Baseball Board Resigns Over Cop Killer Coach

Slain cop's son discovers dad's killer coaching youth baseball

The son of slain Chicago police officer was successful in pressuring board members of a Hegewisch Babe Ruth baseball league to resign after discovering one of the men who killed his father coaching in the league.

All of the members of the board agreed to resign from their positions after a three-hour meeting Wednesday night except for the treasurer, who's only been in the position for a month.

Joey Mathews was 4 years old when his father -- Chicago Police officer John Mathews -- was beaten to death by several men in 1988.

Mathews learned in June that one of those men, Dean Chavez, was coaching in the local Babe Ruth Baseball program.

He says the league tried to brush the matter under the rug when he brought it up and Chavez was forced to resign after Mathews took the matter to the national Babe Ruth officials.

Wednesday's meeting was held at Steve's bar, and Mathews had an impressive show of support when he walked in, with current and retired police officers, family and friends surrounding the building to send a message.

Under the terms of Wednesday's agreement, the board members will still be eligible to coach in the baseball league and there will be more community involvement in who selects board members.

Mathews would also like the local and national Babe Ruth bylaws to be changed so it doesn't happen again.

The bylaws currently only cover rejecting potential coaches convicted of a sexual offense or an offense against a minor, according to Mathews.
 

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