Taught the power of a stern "That's enough"

[Umpire in Chief]

Last night I had a Bronco game and worked with a second year umpire who has a lot of promise.

Home coach is chirping -- a lot. Primarily about my partner's zone, but getting some other cheap shots in too.

I wanted to jump in earlier, but it wasn't over the TOP and it wasn't directed at me so I couldn't.

Then the coach opened the door for me...

2 out, no one on. A chopper to short. F6's throw was a bit off pulling F3 off the bag momentarily. As F3 was reaching back to find the bag with his left leg (You have to picture this as something that would only happen at this level or below) sort of swinging it around and reaching for the bag. Hie finally takes a small step back and extends his leg again and slides his foot across the front of the front of the bag and accidentally trips the batter runner. I've got an out and nothing else.

Home coach comes out and is having a conniption. "That's interference!" "He's got to give him a path to the base." and similar type statements. He's now made his way half way between the mound and the plate with his little fit. He makes a couple more comments about my partner's zone. Then he drops the "You just don't know what you're doing."

Not being enough for an ejection and I'm too lazy to do paperwork for him I bellow out a stern, "That's enough, we're not having any more of this!"

And that is the last we heard from him. Even after my partner called a check swing strike on one of their kids, where I would have had an easy no go if he had appealed to me, and a strike that was called on another kid that was at his nose. They winced and groaned but didn't say a thing.

In our post game we talked about how well the warning worked. I hope he'll add it to his arsenal.

[Thunderheads]

NICE !!!!!!!!!

p.s. what a DB coach...

[24sdad]

UIC, I would be willing to bet the next time you see this umpire "who has a lot of promise," he will be even better. Partnering an up and comer with an experienced umpire is gold. He will pick up on your game management skills and begin to employ them in HIS game. The high strike and missed checked swing will improve with experience. Good job on staying out of his business with the coach...he took some crap, but then saw how YOU handled it and the resulting outcome. Good job.

[Welpe]

He makes a couple more comments about my partner's zone. Then he drops the "You just don't know what you're doing."

In all seriousness, I think you handled it fine and evidently got the point across quite well. I just do not tolerate much crap from daddycoaches.

[stl_ump]

Similar situation but with some Dad in the stands.

Working with a first year ump, 3rd game behind the plate. It's rec ball and a lower level 10u game so pitches are all over the place except for the strike zone. He calls a couple of high ones strikes through the course of the inning but no one is really complaining.

After the inning is over, I'm heading over to chat with him about stuff from the previous inning and some Dad decides to start and try to critique his zone. I look him directly in the eye (he's up by the fence) and say "DO NOT talk to the umpire" A sheepish "OK" is all I get and goes and sits down.

Plate ump and I then have a chat about what he can expect from "others" and how he'll just have to ignore it...most of the time.

[clawdad]

I had a similar situation in a LL Majors game Saturday. First game of the season, and one of the Asst. Coaches is a former HS player who had an attitude. His team is in the field, and there is a foul tip. I give the foul tip mechanic and hammer the strike. R1 steals 2nd. He starts chirping "runner has to go back, it's foul." I call time, and give him what I had (sharp and direct to catchers mitt legally caught. Strike on the batter, ball stays live.) He continues "but the runners gotta go back to first". My response - "no, he doesn't". Coach - "but it's a foul ball!!!" Stop sign goes up and I tell him "That's enough. We are done discussing it." He quiets down, next pitch is fouled off the catchers mitt and settles uncaught underneath the catcher. I hear a quiet "then why can't he run on that?" sarcastically from the dugout. Not very loud, and I didn't want to have rabbit ears. so I didn't toss him.

After the game, I was told by the league President that the same coach came to him questioning my call. President stated "The Umpire is correct." The President then told me that the coach was looking in the rule book after that, and says "he must have found the definition of foul tip because he put the book back in his pocket and walked away pouting." :)

[24sdad]

I had a similar situation in a LL Majors game Saturday. First game of the season, and one of the Asst. Coaches is a former HS player who had an attitude.

Must of been one hell of player.

[soapbox]

In my 16U game yesterday, VT a much better club team than the HT which is made up of in town kids. VC was over the TOP. By 2nd inning, score is 11-0 and he never showed mercy. Parents all standing on the fence on 3B side, but close to me who had plate. They were obnoxious. Bottom 4, score is 17-2, just have to get to bottom of 5th and will end in mercy. I have a borderline pitch that I call a ball. VT chirp like there is no tomorrow. "C'mon Blue, that's a strike all day". Game ended 19-2. Will spare you the details, but certainly from the bottom to the HC it was a classless organization.

[JaxRolo]

Last time I told a coach "That is Enough" he looked at me and said "yes that it enough!" I said :wave:

[Welpe]

Last time I told a coach "That is Enough" he looked at me and said "yes that it enough!" I said

I T'd up a coach for a similar response in a basektball game. Nothing like a coach immediately blowing right through a warning you give them.

[Dragon29]

I had a similar situation in a LL Majors game Saturday. First game of the season, and one of the Asst. Coaches is a former HS player who had an attitude.

An Asst. Coach? And, you called 'Time' to explain it to him?? No way - he doesn't even exist. Ignore him and keep playing.

