EJ Warranted?

[csaump]

2 man crew on a 10U All-Star Game...I am the BU

 

Top of 3rd Inning, batter gets hit in the head by a pitch, but makes in attempt to swing imo. after consulting with the PU, we ruled it a dad ball strike and called the kid back from first base.  This obviously did not make anybody happy with me bc all they saw was the batter get hit in the head and me call a strike. Manager and first base coach argued for a while with my partner and me, then let it go.  The parents in the stands didn't stop making comments about me for the rest of the game. 

 

Now Mid 5, and we are approaching the 2 hour time limit (Rule book cleary stated 6 innings or 2 hours, whichever came first). Apparently, the commisioner had come and told the coaches that it would be 6 innings with no time limit, but hadnt bothered to stick around to inform us...

Our training is to enforce the rule book unless our asignor tells us otherwise. As i was explaining this to the manager of the VT (the team whose kid got hit) this is the convo:

 

Me:Coach, unless a league official instructs me otherwise, i have to enforce the rule book,

 

VT Manager: Does it say in the rule book that if a kid gets hit in the head its a strike?

 

Me; Coach if you bring that up again i will eject you. we are done.

 

If i had it to do over, i probably would have EJd for that.  Thoughts?

[Mike Prince]

How did the dead ball strike get called - did your partner appeal to you to ask what you had? Need more details around this.

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[Lala]

Was the commissioner on site?  If the was I would have just talked to him quick.  

 

As for the hit in the head comment, you could have responded with something like this, "Well, (insert coach's name here), the rule book does say that when a batter offers at a pitch, even if he is hit by that pitch, then it is a strike.  Now thats the end of that conversation..."

 

That being said, had you ejected him, I don't think that would have been out of line by any means.  

[BRUMP]

2 man crew on a 10U All-Star Game...I am the BU

 

Top of 3rd Inning, batter gets hit in the head by a pitch, but makes in attempt to swing imo. after consulting with the PU, we ruled it a dad ball strike and called the kid back from first base.  This obviously did not make anybody happy with me bc all they saw was the batter get hit in the head and me call a strike. Manager and first base coach argued for a while with my partner and me, then let it go.  The parents in the stands didn't stop making comments about me for the rest of the game. 

 

Now Mid 5, and we are approaching the 2 hour time limit (Rule book cleary stated 6 innings or 2 hours, whichever came first). Apparently, the commisioner had come and told the coaches that it would be 6 innings with no time limit, but hadnt bothered to stick around to inform us...

Our training is to enforce the rule book unless our asignor tells us otherwise. As i was explaining this to the manager of the VT (the team whose kid got hit) this is the convo:

 

Me:Coach, unless a league official instructs me otherwise, i have to enforce the rule book,

 

VT Manager: Does it say in the rule book that if a kid gets hit in the head its a strike?

 

Me; Coach if you bring that up again i will eject you. we are done.

 

If i had it to do over, i probably would have EJd for that.  Thoughts?

1. How did you confer with the PU on the swing? This should be a relatively quick procedure. PU: "Time, (point to you) did he go?" That should be the extent of any conferring regarding balls and strikes. 2. You say the manager and 1BC argued with you and your partner a little bit. First off get the AC out of any discussion/argument and get him to the coaches back, dugout, or parking lot rather quickly. Secondly, this still falls under the category of arguing balls and strikes. While the manager is entitled to an explanation at the first hint of an argument politely remind him that he is now disputing balls and strikes. 

3. If he made that comment to me he'd probably be done but he would def be warned at the very least and if he was warned earlier in the game, he's done

[renegadewolf]

Personally I wouldn't have an ejection here, the coach was I presume talking to you face to face as opposed to shouting across the field. I would however answer the question and then end the conversation. Anything after that would be a toss. Just as an aside, thats pretty hard ass imho to say a 10 year old was actually trying to swing and hit the ball when it was quite obviously flying at his head.

[bleacher_bum]

Personally I wouldn't have an ejection here, the coach was I presume talking to you face to face as opposed to shouting across the field. I would however answer the question and then end the conversation. Anything after that would be a toss. Just as an aside, thats pretty hard ass imho to say a 10 year old was actually trying to swing and hit the ball when it was quite obviously flying at his head.

I agree, and just having a hard time envisioning this.  His bat may have went thru the zone or whatever, but a pitched ball coming at his head would be difficult for me to say he "offered" at that pitch.  Especially a ten year old.

But nonetheless, I don't think the EJ was the right thing to do.  You handled it fine with telling him you're not going to talk about it.  If he goes further, then toss him.

Commissioner needs to make sure the full 6 innings/no time limit game is known to all prior to the start of the game, how could he have told the two teams managers and not the umpires?  Crazy...

[Mark Pepper]

HTBT because of what transpired in first play, but I don't think I have an EJ here.  But you have to admit that it was a pretty good line!  Of course, for plenty of coaches the price of cleverness is one-way trip to the bus.  

[csaump]

To respond to those curious...

The PU looked down to me, called time and motioned me in to confer because he believed it to be a swing but wasn't sure on the ruling.  I don't know if it was necessarily "hard-ass"...i enforce what the rule book says to enforce, no easier, no harder...but everyone is entiitled to their own opinions

[SteveJ]

To respond to those curious...

The PU looked down to me, called time and motioned me in to confer because he believed it to be a swing but wasn't sure on the ruling.  I don't know if it was necessarily "hard-ass"...i enforce what the rule book says to enforce, no easier, no harder...but everyone is entiitled to their own opinions

The question was asked earlier "How did the dead ball strike get called?

 

It appears from your OP that the PU didn't call it a dead ball strike initially. He let the BR go to 1B then called you in to confer.  So now you say "I have him offering at the ball" and your partner then calls it a dead ball strike and brings the kid back to bat. Yep, the coach will want an explanation and he deserves one..... from your partner, who's call it should have been.  When I say coach I mean the head coach, the guy who was at the plate meeting.  The other guy I do not talk to.... He will go away before any explanation begins.

[kstrunk]

Grateful for all the wisdom on the EJ, or not... but I've been watching 10 years olds swing at balls flying toward their faces for years! Not at all uncommon. I had one last night, but somehow it didn't him or his bat. 

[refump10]

Had it happen two weeks ago in a JV game. Pitch coming in, swing and miss, ball hits the batter's shoulder then his face!  Had to listen to two howler dads behind the screen for the next three innings moan about it.

[BillKen]

Manager: Is it in the book that its a strike when the kid gets hit in the head?

 

Me:  Yes coach...its a new rule this year.