Another EJ

[mtnump]

Bottom 5, 2-1 for the HT R2, R3. I am PU.  F1 is going to pitch out of the wind-up and goes to his mouth without wiping off.  U1 calls balk advancing runners.  VT HC comes out to argue with my partner regarding there not being a need to make that call. Their conversation ends and as he returns to the dugout he turns his attention to me saying it was a terrible call and one that didn't need to be made without talking to F1 first.  I finally get an earful and tell him "That's enough, Eric!" and hold out the stop sign.  He runs through it telling me we need to read the rulebook and make a game of it, inferring to me that we were not calling a fair game.  I restrict, conversation over, play on without incident. 

 

More information...U1 absolutely blew a pick off at 1B early in the game, calling VT R1 out on what was not even a close play.  This did not endear him to VT.

 

After the game, U1 told me that I had too quick of a hook and we were going to hear about the EJ. 

 

I now have 3 EJ's in 8 days and that doesn't happen around here.  IMHO it is an umpire problem as many have the mentality of my partner today. 

 

Am I getting trigger happy??? I don't feel I look for EJ's as these 3 are my first in 3 years, but I am not going to shy away when necessary. 

[mstaylor]

Not too quick at all. You say you restricted but then you say it was your third ejection. Which did you do?

[krwill96]

What rule set was the game being played under? If OBR, then the coach is right, it's not a balk. If FED I appologize and you guys were right for calling the balk.

8.02 a(1)While in the 18-foot circle surrounding the pitcher’s plate, touch the ball after touching his mouth or lips, or touch his mouth or lips while he is in contact with the pitcher’s plate. The pitcher must clearly wipe the fingers of his pitch- ing hand dry before touching the ball or the pitcher’s plate.

PENALTY: For violation of this part of this rule the umpires shall immediately remove the ball from play and issue a warning to the pitcher. Any subsequent violation shall be called a ball.

This is a change from last year from where it was an automatic ball.

[mtnump]

Sorry about the semantics of EJ vs restriction...2 coaches restricted, 1 player ejected.

 

FED rules set.  I am not a fan of restriction...

 

Same partner, Game 2, I am U1.  Balk F1 for opening his front shoulder after he came set.  Post game partner asks why I balked him, I explain and he says I should have talked to the kid instead of calling the balk.  Huh??? 

[UmpJM]

mtnump,

 

Where was the F1 when he went to his mouth without wiping?

 

JM

[mstaylor]

The reason I asked is because that should be a straight dump.

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[CS-Blue]

It is a ball in FED as well. Rule 6-2-1 says that anytime the pitcher, away from the rubber goes to his mouth without wiping afterward and then engages the rubber a ball shall be called. The only time it is a balk is when he is already engaged with the rubber with runners on and goes to his mouth at all. It simulates a pitching motion. 

[mtnump]

We get the luxury of restrict at all costs...EJ has to be due to continued misconduct after the restriction or extremely egregious to begin with.

 

F1 was engaged at the time he went to his mouth.  I think he might have done it a couple of times before and my partner was looking for it...He sure was quick to call it.

[IABlue]

Dugout restrictions are nothing.  We don't even have to report them in my area.  I've yet to have one since my state adopted the rule, but I wouldn't even think twice about doing it.  The way it was described to me is that it's just like the first technical in a basketball game.  No big deal.  It's basically a warning to watch yourself or your gone.

 

I literally would not spend a single second of worry over a dugout restriction, even if I had several of them in a week.  What exactly is the huge deal?  Guy doesn't get to wave runners in from 3rd?  If the guy popped off to me like was described in the OP, he would find himself in the parking lot, not the dugout.  You did that guy a favor, IMO.

[blue23ll]

I don't know about everyone else, but if I tell you "that's enough", you had better stop jabbering at me. There will be no restriction just a quick exit.