Softball Ejection - Better way to handle

[umpire_scott]

So I'm doing a middle school district tournament a few years ago. I'm not someone that ejects coaches or players often at all. Probably ejected 10 coaches and 3 players in 10 years. Two of the three players happened in the same game, and I felt really bad about it afterwards. Situation is that the home team was getting beat 8-2 in the 5th inning. We were nearing the time limit as well. FED rules were in play. The home team was heavily favored to win the game and the pitcher was clearly frustrated. During her warm-ups her mechanics were getting very sloppy. Earlier in the game during warm-ups I noticed her coming to the rubber with her hands already together. I reminded her to make sure she started with her hands apart. She usually did it correctly but when things weren't going her way she would get sloppy with it. So prior to the 5th inning I notice that she is starting with her hands apart, but never bringing them together during the pitch. I politely remind her that she needs to bring her hands together or it will be an illegal pitch. She rudely says "Well you need to make up your mind". I calmly tell her that she was doing two different things wrong. And explained the proper way. I tell her if she speaks to me like that again I will eject her. I then ask her to assure me that she know what I mean regarding the proper pitching technique. She incredibly sarcastically yells "First I do this (shows her arms apart), then I do this (brings her hands together). I probably should have just let it go, but she was so rude that I ejected her. Now her coach comes running out of the dugout telling me that I can't eject her. I explained that I warned her about how she was speaking to me and she continued. He puts in a new pitcher, but is not happy. As the new pitcher is warming up the catcher takes off her mask, and yells to the defense "Don't say anything to the umpire or you might be ejected". I was flabbergasted. I asked the coach if he was o.k. with what his catcher just did. He responded with "as long as she wasn't talking to me he had no issue with it". I calmly warned the catcher about her conduct. She responds with "you suck. You're the worst umpire I've ever seen". So I eject her as well. At this time chaos is breaking out with the fans. One of the Dads is coming around the backstop to come after me. The site director steps in front of the Dad and says "one more step and I'm calling the police". In the meantime glance at the dugout and see the coach holding back his pitcher that I ejected as she is trying to come on the field with a bat in her hand.

The only think I could think of doing differently is as soon as the girl snapped at me just go to her coach explain the situation and that I was going to call an illegal pitch on every infraction, but I would not help her beyond this.

[Daniel]

Wow, what a cluster.

I believe you took way too much $hit here. Others chime in here, but I would have F1 would have been gone here:

She rudely says "Well you need to make up your mind".

I just did, you're ejected.

F2 would have gone here:

"Don't say anything to the umpire or you might be ejected".

Sarcastic cheap-shot comments aren't needed.

I would have never asked the coach about "having an issue with it" - I could care less what they think. Also never put yourself in a situation where you are giving an ultimatum - i.e. I will eject you if...

[mjr_2013]

- You could have avoided all of this by staying an umpire and not trying to coach... I understand your mindset in trying to help them, but some of these girls (and boys in baseball) take this travel ball tournaments wayyy too seriously. If you can tell she is pissed, let her make the illegal pitch, then call it, then explain it, and do it every time... Now it is something she is doing that initiated the conversation, and it is obvious to all that you are just trying to help.

- When you ask the coach "are you ok with that?" and he responds that he has "no problem with it", I have no problem ejecting him and the catcher on the spot.

- When you see a girl, with a bat, threatening to come on the field at you, she has just lost all right to be in that dugout or participate in the remainder of the tournament. You can get the site director and tell him that she must be removed from the premises before another pitch is thrown.

- Dads coming on the field, another big no-no... Pull the teams off the field at that point. You have no other choice.

Don't let it get to that point if you can help it, but don't be afraid to pull the trigger if it does... It sounds like your director was supportive of you, so you two can work out the mess together.

[Jocko]

I'm sorry, but you can't umpire and coach the game. My job is to call what I see. It's easy to want to be nice and tell them to come set, or whatever softball pitchers have to do. That's not your job. Talk to the coach between innings if you MUST and let him do his job. When you cross invisible lines, there's consequences. Best advice I can give is just do what you're paid to do. If you see it, call it. Plain and simple.

[mstaylor]

Agreed, just tell the coach. The rest of the ejections were fine, just a little late on each.

[umpire_scott]

I know the philosophy of not coaching the players is generally a good one to follow, but invariably when I call an illegal pitch or a balk, the coach will ask me to explain what they did wrong. So some sort of communicating is going to take place. I just figured I was being proactive and avoiding a situation by setting her straight to avoid calling them during the game. I'm also pretty certain that to some extent the same situation was likely to happen if I called it during the game. I would have called the illegal pitch. The pitcher would have asked me what she did I would have explained it and then what ensued was just as likely to happen then as it did during warm-ups.

It's difficult in those circumstances when two players are ejected and a fan almost comes on the field for the umpire to look somewhat at fault at having lost control of the situation.

[mstaylor]

Agreed Scott, and I have done exactly the same thing. Usually best to do it with the coach but if I say something to the pitcher and he cops an attitude, I back off and balk him the first time he does what I just told him not to do. At that point I will explain it to the coach and let him handle it. I then call it every time he screws up. I did it with an 18 yr old pitcher with an attitude. He told me he knew what he was doing, so I balk him three straight pitches, and watched completely melt down.

[UmpireSam]

Yea

I have been told by Coaches just to call the game, they will coach the players

[Jocko]

Yea

I have been told by Coaches just to call the game, they will coach the players

I throw that back at em. You caoch, I'll officiate. I don't tell them how to coach, I don't let them tell me how to call.

[semper_fi_72]

Do not work Softball :fuel: