taking a leave of absence from the network.‘Mitch Williams has decided to take a leave of absence from his role at MLB Network at this time,’ an MLB Network spokesperson said in an email to the Daily News. ‘We are continuing to look into the matter.’"

What’s even more distressing is the fact that Williams ordered the beanball the day after he was ejected for cursing at and threatening to fight an umpire on the field. Having offered only a half-baked apology for the whole affair, Williams has likely earned himself an extended break from coaching and from appearing on TV as an analyst.