First EJ of the Summer...

[NCAAump2]

Got my first ejection of the summer this past weekend. 15U tournament (OBR with modifications.), This tourney group has a specific slide rule which (paraphrased) reads, "GMB does not have a mandatory slide rule at any base. If a runner chooses to slide, it must be legal and not of malicious intent. If deemed by the umpire to be malicious, the runner is declared out and ejected from the game.

So we're in the 2nd inning, I am BU....HT R1 attempts to steal 2nd, throw beats him by a decent amount, so as the SS is waiting with the ball, and the runner half-ass tries to jump over the glove. SS tags him, I've call him out, and head back over towards A. VT HC in the 1B dugout then asks me if the runner was ejected.

I replied, "No, why would he be?"

"Because he's gotta slide...isn't there a mandatory slide rule?" he asked.

I told him that's not correct, and told him exactly what I paraphrased above. He still didn't agree, so as he heads over to coach 3B between innings, he asks my partner about it, and my partner tells him that the runner does have to slide. So he comes back over and says, "Jim said he's gotta slide, you might want to get your rules straight and talk to him."

So I go in between innings and talk to him, show my partner the game card where the rule is clearly printed, and he's like "oh, well I guess you're right." DUH...

So as I walk back toward A, I tell VT HC that the rule is printed on the game card and his copy of the rules, the runner does not have to slide, and I explained it one more time to him, and he said it didn't make sense to him.

Fast forward to the bottom of the 6th, VT up 2-1..R3, low line drive to F5 who is moving in toward HP to try to catch it, my partner says "No catch, on the ground!" They proceed to get R3 in a rundown, and after a couple exchanges, F2 throws back to F5 who misses the tag on a diving R3 to get back to the base. I see the missed tag CLEARLY and yell out "Safe! Safe! No tag!"

So VT HC comes out to change pitchers, and while the new F1 is warming up, he asks me if I can get help on the tag at 3rd. I tell him I don't need help, I saw the missed tag, and the runner is safe. He says, "Well if I ask you to get help you have to." I said, "No, I saw the play clearly, had a good angle, I don't need help, nor do I have to grant your request for help."

As he's walking away, he yells out (loud enough for everyone to hear), "You don't even know the slide rule!." I said, "Mike, we're not talking about that. That was 4 innings ago." He says, "Well you need to learn the rules!" WHOOSH!!!! He then comes running back to me screaming "What do you mean I'm done?" I said, "You heard me, you're done!" He's now bill-to-bill to me in my face, so he's giving it to me, I'm giving it right back.

*After I ejected him, my partner stayed behind home plate. Didn't come out to get this jackass away from me. Nothing.

So after a few more heated words, he finally goes, "You're horrible, you're a disgrace." I just said, "That's fine, Mike," and he finally left. His team won anyway, but Jesus...

Sorry for the rant...I just often wonder why coaches and players feel they can act like and talk like that toward umpires.

[carolinablue]

Sounds like you should have sent your partner with him.

[Jocko]

Because the see Ozzie and Mattingly and the big dogs show their ass. They think it's acceptable. Often, it seems, they think it's an expected part of the game.

[renegadewolf]

They see it on TV and think they are entitled to behave the same way. Especially with those jackass commentators (appologies to the commentators who actually understand the rules of baseball, but the majority do not) who cosign these rediculous behaviors as appropriate and "earned". Having said that I'm gonna stop now....lol

[Thunderheads]

First of all ,...what an a-hole of a partner! I ALWAYS discuss the slide rule in pregame if that's the modification of any game or tournament (which it usually is). If there's a disconnect with your partner, you'll know it at that point.

Regardless, a-hole partner SHOULD have known.

Speaking of a-holes .... you showed the coach where to find the ruling, and he still argues ..... total douchebag!

[mstaylor]

Ask your partner where does he work that there is an actual slide rule? The coach is an idiot. It sounds like a very reasoned slide rule.

[umpire_scott]

I work those tournaments too. It's clearly written on every game card that the coach has to fill out for every game. And I see many of the same teams each weekend in these tournaments. So this coach has probably seen a minimum of 5 of those games cards and more likely 4 times that many.

I'm shocked your partner didn't know the tournament slide rule. He's probably seen more of those game cards than the coach.

[mstaylor]

I work those tournaments too. It's clearly written on every game card that the coach has to fill out for every game. And I see many of the same teams each weekend in these tournaments. So this coach has probably seen a minimum of 5 of those games cards and more likely 4 times that many.

I'm shocked your partner didn't know the tournament slide rule. He's probably seen more of those game cards than the coach.

Another guy getting a check, can't be bothered to actually learn any rules.

[catsbackr]

As he's walking away, he yells out (loud enough for everyone to hear), "You don't even know the slide rule!."

As soon as he says this, HE IS GONE!

[SoCal Lurker]

Coach clearly earned his toss. One thought on

So I go in between innings and talk to him, show my partner the game card where the rule is clearly printed, and he's like "oh, well I guess you're right." DUH...

So as I walk back toward A, I tell VT HC that the rule is printed on the game card and his copy of the rules, the runner does not have to slide, and I explained it one more time to him, and he said it didn't make sense to him.

I'd suggest you re-think that part. It's a no-no for coaches to bring up the past, what do you have to gain from doing it yourself? Very few coaches during a game are going to be interested in being educated about something that happened in a prior inning -- you're almost asking him to argue with you at that point. And then you're in a pickle -- how do you toss him for arguing the past when you started the covnersation? Just a thought.

[NCAAump2]

I don't think I was bringing up the past, especially when the VT coaches were still discussing the rule among themselves. I merely was pointing out the fact that there was indeed a rule that was printed on his copy, and ensuring that he knew the proper rule from that point forward. I, in no way, was attempting to engage him in an argument.

[Dragon29]

Especially with those jackass commentators (appologies to the commentators who actually understand the rules of baseball, but the majority do not) who . . .

You do realize you just apologized to . . . nobody!

The first time I get through watching a game on TV in which one of the announcers does not incorrectly describe a foul-tip, I'll come back and edit this post.

(It's not gonna happen)

[scrounge]

Especially with those jackass commentators (appologies to the commentators who actually understand the rules of baseball, but the majority do not) who . . .

You do realize you just apologized to . . . nobody!

The first time I get through watching a game on TV in which one of the announcers does not incorrectly describe a foul-tip, I'll come back and edit this post.

(It's not gonna happen)

Stay up and catch a Dodgers game and you'll hear an announcer who knows the rules.....maybe the best ever.

[Dragon29]

Scrounge,

I'm in CA, so don't need to stay up, but I can't sit through a (hated) Dodgers game . . . unless they're playing the Giants, of course.

I'll take your word for it.

[scrounge]

Scrounge,

I'm in CA, so don't need to stay up, but I can't sit through a (hated) Dodgers game . . . unless they're playing the Giants, of course.

I'll take your word for it.

ah, there are other considerations at play, I can certainly understand that I like the Cub's Len Kasper and Bob Brenly team, but I'm not watching those goobers play. Unless the Cards are putting a 12-spot on them in one inning, that is...