Impromptu game and coach maturity

[umpire_scott]

Had a weird game today.  I was supposed to do an 18U tournament game at 6:30.  Same partner as I had on Thursday, we had already communicated that I would have the plate and we'd be wearing black.  This tournament is run by a local club here and they invite teams from all over the Midwest to play in it.  We just supply the umpires.  So at 4:30 I get a call asking me to go to a different field that had no umpires and it would start as soon as I could get there.  So I jump up and I'm out the door.  I'm told that my partner will be the site director (meaning the BU is going to be wearing shorts and a t-shirt and possibly has never umpired before).  So I get to the field dressed in my black (it's been a gorgeous weekend with temps in the mid 70's).  I'm told that the site director actually called a young umpire in from around the area to do the bases.  He shows up in a wrinkled powder blue shirt with a white shirt underneath that has some picture showing through clearly.  I go through an ultra-quick pregame and we are off.  Thankfully there were no real issues.  He had two bangers at first and nailed both of them from what I could tell.  VT won 7-0 with their pitcher tossing a 3-hit SO in 7 innings.

 

Only issue was in the 6th inning when the HT starting pitcher hit a VT batter that had homered off him in the 1st inning.  I never even considered that it was intentional as it was late in the count and this kid did crowd the plate.  The batter looked at the pitcher quickly, but then went down to first.  The next batter got a base hit and the batter that got hit stops at second.  The first base coach requests time and says he needs to make an injury replacement.  At the same time the HT decides to make a pitching change.  The injured kid comes limping off the field so I assume he slid wrong into second.  As he goes into the dugout he says something to his coaches and they yell to him "no you aren't going to do anything".  As I'm counting and watching the warm-up pitches I notice that the third base coach says something to the infielders of the other team.  When I hear them respond with "you need to talk to our coach not us", I walk up the third base line and hear the coach say something along the lines of accusing the pitcher of deliberately hitting his batter and that's not how the game is played.  I immediately say "zip it, I'll handle this" to the players.  I then tell the coach not to talk to the players on the other team.  He mumbles something about "Yeah they act all tough now that you come over".

 

Really?  Can you be any more immature coach?

 

As I went back to start the game back up I contemplated whether I should have issues bench warnings or anything.  I think I handled it fine.  I'm assuming if another batter got hit on either side and I felt there was intent then I would issue bench warnings?  We were playing FED rules, which I'm less familiar with any changes in the last few years.

[mstaylor]

If you pass on warnings, any more suspicious hitting just eject.<br /><br />Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2<br /><br />

[BigUmpire]

Once you hear some trash talk ANYWHERE warn both sides NOW.

You MAY have waited TOO long.

Then if anyone just squeaks- run them.

[blue23ll]

Several years ago I did a JV game solo. I didn't know it at the time but the two teams, the two coaches and even the parents had been feuding all year. I had an EJ for an intentional hit batter, warnings for coaches talking to the other team and a warning for fake tag obstruction. I even had an altercation with the ejected pitchers mother in the parking lot. Had I not warned continually during the game who know how it might have deteriorated.

[NFUA_44]

Scott;

I think you handled the situation just fine, for a 7-0 ball game, just know that in a different setting (especially at this age level) things can get dicey quick.  I have often found that when their up above the 14 y/o area it's best to nip it in the bud with warnings early.  It will often times let them know that the sheriff is in town and watching what's going on.

 

Just my

[stl_ump]

As an aside... don't be so quick to judger a book by its cover...

 

"He shows up in a wrinkled powder blue shirt with a white shirt underneath that has some picture showing through clearly."

 

I'm pretty sure most of started out as rookies and had someone show us the ropes.  From your description he did pretty well. "He had two bangers at first and nailed both of them from what I could tell."  Seems he just needs some guidence from a kind veteran.

[umpire_scott]

As an aside... don't be so quick to judger a book by its cover...

 

"He shows up in a wrinkled powder blue shirt with a white shirt underneath that has some picture showing through clearly."

 

I'm pretty sure most of started out as rookies and had someone show us the ropes.  From your description he did pretty well. "He had two bangers at first and nailed both of them from what I could tell."  Seems he just needs some guidence from a kind veteran.

 

I agree.  But  would have at lease turned the t-shirt inside out and run a quick iron over the shirt.  It literally looked like he pulled it from the bottom of an overstuffed hamper.  I remember when I first started umpiring and I never came to the field looking like that.  In his defense he was much younger than when I started.