[NCAAump2]

While we're on the subject of dumb coaches...haha...worked a 13AA tournament yesterday...home team is the same team I had the night before, kind of complained and groaned about of couple pitches here and there, but nothing major. Had them yesterday in an elimination game, TOP of 1, R3, pitcher is in the stretch on the rubber, and drops the ball. I yell out "That's a balk!" and award R3 home. HC comes out and says, "that's not a balk." I ignore him completely, and we finish the half inning. He comes up to me at the half inning and says, "Can you give me an explanation of that balk you called?" I said "Alright, well, he was on the rubber, and dropped the ball." He said, "So? He wasn't set yet." At this point I was trying not to laugh and just said, "That doesn't matter," and starting walking away when he said "Well, I think you're wrong!" He just walked back to the dugout...and I walked away laughing.

[stl_ump]

While we're on the subject of dumb coaches...haha...worked a 13AA tournament yesterday...home team is the same team I had the night before, kind of complained and groaned about of couple pitches here and there, but nothing major. Had them yesterday in an elimination game, TOP of 1, R3, pitcher is in the stretch on the rubber, and drops the ball. I yell out "That's a balk!" and award R3 home. HC comes out and says, "that's not a balk." I ignore him completely, and we finish the half inning. He comes up to me at the half inning and says, "Can you give me an explanation of that balk you called?" I said "Alright, well, he was on the rubber, and dropped the ball." He said, "So? He wasn't set yet." At this point I was trying not to laugh and just said, "That doesn't matter," and starting walking away when he said "Well, I think you're wrong!" He just walked back to the dugout...and I walked away laughing.

BTW.. where was that tournament you did?

[NCAAump2]

Some complex over in O'Fallon, IL.

[stl_ump]

Ah... Chesterfield had a tourney going on as well over the weekend. I did 5 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. A bit on the warm side. :Cool2:

[SAB_UIC_TX]

I love the stern warning! Used it to perfection a couple weeks ago in a HS varsity game. VT is getting killed, ended up 10 - 0 in 5 innings, 1 hr 10 minutes. Anyway, VC starts up with R3 fly to right and I'm up the line for fair/foul call. F9 catches the ball I glance back to see the kid maybe 3 feet off the bag, which tells me he tagged up. Partner had R2 tag-up so he's not helping. VC starts yelling did i see that, to which i responded "I've got him tagging, coach" He takes a shot after that not biggie, next inning he's chirping about my zone, told me his kids were getting killed and i wasn't helping and something about a game going on that I was missing.

He let's the last comment go and I ripped off the mask realed around and took a few steps toward the dugout and yelled "Enough out of you, all of you, one more word and you're done coach". Could have been a library after that. TOP of next inning the first base coach comes up to me on his way by asking where the pitches were missing, I told him they were out. He says HC didn't want to come ask me because he knew he'd get dumped.

This dude was just trying to see just how far he could push me. I did a playoff game at the home team last Friday night, the assistant coached commented to me how he liked how I shut that guy down and hard. Too funny.

[NCAAump2]

I'm not a big fan of using the "one more word and you're done line," strictly because if they say "word" or any other actual word, it won't turn out well for someone.

[johnnyg08]

I love the stern warning!

I love the stern ejection. But there's a time and a place for everything.

[SanDiegoSteve]

He let's the last comment go and I ripped off the mask realed around and took a few steps toward the dugout and yelled "Enough out of you, all of you, one more word and you're done coach".

Yeah, you really should never use that old "one more word" threat.

[Replacematt]

But there's a time and a place for everything.

And it's called college.

[soapbox]

Coach wanted me to get help on a judgement call at 1B. I told him it's my call and we don't appeal judgement calls. He said, "well you have bad judgement". It was close and sloppy, but believe the call was correct. Someone was gonna be mad. Anyway, he went on and on about U1 having better view (not true), I was in B. The coach walked away and was complaining to me and I asked him to come here and not walk away chirping and he wouldn't. My question is, if he's talking crap and going away, do I have the right to ask him to not walk away during an explanation or should I just hustle back to my spot. It was my fourth game in the sun, the first with a partner and I think I used poor judgement in not letting him go away.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Soapbox,

He said, "well you have bad judgement".

Bye, bye. You can't let him get personal with you. Saying you have bad judgment is a personal comment, just the same as if he said, "Your horsesh*t." Unless it is a question of a missed swipe tag or a pulled foot, the coach has no business requesting that you get help on the play. By allowing him to continue after he should have been ran, he now feels empowered to argue like that and get personal with the next umpire he gets. Until he runs into me.

I would suggest not telling him you don't appeal judgment calls. Just say, "That's MY call, Coach," and let it go at that, then they don't have ammo for a witty retort.

Oh, to answer your question, once you allowed him to rant and rave, you don't call him back if he's chirping as he walks away. If he's cussing you or getting personal, and you can hear it, then eject him. Otherwise let him mumble to himself as he walks away.

[Jocko]

I don't think I would run someone for saying horses**t. At least they've been around enough to know correct terminology :)

[SanDiegoSteve]

I don't think I would run someone for saying horses**t. At least they've been around enough to know correct terminology

You can say horsesh*t all day on my field as long as it is NOT preceded by the word "You're." :no:

[Jocko]

True. Don't get personal.