In July, a Silver Spring, Maryland fire house captain became so annoyed by home runs landing in the department’s parking lot from a nearby baseball field that he used a hose from a fire truck to flood the field. There is no question about what he did: a video recorded the deluge over the outfield fence that lasted three minutes.
This government employee tantrum, according to Montgomery County court records, caused at least $1,000 in damage and left the baseball field in such bad shape that two home games had to be canceled. Police have filed criminal charges against the captain and a fellow firefighter accused of backing up the truck to assist with the flooding scheme. Christopher J. Reilly, the captain, and Alan K. Barnes, a master firefighter, have each been charged with three misdemeanor counts: disorderly conduct, malicious destruction of property valued at more than $1,000 and conspiring with each other to commit malicious destruction of property.
The Washington Post’s story about the incident goes to great lengths to let apologists for the juvenile fireman have their say. Even if the firemen were to plead guilty, one defense lawyer told the Post, their motives could might be seen by a jury understandable. After all, the Montgomery County fire department explained that baseballs have damaged both the fire station just behind the ball field’s left field fence and vehicles parked in its lot. “I would argue that they thought a little water would be a harmless way to teach them a lesson,” the lawyer said.
Oh. Well, as long as they thought flooding the field was harmless, it was harmless, right? The firemen should both be fired and convicted, but I’ll bet that they get the lightest slap on the wrists at most. They are heroes, after all, and Rationalization # 11, the Kings Pass will protect them if Rationalization #2 or #33 don’t.
Ethics Alarms 
There’s zero chance he’s mad “because home runs landed in the parking lot”.
Was damage done to fire fighting equipment and property? Had he brought up these concerns? Had they gone unaddressed?
His temper tantrum isn’t justifiable. But it might be very understandable.
Now, if the home runs were doing absolutely *nothing* but being baseballs in a parking lot then no doubt the chief is unhinged.
But I find that hard to believe.
I am inclined a tiny bit of grace ,*if* the fire department repeatedly asked for a net to reprevent expensive or disruptive damage, and were denied. Spraying the field was probably not intended to damage the feild, just make play uncomfortable, but the high pressure hoses probably wreaked havock.
However, the captain would have to accept full responsibility for his prank gone wrong, and pay for the repairs out of pocket. A short suspension for misuse of equipment would be in order as well. He should apologize to the public, the baseball teams, and the subordinate he dragged down with him. (The subbornate was put in a shit situation, criminal lly charging him seems excessive).
The article talks about wooden bats, which implies this is a professional baseball team. One would have to assume that the team is liable for damage caused by batted balls that land outside the stadium — the lawyers here can chime in if that’s wrong.
The story mentioned balls landing on cars in the firefighter’s parking lot (anyone care to guess if the chief’s car was one of them?). So one can assume that the team’s insurance would cover that sort of property damage. Could the insurance company have required a higher fence and the team didn’t comply?
If I was at work and my car bot blasted by a baseball, I would be aggravated. Don’t think I’d shoot up the baseball field, though.
I’m guessing (I might be way off, don’t actually know the prices for such things) that $1000 would have covered one of those nets to catch balls they have on driving ranges, solving the problem in a completely win-win way.
I also wonder what “lesson” these idiots hoped to impart (apart from the sorry evidence of how people who know better — public servants!! — are more motivated by spite and meanness than kindness and have zero capacity to seek creative solutions) — don’t hit any more home runs? Don’t play baseball?
I would classify this behavior in the same category as road rage, which has injured and killed people based on often imaginary “provocations” such as driving the speed limit or failing to yield to those annoying people who rush ahead of a politely zippering line and then want to butt in at the very last minute…
From the article about the incident:
A game had been set for that evening between the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts and the Metro SoCo Braves, two teams in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, a Washington-area summer league that requires the use of wood bats — not metal ones — and comprises college players who aspire to become professional baseball players. The teams were practicing before the game when at least one batted ball apparently flew above the outfield wall, above a higher protective netting, and into fire station parking lot.
A few observations:
I suspect the chief was simply attempting to “rain out” the practice. I don’t understand how three minutes of that spray could damage some turf, other than having to stay off it until the water soaked in/evaporated.
This is a professional or semi-professional summer league (i.e., for profit) that must have ownership and liability insurance.
It sounds as if there was some netting, but it wasn’t high enough or extensive enough.
The chief misbehaved and should be suspended or otherwise penalized to an appropriate extent by his department. He should also have to pay for the (to me at least) mysterious or phantom damage to the outfield or the expense of rescheduling the two games. Criminal prosecution? I bet that will be pled down to misdemeanors and fines and community service.
Finally, fire houses can be squirrelly places that sort of turn into fraternity houses on steroids. The firemen spend long periods of time together tending to their equipment and fighting boredom when they’re not out on calls dutifully risking their lives and their long-term health prospects.