Eject or Teach a Life Lesson?

[strikesandouts]

Like most well-seasoned umpires I really hate ejections and strive to improve my own management skills to the point where I am able to avoid them. But, I also know there are times you simply have to do your job and dump someone who's gone out their way to earn an early exit. Not long ago I was the plate umpire for the first game of a double header for 16U's. Just prior to the start of the game the manager of the home team approached me and, with some embarrassment, informed me he had a player on his team (#15) who was probably going to get himself ejected from the game. I looked at him in disbelief, convinced this was a joke. He assured me it was real. I asked him why this player wanted to get ejected. I was told the young man just got his driver's license and his first car and wanted to go on a date with his girlfriend. I asked the coach if he wanted the young man to stay. He told me the young man was his best player and wanted him to stay but there was nothing he could do. He also informed me the parents and the girlfriend were in the bleachers. I told the coach I would make sure he stayed on the condition that no matter what I do to this kid the coaches were to remain in their places and not interfere. He agreed. I told the opposing coach was going on and to expect some unusual exchanges between me and #15. I then told the opposing catcher to go talk with his pitcher each time #15 came to the plate.

The first time #15 came to the plate I waited till the catcher got to the pitcher and then turned to brush off the plate. I then said to the young man, "#15...you're staying here to today as long as I am." He responded, "I don't think so." The first pitch thrown to him was above his eyes and he swung and missed. I leaned into the catcher's ear and whispered, "Bring the next pitch in high again." The second pitch was at his chin level. "Strike Two!"

He turned to me in total amazement and yelled, "You thought that was a strike?" I calmly said, but loud enough for spectators to hear it, "You thought that first pitch was?" He grounded out to end the inning, still in the game.

His next at bat I got him on a called third strike 8 inches off the outside edge of the plate. "Come on, Blue! You missed that pitch!"

"I wasn't holding a bat on my shoulders. What's your excuse?"

When his team's catcher was behind the plate I asked where his girlfriend was sitting. I then went over to her and let her and the parents know I was aware of what her boyfriend was trying to do. She was a little embarrassed but admitted it was true. I told her about the promise I had made to the coach and asked her for some help. I told her that it was important to teach young men early in life that the women in their lives expect their men to keep their commitments and pointed out that her boyfriend had made a commitment to his team BEFORE he made a commitment to her and asked her if she expected him to keep his commitments. What could she say? I then told her the next time he comes to the plate he would be coming over to talk with her and asked her if she would simply tell him that if he gets himself ejected from either of the games the date was off. She smiled and agreed.

On his next at bat when the catcher went out to talk with the pitcher I told him she has some encouragement for him and he could go talk with her real quick. When he returned he looked at me with a wry smile and said, "Ok. You win. I'm staying!"

He had the winning RBI in the first game and a walk-off HR in the second. After the second game he came up to me, shook my hand, and said, "Thanks."

[basejester]

The first pitch thrown to him was above his eyes and he swung and missed. I leaned into the catcher's ear and whispered, "Bring the next pitch in high again." The second pitch was at his chin level. "Strike Two!"

What are you trying to achieve here?

[Jocko]

Im glad this worked out for you. I know I would not intervene in such a manner. Kudos for the outcome, but in retrospect, what do you think of your professional responsibilities/performance? Would you do things differently? Are you satisfied with yourself? That, at the end of the day, is what really matters.

[Daniel]

I hope this all was a joke?

[JaxRolo]

Good Job!

It worked out great this time. Hopefully it was just a summer time game that didn't mean much. I would not try it in a game that matters.

[cyclonehokiece]

If coach wanted him in so bad, he should of gone to the girlfriend and had her make that promise. No way you should of been involved in this.

[carolinablue]

If I was the coach and he made his intentions known I would at the very least bench his a$$ and may even tell him to go ahead with his girl and I would see him next season. No way he's playing in that game.

As an umpire I would treat it as any other situation and if he intentionally did something worthy of ejection I would oblige him. The rest is between him and his coach but no way am I making myself look unprofessional in order to teach a love sick teenager a lesson.

[moblue]

At the very beginning of your story, I thought this situation showed some promise. Unfortunately you made it take a turn for the worse. YOU were the one that started the entire ordeal when he came to the plate. Calling strike two that high just to get a response from him? That's awful. You went looking for trouble, and I mean REALLY looking for it. What if the kid had decided to do more than make the verbal exchanges he did? What if he started yelling at you from the top of his lungs in the dugout and wouldn't stop? You already told him you weren't ejecting him. You gave him the green light to act like a moron and get away with it, then proceeded to fan the flames.

I will say that this should never have been your problem to begin with. The coach(es) and parents should have done something so the problem never fell to you to fix. However, I think your final conversation with the girlfriend made the point that needed to be made all along. If you have a "next time" try to make that your first and only course of action. The kids learn their lesson about commitment, and you still have the game go as normal.

