Scrimmage Ejection

[poppyfor3]

This past Saturday, I am in the field office working on the ump schedule for Fall ball for LL. A parent comes up and asks me to ump. Why not?

Very relaxed atmosphere, just a few parents, coaches joking across the field, liberal timeouts for teaching. Sun is out, life is silk smooth. Until---a very good player is out at 2nd on a steal. Slams his helmet into the ground and I eject him.

He leaves immediately and sits with his mom in the stands. Game ends and I am going back to the office. His coach comes to me and thanks me. Another parent stops me and says she is sorry I had to do that, but it was the right thing to do.

First game on Monday night and I'm on the bases. For a free trip to Disney World, guess who the first base coach is. Yep, his dad. Walks directly to me. "Heard you ejected my boy Saturday. About time somebody did!"

This is planet earth, isn't it??:crybaby2:

[MCLEOD36]

I love those father of the year stories, making everyone else HIS BAD GUY.

[Umpire in Chief]

A few years ago I ejected a PONY kid. He was clearly the best player on a pretty good team.

He was just so damn slow in going out to center field. The first time I noticed I just ignored it assuming he couldn't find his glove, had to tie his shoe or whatever.

The next inning again he was last out of the dugout and walked slowly to center field with the coach yelling at him to hustle. He's not even in position after the throw down. So the coach was on him so I figure it wouldn't happen again.

Next inning same story. This time I clap my hands and give some encouraging remarks like. We can get this whole game in if we hustle. Still nothing. And the coach is still on him.

Next inning. Here we go again, but this time I didn't notice because I was getting some new baseballs from the other team. The catcher throws it down I step in behind the catcher and then notice he's not even out of the dugout. I stopped then and told the kid I needed him out there quickly and I wasn't going to hold up the game for him. He'd just crossed the foul line and stopped and stared at me. That didn't last long.

After the game the coach came up to me in the parking lot and I was thinking, 'Oh great here we go.' But he thanked me and he was going to bench him after that half inning, but I beat him to it.

[BrianC14]

I love those father of the year stories, making everyone else HIS BAD GUY.

I'm wondering the same thing.... Dad can't control his Milton Bradley wannabe, so he's glad the umpire is doing his parenting for him?

Like I said, , over?

Edited September 21, 2009 by BrianC14
Better fit under the circumstances

[Aging_Arbiter]

LOL........next time that I have to do your job coach, you're going with him. I wonder how well that would go over..........

[poppyfor3]

Update: This boy is more a Paul O'Neill than a Derek Jeter. Very hard on himself, but otherwise a player who keeps his teammates in the game,encourages from the bench, and always hustles. As he has told me, he would play all winter if he could.

As for his parents--I have no clue. Only child syndrome??

I was at his practice last night when he approached me. He wants to know how to learn to be an umpire. Several of his mates asked about the rule on ejections during a real game. Apparently, no one had ever been ejected in their short lives. Typical small-town Southern living where EVERYONE knows everyone. (Probably since birth or before.) I'm the new "damn Yankee". Very laid back league, respectful, though intense, fans.

Going back to my car after practice, I have several parents ask what I did. All were in agreement and one man looked at me and said," You helped that boy a lot." A "pointless" ejection in a scrimmage game. Go figure.

[BrianC14]

Update: This boy is more a Paul O'Neill than a Derek Jeter. Very hard on himself, but otherwise a player who keeps his teammates in the game,encourages from the bench, and always hustles. As he has told me, he would play all winter if he could.

As for his parents--I have no clue. Only child syndrome??

I was at his practice last night when he approached me. He wants to know how to learn to be an umpire. Several of his mates asked about the rule on ejections during a real game. Apparently, no one had ever been ejected in their short lives. Typical small-town Southern living where EVERYONE knows everyone. (Probably since birth or before.) I'm the new "damn Yankee". Very laid back league, respectful, though intense, fans.

Going back to my car after practice, I have several parents ask what I did. All were in agreement and one man looked at me and said," You helped that boy a lot." A "pointless" ejection in a scrimmage game. Go figure.

Good point about O'Neill - I've amended my post.

What's 'pointless' about the EJ? Perhaps the game can be called meaningless, but if it teaches the kid a lesson, then it's worth it. :crybaby2:

[Kevin Finnerty]

Good point about O'Neill -

A good baseball buddy and neighbor of mine was a member of that early-90s Reds team with O'Neill. He said, "When you're on a Lou Piniella team, he's going to pick a guy that he's going to ride like nobody else, and he rides him to the end. From the first day of spring training, you do everything you can to avoid being that guy. Well, it didn't take Lou very long to pick Paul O'Neill."

[MCLEOD36]

I always look at it as sometimes the discipline helps them in the long run and they do appreciate it. As for Jeter and O'Neil, from the peanut gallery, they always looked classy to me....

[BrianC14]

Redited my post again.

Milton Bradley is a much better name to have here.

[MCLEOD36]

LOL....Now that guy and class have never been used in the same sentence.... so I agree.

[Umpire in Chief]

Bye Bye Milton Bradley

I hope the owners of the Cubs would just sit on his contract for the remaining two years. Don't let him play. Sort of the good version of what happened to Barry Sanders, where Detroit just held his contract.

[LMSANS]

Bye Bye Milton Bradley

I hope the owners of the Cubs would just sit on his contract for the remaining two years. Don't let him play. Sort of the good version of what happened to Barry Sanders, where Detroit just held his contract.

Yeah but they were in church every day praying he would show up. I think the cubbies prayers would have a different tone.:angel4:

[Aging_Arbiter]

I concur............and I'M A CUBS FAN!!

[blindumpire99]

Update: Apparently, no one had ever been ejected in their short lives. Typical small-town Southern living where EVERYONE knows everyone. (Probably since birth or before.) I'm the new "damn Yankee".

Ahhhhhh I see, that 'splains everything now.....Another good ol' Southern boy, jus' bein' beat down by da' man, aka another damn yankee ump...

Uh huh:violin:.....J/K poppy!

I dumped a coach in a scrimmage game years ago after a play at the plate where the ball got away from the catcher, the pitcher backing up the plate grabs the ball, in the meantime the catcher seeing his backup in action after the ball, grabs the runner coming in and pulls him away from the plate, whereas the "appropriate" run killing tag is thoughfully applied by the pitcher...

I score the run on the OBS and the defensive coach comes out, ala George Brett pine tar style, "that's BS!" ect ,:wave:et al....

Thought about dumping the catcher as well but it didn't quite merit MC and he did actually apologize for his action pretty quickly...

I still remember that play anytime that I walk onto that particular field for an assignment and chuckle..