Strangest thing that has ever happened to me (last Sunday)

[Pete Peterson Sr]

I was on the bases for an American Legion tournament championship game, regional or district, I'm really unsure. Home team should easily defeat visitors, according to my partner, who has worked most of the tournament.

 With the score tied, and R3 in the top of the fourth, batter grounds to short. He works too hard at holding R3, and is two steps late on his throw to retire BR.I give a low-key safe sign, as the play was nowhere near close. At this point, HT HC comes to 1st base line, literally screaming at me over the call. I stood there kind of dumbfounded that he was making such a huge deal out of a very simple call. He continued to berate me from the line for a good twenty seconds, and included his opinion of my umpiring skills. At this point, I gave him a large ejection mechanic, along with a loud "You're gone".

 Coach comes running at me, full speed, and gets nose-to-nose with me, still screaming. "You can't curse me, I'm a grown-as man, you're terrible, blah blah blah, while beaking me with his hat bill I stand there with my hands on my hips, never uttering a word.As my partner was coming in to play rodeo clown, the coach screams "F you" a good four times. Then he decides to turn his anger toward my partner, bumping him no less than four times. My partner, who happens to be a police officer, told the coach that if he bumped him again, things were going to get REALLY ugly. Two assistant coaches and a player grabbed him and herded him to the gate.

 Then the fans started in on me, saying that I had used a racial slur against the coach. This went on for seven and one-half innings, as the score was tied at the end of seven, and we played until the bottom of the eleventh inning until the tie was finally broken. It was around the eighth inning that my blood pressure finally came down to a reasonable level.

 I have no idea what sparked the coach's tirade, but everyone in the park heard me tell him "you're gone", and I said not so much as one word to him after that. It was kind of like a dog that has always been friendly, then suddenly one day snaps, and becomes vicious. Quite bizarre.....

[BigUmpire]

This is not over.

[blue23ll]

There is more to this story, I suspect.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

There is more to this story, I suspect.

 

 Suspect what you will, but I recognize my fallibility, and I have done this long enough to be able to admit my faults. But in this case, I have told you the entire story. It is the first time I have ever had this team or coach. They are from out of town, as was their opposition. And I was working at a HS field, upon which I had never previously set foot. So there was no previous history to fall back to, and as I said, the call I made was a Simple Simon call. And if your suspicion that there is more to the story happens to involve the coach's accusation of my choice of words, think again. Just because I am from Alabama doesn't make me prejudiced.

[Dannytheman]

Pete, Pete, Pete.....   Calm down. I am not sure blu23ll meant YOU had more to the story.  Maybe he thought there was story with that coach going off.

I don't see a thing wrong with what you did. I even get the whole be dumbfounnded when he questioned you, been there, done that mechanic.

 

Don't let these bad coaches bother you or get into your head. Many more of them have issues, especially whe they get to this level of ball!

 

Smile and breath!!!  

[Pete Peterson Sr]

Pete, Pete, Pete.....   Calm down. I am not sure blu23ll meant YOU had more to the story.  Maybe he thought there was story with that coach going off.

I don't see a thing wrong with what you did. I even get the whole be dumbfounnded when he questioned you, been there, done that mechanic.

 

Don't let these bad coaches bother you or get into your head. Many more of them have issues, especially whe they get to this level of ball!

 

Smile and breath!!!  

 

 I smile all the time, Danny ! And of course, you are correct. My first interpretation of blu23II's post was likely mistaken. I must admit to getting a little PO'd while recounting the story, lol.

[BigUmpire]

My comment was that these RATS will stir it up.

I am convinced you were in the right and I am convinced that blue23III ment the same.

Rats like this will blow this out of proportion and get others to lie as well.

 

Watch your back at this tournament.

Do not be by yourself.

Remember the 4 foot rule.

Bail if you feel uncomfortable.

 

Late edit.

Reread the OP.

This was a past tournament.

 

STILL- watch your back OR call me I will come from Atlanta and do it for you.

 

[blue23ll]

I meant that there was more to the story about this coach, and his behavior. I have heard people on boards or tournament committee's make excuses for these bad apples. If I had a dime for every time I heard someone say, " I just don't understand him, he's usually such a laid back and nice guy". I suspect he is a loose cannon and has had issues before with umpires.

[BigUmpire]

R  A  T  S

[Pete Peterson Sr]

I meant that there was more to the story about this coach, and his behavior. I have heard people on boards or tournament committee's make excuses for these bad apples. If I had a dime for every time I heard someone say, " I just don't understand him, he's usually such a laid back and nice guy". I suspect he is a loose cannon and has had issues before with umpires.

 

 The TD met my partner and I at the outside of the dugout upon our exit." I'll walk you to your trucks, in case there are any problems", he said. He followed that up by saying that he had contacted some bigwig in Legion ball to talk with him about the coach. He said that in his opinion the guy needn't be anywhere near a baseball field, ever. He also said he appreciated me not decking the coach when he got in my space and wanted to camp out there, lol.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

R  A  T  S

 

 I'm thinking this one was a capybara. WAY too big to be called a rat, lol.....