[KLAH316]

I am going to have to go along with the majority here....

I'm all for teaching our young people "Life-Lessons", but I think at the point your compromising your integrity and not calling a fair game you went too far.

Whether or not the game was meaningful, it meant something to some of those players and your actions by making "F-You" calls was inappropriate.

[Guest]

You're paid to umpire, not be a guidance counsellor. Just call the damn game. Strikes are strikes, balls are balls and fans are fans. This kid is his coach's problem until he picks a battle with you. Deal with him as you want at that point but until then (for what its worth, i wouldnt dump him either) he's just another player. You're just lucky you were dealing with level-headed people instead of obnoxious morons who would've told you not so politely to mind your own business.

[mjr_2013]

Glad it worked out, but.... please don't do it again.

[umpcoachfather]

If he did anything that woudl normally cause ejection or restriction, I would have restricted him to the bench and if he left for reasons other than the bathroom or injury that team would lose.

[JHSump]

I am puzzled by this whole story. Seems too made up. Too pat. Too unlike any baseball game I've umpired. Did this really happen? Or, happen this way? Is this a movie script in the making?

But, let's accept it as what happened. In that case, whoaaaa --- certainly not what I would have done, at almost every turn. For example, when the coach first told me he has a player that wants to leave or get ejected, I'd look at him in disbelief (just as in the OP), but then I would just chuckle and leave it at that. If he does something to get ejected, he's gone. He's not my problem, and he won't be screwing around with the game. If he gets out of line, he's gone. Too bad, so sad. End of story.

Finally, I think this whole idea of playing along with the coach to keep his player in the game can leave an umpire open to being set up --- big time. Don't play games like this with the coaches!

[BRUMP]

If someone wants to get tossed, let them. I dont care if they stick around or not. But theres no way I would be calling strikes at the eyes to achieve that goal.

[th3]

i balied out half way through

[scrounge]

It's a mildly entertaining short story. I'm not sure I believe any of it, but it held enough interest for me to finish the story at least.

[bam]

i balied out half way through

+1

[JaxRolo]

On my first post I was trying to be nice to the author because it was his first or second post on here. But after re-reading the OP and the responses I have to agree that it looks made up and more of a movie script.

[Umpire in Chief]

I personally do not agree with this, but you made it work which is a testament to your game management.

But here is why I do not recommend.

1. IMO, you are becoming a part of the game at this point.
   
2. You initialized the dialogue w/ the batter by telling him he's going to be here as long as you are
   
3. You are involving spectators, I believe other than a little friendly banter umpires and spectators should remain in separate worlds.
   
4. You involved the catcher of the other team, I bet most of us have told a catcher something which will benefit him, but this was a bit too elaborate
   

But I do not have a problem expanding the zone for this kid, but it is going to have to be reasonable.

Here's how I would have handled it:

Coach: My player #15 is probably going to try and get himself ejected today.

Me: Okay coach. Thanks for the info.

Then #15 comes to bat:

Call the pitch.

Let him vent/rant

Call the next pitch

Let him vent/ rant (all within limitations - I might let a "you" comment go or some mild swearing. But if he wants to be tossed, he's going to have to work for it.)

Rinse and repeat.

At 15y/o he should get the message, just not as loud and clear.

Let them play.

Now I'm not saying I wouldn't eject him, but he has a extra long leash only due to the fact the ejection is going to be a reward to him, not a punishment. When he does cross the line and get himself tossed, it's probably going to be something that will keep him on the bench for a few games after the ejection report hits the league office.

[Stan W.]

Strikes and Outs was the name of a column written by a very famous umpire guru from up in the Northwest..........(back in the day of course)...............until Finnerty, he was the gear guru....Tim C.....now retired from calling games, he works on the FED rules commitee....

[Dragon29]

Wow!

OK - it worked out for the best . . . I guess, but this was wrong on so many levels and in so many ways.

Honestly, I'm not sure 'strikesandouts' is even an umpire (if you are, I apologize) because I don't know any umpires who would do even a portion of what he did here.

If this was real (& for me, that's a big 'if') I concur w/others above who think this umpire improperly inserted himself into the game, the dugout and these people's lives.

I mean, really?

[JaxRolo]

Notice he hasn't posted anything since then. BIG sign he's a fake.

[Jocko]

Funny he gave a "resume'" in his intro. I smell a rat. Notice a certain person hasn't posted lately? Maybe he changed his screen name. This seems like the kinda thing he would do.

[Chris Hickman]

He is no fake. He is probually too embarrassed to respond. I like to have fun on the field from time to time but this guy is a little over the top.

[Replacematt]

He is no fake. He is probually too embarrassed to respond. I like to have fun on the field from time to time but this guy is a little over the top.

If you are saying that this is Tim, I'm going to disagree vehemently. He has never been one to shy away from an Internet scrap, especially due to his repeated ironic posts stating that he doesn't care what people think.

If you are saying that this is an umpire, I can buy that.