Third of the year

[treydawgmt]

Last week I had my third ejection of the year.  This after having just 1 the last two years.  Oh well...

 

Bronco's level ball, so I think 11 & 12 year old kids.  I'm a single umpire, game set to start at 8pm.  I finish the 6pm game at about 12 to 8pm, the VT is immediately in their dugout and telling me they have warmed up already, just want 3-4 minutes on the field to warm up.  Other team isn't visible.  VT coach says this isn't that surprising.  I find them in a batting cage.  Tell them we're going to start at 8pm on the dot.  They say okay, and don't show up till 4 minutes till.  AND don't know who is pitching.  Or who is catching, or anything else for that matter.  And head coach had to "run home for an emergency" and will be back soon.  So this is how the night started!

 

Anyway, throughout the game there are 4 or 5 REALLY close plays.  Mostly at 2nd base, one a pickoff throw at 1st w/a left handed batter.  I make some calls, hear minor grumbling, but nothing at all special, or even worth thinking of.  Just close plays.

 

Fast forward to the 4th inning:  (This is my EJ report with the beginning part eliminated)

 

There was a play at 2^nd base in the top of the 4^th inning.  Visiting team was batting and a ball hit to the outfield.  The runner rounded first base and was approaching second base when the ball was thrown in from the outfield.  The ball was caught by a home team defender and a tag attempted.  The runner took one step towards the outfield, avoided the tag, and slid into second base.  I called the runner safe at second and began retreating towards the plate.  The home team assistant coach wearing a red Junior Icehogs t-shirt began to dispute the call, making comments, “That’s a horrible call,†and “You can’t call him safe there, he was tagged out.† I looked at the coach and he stated, “The other calls you were at least at home, if you’re going to be at second you have to get the call right, you may as well have stayed at home plate.† I stated, “Coach, that is enough,†while holding my right arm up.  The coach then stated, “That is a ridiculous call!† I ejected the coach at this time.  The coach then stated, “I’ll leave, but if you weren’t such a horrible umpire, I wouldn’t be leaving now.† He then left the field of play.

 

Had I been 100% on the call, the AC might have been gone one comment earlier, but there was at least 1 runner on base already, and just me, so I might have been straightlined a bit.  I didn't see a tag, couldn't call it.  Wish I had been 1 or 2 steps to my left, would have made it better to see, but overall, I got a pretty good view.  Didn't hear a tag anything, and didn't see a tag.

[zoops]

Umpiring alone, pretty thankless.  Tell the dorks to zip it or hire another umpire.

[mstaylor]

By myself, no rope at all. As soon as he opens his mouth, warn him. 

[treydawgmt]

While I understand being even less lenient by myself, right or wrong 90% of what we do in this area is 1 man.  (It's wrong, I know, but it is what it is).  Like I said I probably should have been a few steps over, so I was a bit pissed at myself.  Even though it WAS just me, I wasn't where *I* wanted to be.

[BigUmp56]

You got to what you thought at the moment was the best place to be and made the call based on what you saw. For the sake of looking in hinsight let's suppose that you did miss a swipe tag. Do you think that missing the tag in any way justifies the coaches reaction to it? H€¡¡ no it doesn't! He needs to learn to control himself and display the proper sportsmanship to the 12 year old kids he's been afforded the trust of their parents to coach. You should have warned him with the stop sign and "that's enough" as soon as he made the first comment. The next comment confirms his reservation in the parking lot.

Tim.

[Oldcrow]

'The next comment confirms his reservation in the parking lot''..........Classic

[umpstu]

UMPSTU, why don't you umpire little league baseball? Or for that matter, men's baseball?

[BigUmp56]

UMPSTU, why don't you umpire little league baseball? Or for that matter, men's baseball?

Because Umpstu's daddy didn't raise no fools!

Seriously though, I get what you're saying, Stu. Umpiring LL baseball can be incredibly frustrating. But at the same time it can be even more rewarding. I do more than my share of paid baseball games; but when I show up to do inner city LL games as a volunteer, hearing the players say how cool it is they "have the real umpire" today, makes it worth my time and effort.

Men's league baseball is a unique animal all by itself......

Tim.