WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A travel baseball showcase descended into violence Saturday evening, leaving a 21-year-old umpire hospitalized and three men, including a coach and a player, behind bars.
Winter Haven Police responded to the Chain of Lakes Complex Baseball Fields on Cypress Gardens Boulevard around 6:20 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2026, following reports of a large-scale fight. When officers arrived, they found two injured men: an umpire fully dressed in officiating gear and his father, who had been watching from the stands.
According to investigators, the brawl began after the umpire issued a verbal warning to Marcos Antonio Aballi, 25, a coach for one of the visiting teams from Kissimmee.
Immediately following the warning, 38-year-old Yosmany Guzman Fernandez—the father of a player on Aballi’s team—confronted the umpire’s father in the stands. Police noted that Guzman and the victims had a history of negative interactions prior to this tournament. The confrontation escalated quickly, with Guzman allegedly pushing the older man and punching him in the face.
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Seeing his father under attack, the umpire left the field to intervene. Investigators say that as the umpire approached the stands, Coach Aballi struck him from behind, knocking him to the ground.
The situation deteriorated further as the team’s dugout emptied. Players rushed the field, joining the fray.
Amid the chaos, a witness attempted to shield the downed umpire with their own body but was struck in the process. While the umpire lay on the ground, Guzman’s son, 17-year-old Yosmany Alejandro Fernandez, allegedly began kicking the official. Witnesses pulled the teenager away, but police report he immediately re-engaged in the fight.
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“There is absolutely no room for parents to ruin what should be a great showcase of sports talent during these tournaments,” Winter Haven Police Chief Vance Monroe said in a statement. “The talent of players should be in the spotlight – not the actions of these instigators.”
While the umpire’s father did not require hospitalization, the umpire was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Police arrested three individuals involved in the attack. All three are U.S. citizens and face felony charges:
- Marcos Antonio Aballi, 25: Charged with Battery on a Sports Official During an Event. He was booked into the Polk County Jail.
- Yosmany Guzman Fernandez, 38: Charged with Battery on a Sports Official During an Event and misdemeanor Simple Battery. He was booked into the Polk County Jail.
- Yosmany Alejandro Fernandez, 17: Charged with Battery on a Sports Official During an Event. He was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
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