Just looking for a little feedback

[mtnump]

We had our Association meeting on Monday night and the topic of ejections came up. It seems that I have 25% of the ejections in the state to this point in the HS season. There was talk of not wanting anyone to get labeled a redass, etc. by having too many ejections. I will present to you in hopes of some constructive feedback as I work in an area that is EJ averse.

EJ #1. I am U1,R1 at 1B gets picked off and ends up in a rundown. Is run back and forth several times until he is finally tagged out going back to 1B by F6. The tag involved F6 diving and tagging the runner on the hip after which both ended up on the ground with R1 on top. As F6 attempts to get up, R1 definitely is impeding F6 and F6 is getting agitated. I step in from the working area, and give a "That's enough!" Both players comply, untangle and get to their feet. F6 is turning toward the mound to get the ball back to F1, while R1 gets up, takes a step towards 1B and then turns around, takes 2 full steps and shoves F4 (standing next to F6) in the back with both hands. I immediately state "You're gone!" Partner comes over from foul territory/1B line and we confirm we have and out and an EJ for MC.

EJ #2. Same partner, JV game 3 days later. I am U1 again. HT HC has switched the starting pitcher and F3 to begin the second inning. After struggling for a couple of batters, HC just hollers out from the dugout for them to switch back. VT AC says from the dugout, "He can't do that!" I ignore. He starts heading for the dugout opening and says it again. This time I respond calmly, "Sure he can." His response is "You need to read the rulebook. I know it is just a JV game, but you can't do that." I have the stop sign up and am heading to the VT HC who is coaching 3B to tell him to rein in his AC or they will both be restricted. I never got to have that conversation as AC from the dugout entrance says "Anything you have to say, you can say to me." I respond, "I will talk with the HC." AC continues that he won't stop talking unless I want to talk to him directly. I look at him and "You are gone." He then comes out of the dugout to tell me that I am wrong, I need to read the rulebook and we can exchange emails regarding this after the game. My response was "Coach, you need to leave the field."

#3. Huge rivalry game, same partner, I am U1(I am sensing a pattern!). Altercation at the plate that my partner is dealing with while I stand back to see who else enters the fray. On deck batter drops his bat and heads for the plate. No other players get involved, PU has no EJ's, but issues warnings to both dugouts. I dump the kid for leaving his position at the on deck circle. Heavy snow 3 pitches later cause us to suspend game with new date of 4/3 for resumption.

My self critique is that I may have given the JV Coach too much rope. The other 2 are by the book.

Sorry for the long post.

[Lala]

There are a few things we could look at to explain the situation:

1. You are ejecting too many people

2. Others aren't ejecting enough

3. It just so happens that there were some ejectable offenses in your games

 

Hopefully they didn't single you out at the meeting with the 25% statistic without so much as a explanation of the situations that warranted the ejections. 

 I never like to toss someone (the paperwork sucks) but if it's necessary, it's necessary.  I think your ejections were all warranted.  The AC from #2 did it to himself and the HC should have stepped in sooner when you told him to.  #1 and #3 seem pretty legit as well.  

 

In the end, you're the one who was at the game and saw what you saw.  If you believe there were no other options, I don't think anyone can fault you for making the calls that you did.  

[UmpJM]

mtnup,

 

Congratulations on your prestigious accomplishment! 25% of the state total is very impressive.... 

 

OK, you were there and I wasn't, so I hope you'll take this as constructive.

 

While all 3 ejects ultimately seem warranted, I can't help but wonder if a little more proactive "preventative umpiring" might have defused these situations before they escalated to the point where the ejection was warranted.

 

#1. I couldn't tell from your description how close you got to the involved players when you "stepped in from the working area", but when opponents get tangled up like that, tempers are liable to be on edge. I like to get in between the players as they separate, saying something along the lines of "...everybody OK here?" or something like that, and closely observing everyone's behavior and self-control. If you do that, they've got to go through/around you to get at their opponent, and sometimes just your presence in the immediate vicinity can influence the players not to do something stupid. (If the players are ALREADY "getting into it", I would not step in between them.

 

#2. I'm good with the ignore on the first comment from the AC. On the 2nd, I am emphatically calling "TIME!" and engaging the Head Coach about his assistant's behavior, and asking him if he has a concern about the defensive switch, which I would be happy to address with him. Your "sure he can" comment to the AC could easily be perceived as antagonistic and can only escalate rather than defuse the situation.

 

#3. How close were you when you were "standing back" to observe? My point is, you should be close enough that you can hear what's going on with your partner and, as soon as you saw the OD batter drop his bat, you could sternly warn him to "Stay right there!" Maybe he would have continued, maybe he would have stopped. At least you would have tried.

 

Kudos to you for coming here to get some feedback. As I said, you were there and I wasn't, and it's possible doing the things I suggest wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference.

 

In my personal experience, it's often something I could have done early on in the situation that might have been more effective in calming rather than exacerbating a volatile situation.

 

JM

[Replacematt]

Due to this thread and me looking up the relevant rules, I have realized that I have to eject a player that goes to the bathroom while there's a fight.

[Jocko]

@mtnump - @UmpJM is spot on. Yoda has spoken. Long live the Jedi Master :notworthy:

[maven]

So you have 3 EJ and the state total is 12? I'd ignore that: the sample size is too small to be significant. If you end the season and still have 25%, at that point you should worry.

 

You might go 3 seasons before your next EJ.

[Kevin_K]

When HC is acting as a base coach, I have a real hard time hearing anything from the bench. Maybe my hearing is starting to go.

 

AC's deserve nothing more than a dismissive STFU stare, unless they request me to punch their ticket. In this case he did, and you obliged. Kudos!

[mtnump]

Thanks for the comments gentlemen. I am hoping it is Lala's #3 that is the case and I just happened to have been assigned to the games where trouble has occurred. It gets frustrating at times because the guys I work with think ejections are a bad thing. I certainly don't go looking for them, but I am not afraid to go there if warranted. The only one that bothers me is the night between 2 and 3 where I should have tossed another kid for MC and didn't...

Yoda brings up some great points to file away for future reference and I will work to be more pro-active in trying to diffuse some of these situations in the future...

[SanDiegoSteve]

Maybe it's your partner. Seems to be a pattern, like you said. Are you working the continued game with him today? Good luck with that!

 

It really sounds like some weak ass chicken shat umpires where you live if they are concerned that you have 3 ejections, and that only 12 people statewide have gotten the heave-ho.

 

Must be that legal marijuana.

[mtnump]

Same partner, wrong date...next Thursday. The state looks unfavorably on too many EJ's. There is no such concern with things in football or basketball, which I also officiate.

This partner always says, "I was going to run him if you didn't." So far in 3 years of HS ball 4 of my 5 EJ's have been with him as partner and he hasn't got any. As in at all...

[DVA7130]

You lost me at heavy snow..

[tjwoelfel13]

Maybe you should step back a bit and see if he stays with his word and throws them.  

[PGOLDEN88]

Due to this thread and me looking up the relevant rules, I have realized that I have to eject a player that goes to the bathroom while there's a fight.

If he's already in the bathroom when the fight starts, when he leaves he's gone for leaving his position.

[Don]

EJ#1 is good, for unsportsmanslike conduct or initiating a fight, but not MC.

EJ#2, ignore assistant's remarks until it is time to dump them for remarks. Any coach, HC or Asst who says to me that I need to read the rules is a goner.

EJ#3, not enough info. What is an "altercation?".  Your partner did not dump anyone involved in this altercation, but you dump someone who drops his bat in the on deck and starts that way. If the altercation was in fact a fight then the parties involved are dumped along with anyone who joins in.