What are the Most Annoying kinds of Spectators

[prumpire]

There are many kinds of fans. There are annoying ones, quiet ones, supportive ones, and rude ones. I once had a game where there was a family who just put their chairs right behind the backstop, they obviously didn't understand the strike zone because whenever the ball was pitched by the shoulders of the batter, the guy would say things like "c'mon ump" or "That was a strike!" So, I remember that the league wants coaches to make sure that all spectators are by the bleachers and not by the dugouts or something. so I go over and tell him that in between innings. He gets all stupid about it, but ends up leaving.

Does anybody have any stories about annoying spectators?

[willv28]

I have a few. Of course there's always the usual "Oh comon, blue!" and things like that. I had a guy yell at the PU complaining at the zone. Then came over to the side where I was U1. Ball is hit, I move over into position. Get a nice big picture on a high throw and could see the feet, ball, everything. Runner just beats the ball, call them safe. "Oh comon blue, you gotta get closer to the bag!" Yeah, I bet he used to umpire LL and get like 3' from the bag on a bang-bang play and listen for the sound of the ball hitting the glove.

Had a lady in a LL minors game call another coach during an incident and started quoting me rules and saying things being said to her. I had her removed. Then the league president was called by someone, probably her and he came down and chewed out both the teams. This was regarding the visiting coach wanting to keep players in the box after being hit and then the home coach going along with it. I put the kibosh on that in a very loud manor.

[BHanlon]

Does anybody have any stories about annoying spectators?

It's hard not to get rattled by a loud mouth know-it-all, but it gets a lot easier as you eventually learn that these blow-hards are just making fools of themselves. Enjoy the ride, it is part of the game, give them the rope to hang themselves.

Usually it is someone who has never read the 50 myths of baseball or is absolutely clueless on mechanics. How can you let a fool like that get under your skin? My experience has been that "true baseball people" know enough about the rules that they respect the game.

[moblue]

In the 9 yr. old Cal Ripken Districts, I had a parent get beside themself complaining about my strike zone. The more balls the pitcher threw, the louder this mom got and the more people that joined her. By the time we hit 16 straight balls, the parents were, well, extremely unhappy with me. The coaches weren't saying a word though. The coach went out and switched pitchers and what do you know, we had some strikes again. I actually got confronted after the game (which that team lost 10-0) by the angry mother. What do you bet that was her baby that walked 4 batters on 16 pitches?

[prumpire]

haha!

[BrianC14]

I rarely listen to fans; it helps to be hard of hearing ....

but yesterday there was a classic .... we're working 3-man in a big tourney for 17YO + ... R3, 1 out, fly ball to F9... I move back, and up the line a bit, and get the touch and the tag.

It was close, no doubt, but he didn't leave early.

Defense appeals. "Safe".

And here it comes... it's quiet... and then, Mr. Loudmouth.... all by himself...

"There's no WAY you saw that - you were picking up the bat!"

In essence, that was all the validation I needed... I never went near the bat.

[bassfam11]

"There's no WAY you saw that - you were picking up the bat!"

In essence, that was all the validation I needed... I never went near the bat.

I was taught that IF you must move a bat, keep your head up and eyes on the ball and runner. Squat over the bat like a center in football and "hike" it between your legs towards the backstop.

[Don]

There are many kinds of fans. There are annoying ones, quiet ones, supportive ones, and rude ones. I once had a game where there was a family who just put their chairs right behind the backstop, they obviously didn't understand the strike zone because whenever the ball was pitched by the shoulders of the batter, the guy would say things like "c'mon ump" or "That was a strike!" So, I remember that the league wants coaches to make sure that all spectators are by the bleachers and not by the dugouts or something. so I go over and tell him that in between innings. He gets all stupid about it, but ends up leaving.

Does anybody have any stories about annoying spectators?

Catcher asked me once, how do you deal with all these fans fusing? I said WHAT FANS?

I ignore fans and assistant coaches. The only recent fan story is about a dad who was cussing loudly about his son getting hit intentionally ( on an 0-2 pitch by the way ). While his son was being attended to I asked the tournament director to get rid of him. I noted that he remained, but he did not say another word so I assume he was talked to.

[IndianaUmp]

Last month in a 13-14 age game, I had a kid hanging over the plate so far that he was blocking my view of the pitch. Sure enough, a pitch comes inside and he turns his shoulder into it. I make him stay, and announce that he has to make an attempt to avoid getting hit. (Turns out he had been hit 12 times in 12 games!) His coach doesn't even question it. But of course some clown in the stands does, and then I have three more HBP later in the game, all of them plunked right in the back while bailing out. Naturally, the clown in the stands says every time, "Hey, blue, he's got to make an attempt to get out of the way!"

[catoblue]

Worst-ever fan for me was back when I was probably 18 years old, working my second or third LL Seniors game. One of the dads didn't like to walk all the way to the bleachers by the field, rather would set up a lawn chair in DBT near the LF foul pole - and would bring a bullhorn with him.

His kid was on the red team, so naturally, on every ball to the blue team and every called strike on a red batter, we all got to hear about it over his bull-horn. To make matters worse, these kids would really "dig-in" when they got in the box, so by the 2nd inning, they were batting from a 3" hole in the ground. To me, knees are knees, and where the knees are, is where the strike zone is. Pitches that would have been low for balls were now strikes. Players and coaches - no problem - daddy bullhorn, however, kept getting worse.

