Dumbest thing I've ever done on the field

[Paperipper17]

I know, I'm getting thread-happy here lately, but bear with me lol. 10U DH today. No big deal, I'm thinking. Younger than I usually call, so I figure it'll be a bit more relaxed. That was mistake one. First inning, banger at first, got an out. close play, I'll admit. But to hear the stands, you'd think I booted it by a mile. So out comes coach. . Judgement call, judgement call, judgement call. Back to the dugout. 3rd inning, runner stealing third. I've got this one all the way; no slide, runner JUST beats the play, but drags his back foot over the top of the bag and off the back. Tag still on his calf. that's an out. 3BC goes ballistic, but I'm walking away. Here comes HC again (it was the third out). I told him what I saw. "I don't get it. He beat the play"

"You're right, coach. If he slid, he'd have been safe. But he overran it."

"So you called him out because he didn't slide? You have to be kidding."

"No. He overran it."

"You haven't gotten one right yet today."

"Do not count calls on me, coach."

"Why not?"

"Do not count calls on me."

He still isn't happy, but by now I really don't give a damn what this rat thinks. He's almost to the line of showing me up, but keeping semi-quiet and clean. I walk away. Stands are getting bad, and I've heard a few f-bombs, but unfortunately neither my partner or myself could nail down who it was.

4th inning, pick to first. I've got safe all the way (to the point that the kids body had stopped moving by the time the tag was down), but here he comes waving his arms to first base, pointing. "He never touched the base, he never touched the base," etc. etc . That sets the stands off again. 2 pitches later he goes out for a mound visit. From his bucket to the mound, his eyes do not leave me. I'm not about to look away, so I'm meeting the stare (both of us in sunglasses). I don't know where it came from, God knows I don't, but for about two seconds, I smiled at the sheer hilarity of it all. He starts chirping the previous call again, and I give the stop sign/"that's enough." He tells me not to "bait" him by smiling, then warn him, then eject him for responding. . Rat that he is, he's right. Why, oh why, oh why could I not hold that smile back. I lost all credibility right there. Could I still have run him after that, or would I have been throwing gas on the fire there?

Edited March 8, 2010 by Paperipper17

[Stan W.]

"You haven't gotten one right yet today."

Honestly I wouldnt have had any further trouble with this guy as I would have dumped him for the above comment.....

This Casey Stengel of the 10U set needed to be taught the lesson that you cant make it personal..........

Edited March 8, 2010 by Stan W.

[semper_fi_72]

"You're right, coach. If he slid, he'd have been safe. But he overran it."

"So you called him out because he didn't slide? You have to be kidding."

I do not think that was a proper response.

You were coaching there.

Him sliding has nothing to do with your call.

You have no way to know if he would have been safe if he slide.

I think a more appropriate response would have been:

Coach he was out because he was tagged after breaking contact with the base.

He over ran the base.

Never assume a game will be easier because of any age or level of play.

You approach every game the same.

To do otherwise will cause you problems, as it did here.

[Paperipper17]

I do not think that was a proper response.

You were coaching there.

Him sliding has nothing to do with your call.

You have no way to know if he would have been safe if he slide.

I think a more appropriate response would have been:

Coach he was out because he was tagged after breaking contact with the base.

He over ran the base.

Never assume a game will be easier because of any age or level of play.

You approach every game the same.

To do otherwise will cause you problems, as it did here.

That's the same thing my partner said. I was trying to point out that a slide would have stopped him on the bag instead of allowing him to leak off, but that would have been a better way to put it.

And isn't that the damn truth. I've done 8 YO pitching machine games up to college fall games, and I have never heard more vindictive parents, more arrogant, conceited, bullheaded coaches...or seen kids with more fear in their eyes than on that 10U field. I played through college myself, and never at any level did I hear coaches get more personal towards players. I literally at one point heard an assistant coach on the other team yell across the field to his pitcher (after four straight infield errors, followed by about a 9 pitch walk), "You gonna stop throwing like a damn girl now? 'Cause I got a nice warm spot over here on the bench for ya." FWIW, the kid ended up with a no-no, but allowed 2 runs on errors. Only walked 3.

