‘He was special’: Traveling baseball community mourns loss of coach after deadly weekend shooting

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Local traveling baseball teams are mourning the loss of one of their coaches after an argument at a Birmingham barbershop turned deadly Saturday, June 13.

That’s where 34-year-old Jorge Fonseca was with his family at a barbershop in the 200 block of West Valley Avenue. Fonseca and another man got into an altercation. That led the two outside where the suspect pulled out a weapon and shot Fonseca.

Fonseca died at the scene. The suspect was arrested a short time later at a different location.

Tony Whetstone, a friend of Fonseca, said arriving to the scene Saturday after getting the call from Fonseca’s wife was the most difficult situations he’s faced in his life.

“I was with him and his son the night before,” said Whetstone. “His wife, his kids, everybody was right there [at the barbershop].”

Whetstone said Fonseca and his family were set to travel the next day to Panama City, Fla. for a travel baseball world series tournament.

“I know everybody was in high spirits, getting ready to go on vacation and go to the world series in Panama City,” recalled Whetstone. “That’s the hurtful part - knowing that he didn’t get a chance to go this time.”

Whetstone met Fonseca at a Homewood batting cage in 2022 where both men were practicing with their sons as they learned to play baseball.

After hitting it off, Whetstone said Fonseca got involved in coaching travel baseball for some local teams, including Whetstone’s own Wow Factor 205 nonprofit. The two became close friends, traveling and mentoring their own children and others through the game of baseball.

After Fonseca’s death, Whetstone created an album in his phone of picture and videos he had with Fonseca through the years. Looking over the album, Whetstone choked back tears as he recalled the happy memories of his time with Fonseca.

“We had just won a tournament,” he said of one video that showed Whetstone and Fonseca celebrating on a baseball field.

“My wife got this picture, this video of him. And it’s one of my favorites.”

Whetstone remembered Fonseca as a dedicated coach in the travel baseball community, having a big heart and working with kids that others might have written off as less talented on the ball field.

“Coach [Fonseca] was a loving man. And he inspired everybody to be great through love,” said Whetstone.

“A lot of kids took it bad,” said Whetstone of his young players’ reactions when they learned of Fonseca’s death. His players, many between the ages of seven and nine, called Fonseca “Coach George.”

“Especially my son...I’m pretty sure my son looked at Coach George as a second dad,” said Whetstone. “He was special. It was different. To have those types of coaches on your staff, it means the world. Especially to parents.”

Whetstone told WBRC there is an effort to organize an event to honor Fonseca. This story will be updated with those details when they are available.

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