[BigUmpire]

Good TD.

Both RATS need to be gone.

[BigUmpire]

 

R  A  T  S

 

 I'm thinking this one was a capybara. WAY too big to be called a rat, lol.....

 

Bet he was not bigger than me.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

 

 

R  A  T  S

 

 I'm thinking this one was a capybara. WAY too big to be called a rat, lol.....

 

Bet he was not bigger than me.

 

Big figuratively, not literally. I'm not a small fella, myself.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

I have to say, it didn't take me long to get over it. Monday afternoon I traveled to Montgomery, and worked the   in the Alabama High School All-Star game. Had a really good game, if I do say so myself.  

[BigUmpire]

I have to say, it didn't take me long to get over it. Monday afternoon I traveled to Montgomery, and worked the   in the Alabama High School All-Star game. Had a really good game, if I do say so myself.  

You must be good to get that assignment!

[Pete Peterson Sr]

 

I have to say, it didn't take me long to get over it. Monday afternoon I traveled to Montgomery, and worked the   in the Alabama High School All-Star game. Had a really good game, if I do say so myself.  

You must be good to get that assignment!

 

 

 I'm aight, I reckon.

[Jocko]

I'll toot the horn. Pete's an umpire's umpire. HS rules interpreter and assigner. I consider him a mentor. One of the very few I will allow to critique me.

[JaxRolo]

I have to say, it didn't take me long to get over it. Monday afternoon I traveled to Montgomery, and worked the in the Alabama High School All-Star game. Had a really good game, if I do say so myself.

You must be good to get that assignment! There was no one else available! lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[BigUmp56]

I'll toot the horn. Pete's an umpire's umpire. HS rules interpreter and assigner. I consider him a mentor. One of the very few I will allow to critique me.

 

 

This is what keeps me involved on these umpiring forums! It's awesome to read brothers-in-blue talking each other up based on personal experience. There's been way too much "brother" bashing going on over the years on the Internet.

 

And I had a fun experience while working with a law enforcement official too, Pete. We had a guy berate us terribly after being ejected, and as we walked toward the parking lot he decided to follow us and continue his tirade. That is, he followed us right up to the point that my partner walked up to open the door of his patrol car. It was hilarious seeing the look on his face right before he turned tail and took off back toward the fields.

 

Tim.

[BigUmpire]

 

I'll toot the horn. Pete's an umpire's umpire. HS rules interpreter and assigner. I consider him a mentor. One of the very few I will allow to critique me.

 

 

This is what keeps me involved on these umpiring forums! It's awesome to read brothers-in-blue talking each other up based on personal experience. There's been way too much "brother" bashing going on over the years on the Internet.

 

Tim.

 

"The only friend you have on the diamond is dressed like you"

[carolinablue]

 

 

I'll toot the horn. Pete's an umpire's umpire. HS rules interpreter and assigner. I consider him a mentor. One of the very few I will allow to critique me.

 

 

This is what keeps me involved on these umpiring forums! It's awesome to read brothers-in-blue talking each other up based on personal experience. There's been way too much "brother" bashing going on over the years on the Internet.

 

Tim.

 

"The only friend you have on the diamond is dressed like you"

 

 

Unless he's a Smitty.

[Jimurray]

I'll toot the horn. Pete's an umpire's umpire. HS rules interpreter and assigner. I consider him a mentor. One of the very few I will allow to critique me.

 

 

This is what keeps me involved on these umpiring forums! It's awesome to read brothers-in-blue talking each other up based on personal experience. There's been way too much "brother" bashing going on over the years on the Internet.

 

Tim.

"The only friend you have on the diamond is dressed like you"

 

Unless he's a Smitty.

There would be subtle differences in accoutrement.

[umpire_scott]

 

 

 

I'll toot the horn. Pete's an umpire's umpire. HS rules interpreter and assigner. I consider him a mentor. One of the very few I will allow to critique me.

 

 

This is what keeps me involved on these umpiring forums! It's awesome to read brothers-in-blue talking each other up based on personal experience. There's been way too much "brother" bashing going on over the years on the Internet.

 

Tim.

 

"The only friend you have on the diamond is dressed like you"

 

 

Unless he's a Smitty.

 

 

Hopefully he wouldn't be dressed like you then.

[umpire_scott]

I meant that there was more to the story about this coach, and his behavior. I have heard people on boards or tournament committee's make excuses for these bad apples. If I had a dime for every time I heard someone say, " I just don't understand him, he's usually such a laid back and nice guy". I suspect he is a loose cannon and has had issues before with umpires.

 

This is so true.  When I had the issue I posted about where the coach accosted me in the parking lot and I told the league organizer that I didn't want this coach having access to my personal info on arbiter so I was changing my settings he replied that he knew the guy and the guy would NEVER do anything like that.  Then a few weeks later I did a game with the same partner I had during the first game.  He said that the UIC, who happens to be the league organizers son, told him that nothing was done initially when I told them because the league organizer did not believe that the coach would do that.  It's amazing what people can hide from people they know regarding their true colors.