And as for the fans...my girlfriend, who has been to several of my games, decided to stay in the car for game 2, out of fear for her safety once they saw us together between games.

Semper Fi, that's two times you've showed me the way today :2cents:

[Umpire in Chief]

Never assume a game will be easier because of any age or level of play.

You approach every game the same.

To do otherwise will cause you problems, as it did here.

Great point!

Never let your guard down and go into cruise control. That's when you will get bitten.

One of the best things about youth games is that as umpires we try to anticipate the play to be in the best position. Kids don't know the routine play is and will make sticky situations out of what should be easy. They will give you situations you will never see anywhere else.

I use youth games to try new things. These games are for me so when I'm on the HS, or hopefully one day a NCAA field, I'm the best prepared I can be.

[JaxRolo]

in U10 you just never know!

I had a U10 Game this weekend where there was no outs Runner on First,

Easy ground ball to Short who tossed the ball to 2B who caught it no problem, should have been an easy out except 2B was about a foot off the bag. R1 sliding into second. Finally the second baseman applies the tag on a very close play.

Much harder than it should have been. One of those where one side yells "OUT" the other side "SAFE"

Exciting!

[mstaylor]

Instead of warning not to count calls, dump him. The disadvantage of working younger games is the coaches/players/fans none have a clue. Many times the umpires don't either and that leads to them not learning the way life is. When you have a decent umpire working a young game it is paramount that we take care of business. I read an article this morning that says that it is paramount for umpires to be the instructors in sportsmanship, this would have been his beginning. The other problem is umpies think we should be more tolerant at these levels, and in some cases that is true. You will let minor infractions go, but Billy Martin wnatabes need to be dealt with quickly. It is instructional and winning should be a byproduct of good coaching not a primary goal.

Safety and sportsmanship must be enforced to the letter. Other infractions can be dealt with accordingly.

[LMSANS]

I don't work any small field baseball, but I do youth football and wrestling. I will allow for the "ignorance" of the coach. By "ignorance", I mean he just doesn't know what is borderline or unacceptable behavior. If he acts human, I will treat him as such and explain to him what acceptable behavior is. If he comes out like an animal, he will not be given the benefit of the doubt and will be politely shown the parking lot.

The other sports have a nice tool with penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct. I once had a football coach yell from behind me that we missed x number of calls. I blew the whistle, threw the flag and then turned around and told the head coach that his team, that was behind by 1 or 2, was now being penalized 15 yards for USC. I didn't hear another peep out of the sideline.

Of course it helped that 2 USCs against a team meant the HC was ejected and the team had to pay a $500 fine. It's nice to have that support.

I will gauge whether the coach knows better or not, if I think he should know better, he's gone. If not, I would give him the lesson(warning) once. Most of my games, he's gone.

[Paperipper17]

I will gauge whether the coach knows better or not, if I think he should know better, he's gone. If not, I would give him the lesson(warning) once. Most of my games, he's gone.

I agree with that. Normally counting is a one way ticket for me, but I decided to let that go as ignorance. Of course, between innings my partner asked me why I let that go, and when I said that, he replied, "My ass...he played at Florida and coached HS ball. He knows what not to say."

i guess I was just all about missing chances that day.

[Zippy]

I ran into a similar situation on Saturday at a kids wrestling tournament.

I was on the six and under mat for most of the day. Anybody that has seen six year olds wrestle knows that they roll around a lot without actually changing control.

During one of the matches these two kids were going back and forth from top to bottom, and one regained control on top right as the time ran out. The coach of the other kid lost it. "How is that control? He had an arm here, time was out," etc.

Then he dropped "you've been like that all day!"

For the life of me, I can't figure out why I at least didn't give him an official warning. I just explained my call on my criteria and sent him back to his corner. The kid ended up winning in overtime, and the coach avoided my mat for the rest of the day.

I should have warned him for UNC for the kids sake....but didn't.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Zippy