Karma

[James Walker]

This post could really go into a lot of different places, but it seems to fit here best. It's a little long, so I'm sorry in advance.

Our park got the regional 12u and 11u Dixie allstar tourneys this past year. In the championship game, things got a little heated. Lots of close plays against both sides, so neither manager is real happy with us. Bottom of the 6th (last inning), tie game. R2, R3. Two outs and a 3-2 count. Batter is taking signs from coach, F1 comes set and I hold up the stop sign so the batter can step in the box. Pitcher either doesn't see me or just ignores me and pitches anyway. Pitch comes in belt high and middle of the plate. I say no pitch and explain that batter was not in box. VC decides to be a smart guy and try to push my buttons. He's says cmon blue, he was in the box. I ignore it, but he keeps on. I call time, remove my mask take a couple of step towards the dugout and tell him that's enough, he was out of the box. VC continues arguing and gets the hook. He refuses to leave some I call over the VHC and ask him to get him out of there or he will be following him to the parking lot. Finally the AC leaves and play resumes. Batter ropes a double in the gap, scoring two. I call the game and head back to the locker room. As my partner's and I are getting undressed and discussing positions for the consolation game the next night, our director walks in and informs us that we are off that game and tells us the league president took us off of the game due to complaints.

The next night we go to the park to collect our checks and see the three weakest guys we have doing the game. Needless to say, things did not go smoothly. After the game, I talked to the president and he said that because I dumped a coach and a parent that confronted me in a game and cussed me up one side and down the other that I was a "hot head". He also said that one partner has an attitude and the other was too old to be calling this level of ball. I told him what I thought, and how he never backs an umpire and what I thought of him. Told him not to call me for fall ball and to not be suprised when spring came around and I wasn't there.

A couple of weeks ago, I get a call from the director and he asked if I was interested in doing fall ball. I told him what happened and he said that the board got together and told Mr president if he ever did that to the umpire director again he would be asked to resign because he has not control over the umpires.

So I agree to do some games. After my first game as I was gettting undressed and packin my gear up, the president comes in and apologizes to me. Then the director comes up after he leaves and asks me to be the UIC of our group this year. I accepted the offer and already some of my ideas are being used. Hopefully we can get the umpiring up the the level these kids deserve. But, it just goes to show that hard work, determination and willing to get better don't go unnoticed.

[Guest]

You should have never gotten to the point of having a pitcher begin to deliver a pitch. Once he starts to come set and the batter is still MIA, you should be doing a lot more than just holding up your hand, like calling time emphatically and stepping out away from the plate; then once you get everyone's attention, instruct the pitcher to wait until the batter is ready before coming set. This is not only preventative umpiring but also a player safety issue.

As this mistake - more than just a simple missed call - led to an ejection in a championship game, I see no issue with letting others take the consolation game. Up here, blow a rotation or kick a rule during a round robin game in a national tournament and don't expect to be working an assignment of consequence come Sunday. For one, you already had your shot at the dance - assignors have to spread the love around or they will lose umpires. For another, it's a consolation game...do you really want to work that?

[James Walker]

I normally step out, call time etc. But this kid looked in twice after he came set. Catcher wasn't even down. But I will denitely step out and call time every time now. I definitely made a mistake.

[cyclonehokiece]

I would used the explanation that the ball is not in play, which it is not when your hand is up. Probably would not have prevented the ejection (he seems pretty high strung at that point), but would of given the coach less to argue on. Also, I am not going to pile on about the step out because if the catcher is not set, I am less inclined to think he is going to throw the ball.

Also glad that the president got what was coming to him. Hope you have better relations with him now as UIC.