I ignored him for two innings, then finally called time, sent all the players to their bench, and called the managers to the plate. I explained that if Daddy-bullhorn did not leave the premesis, we're done for the day. Low and behold, not only did BOTH managers head out to LF, but there was a parade of parents from both sides that went along to basically chase him off.

The best part was when Daddy-bullhorn's kid came up to me and thanked me because his dad had embarrassed him to the point where he had asked to be benched.

[willv28]

Aren't noisemakers like that not allowed in the first place?

[catoblue]

Aren't noisemakers like that not allowed in the first place?

I don't know... they shouldn't be. Back over 25 years ago when this happened, I really didn't know:smachhead:

[blue32]

Last Saturday, regional championship game with winner going to Aberdeen, MD for the Cal Ripken 70' World Series. I have the plate. About the third or fourth inning, BR lays one down and heads for first, pitcher picks it up in front of the mound and throws the kid out by a couple of steps, inning over. Backstop is no more than 20 feet from the dirt circle, and bleachers are right there. I have a dad start with blue........blue......hey blue......BLUE! HEY BLUE?! I have a question about that runner! BLUE! BLUE! I knew he wasn't arguing about the call, he just had a rules question is all.

Being so close to the stands, I finally had to put my hand up and tell him, "Not to be rude, but I cannot speak to, or answer any questions from the stands during the game." He chuffed a bit, and a couple of moms said "geez!" I went over to that team's Manager after the next half inning and told him about it, no big deal, I laughed and he laughed about it, then apologized. I don't converse with fans during a game, but there are rare occasions where you have to address someone, either directly, or preferrably, indirectly.

[blindumpire99]

I echo everyone else in that, "What fans? They allow them into the game?" theory (except maybe the MILF section of course ).

My fav "fans" stories are the Momma who yelled and yelled at me:tantrum: after her Little Darling got himself picked off 1st base by diving back in and simply standing up off the base, never even asked for time and got a simple glove laid on his back. Next inning I am in short right between innings and hear someone in the stands scream and gasp like they've been snakebit and then here comes Momma just hauling @$$ around the end of the fence as fast as her short fat legs would waddle her, shaking her video camera at me and screaming, 'I got it on tape! I got it on tape! Right here! Do you wanna see it?" ect ect blah.....I just held up a stop sign and told her to get off the field or I would have her escorted off. She stops and looks back to the stands, apparently for "help" of some sort and her Hubby, stands up and yells in a booming voice, "Doris!!! You get yer stoopid @$$ back here right now! I told you he didn't wanna see it!" after which she stopped and started crying and waddled back to the stands..I took my cap off and while going through the exaggerated motions of adjusting it and recreasing it, buried my face in it and LMAO.....

Another time I was working a preseason game on a windy and COLD February day many years ago when I learned the value of the heather gray Wally World "umpire pants" on the second pitch of the game, as I dropped into my stance, the entire rear end of the pants simply exploded from one end to the other, needless to say to the howling delight of the peanut gallery behind the plate. As I attempt to maneuver somehow, somewhere and motion for another official to get on in the game (preseason scrimmage- multiple officials present) and yet maintain some sort of dignity, I hear some wiseguy yell out, "Hey Blue, cold out there today, ain't it?"...

But, like most probably, I seriously despise the morons who "wrote the rule book", know everything in it forward and backwards and you don't know your @$$ from a hole in the ground, and always instruct you on every play just WTF you should have called or done and correct your deficiencies for you and I don't mean the occasional ones--the every dayum time bunch...

You know the ones---the hands part of the bat, 7 fouls and the batter's out, If the pitcher hits 4 batters in the game he is automatically throwed (sic) out!--crowd....:kissass:

[mstaylor]

I was running security on a wrestling tournament where all fans are kept on the second floor and no cameras or video tape is allowed on the first floor. I had a guy yakking to me that he had video of the ref messing up. I told him they were not going to look at it, we were using Fed rules and they can't view it. He said they could use for training. He was a 30 yr football coach and that was what they did where he was from. I told him I could take it but I was just going to throw it away. If I gave it to the head ref he would do the same.

Later I told the head ref about it and he said that was exectly what he would have done. He also said that he should keep it and wait until he was having a really good day and then watch it so he could get pissed off all over again.

[Dragon29]

. . . blue........blue......hey blue......BLUE! HEY BLUE?! I have a question about that runner! BLUE! BLUE!

Yeah - I've actually heard parents in the stands, after I've ignored their requests for a discussion, sarcastically tell one another, "He's too good to talk to us!"

:kissass:

[mstaylor]

He's not too good to talk to them, he's too smart. Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat yoo with experience.

[blue32]

He's not too good to talk to them, he's too smart. Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat yoo with experience.

Amen, brother!

There's also another saying that goes: "Better to say nothing and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

[kwiggie]

"Better to say nothing and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

I believe that's a Mark Twain quote ... Did he ever ump between book deals?

[mstaylor]

I believe that's a Mark Twain quote ... Did he ever ump between book deals?

The other one I like is something like,"Some people look smartv until they talk." That's not the exact quote but that's the gist.