Coach Fustration

[SteveJ]

Some of the schools around here do not have the resources to have freshman baseball teams so a local league has started one. It’s kind of like club ball for high school. It’s usually very competitive.  They also have, later on in the year a JV/Var league.

 

Yesterday I worked two games. The first one was a 9-7 slug-fest.

 

The second game…well…it wasn’t as close. Unfortunately I was working the plate. The team that had won the first game against a different team was up 22-0 in the 2^nd inning when I hear from the coach in the losing teams dugout, “Come on Steve you are calling those pitches strikes for the other teamâ€. I’ve known this coach for a few seasons and have never had to eject him before (I don’t think that he has ever been pounded so badly) so I call time, take my mask off, walk toward the dugout and say, “Jim, you really don’t want to go there.† He quickly says, “I’m sorry Steve†and shuts up. 

 

There have been times when I have ejected a coach for saying what he did to me but for some reason I had just started to enjoy Jim’s misery.

 

I know that I have worked enough of Jim’s games that he knows that I have a pretty liberal strike zone at this level and if there’s any way possible I call every pitch a strike.  I just love the sound of that word… Strike!  I like the sound of “Out†better but strike is pretty nice too.

 

Third inning, 26-1, Jim says, “That team has no class!†If it’s loud enough for me to hear it then my bet is that the other side heard it too.  So I call “time†again, mask off, walk closer to Jim and say, “knock it off Jimâ€.  Jim says, “I know, I know†and just hangs his head. 

 

This is really starting to be fun…I’m sorry, I’ll work my issues out with my shrink on Monday.

 

Bottom of 4, score only 28-1, Jim says to me, “Steve, can this be our last at bat?† I want to grab Big Jim and hug him.  “Yes, Jim, it can beâ€.

 

Four innings in 2:15……..

[UMP45]

You walked over to the dug out 2 times too many!

[SteveJ]

Like I said in my OP, normally the first comment he made would have gotten him tossed but then it would have been over for him while I would have still been out there suffering.  He was so frustrated with his team that it was comical. I've never seen him nor heard of him acting that way before.  Every error that his team made, and there were numerous errors, would bring out moans and cries like a wounded animal.  You HTBT to appreciate it. I didn't want him to go...... I was having 2 much fun watching him. 

[blue23ll]

"Jim, if I have to suffer through this, SO do you, so  pipe down!"

[Replacematt]

As I learned, it really doesn't matter to me if the coach suffers or not. However, if I'm suffering, and he's there to add to it, it makes my suffering worse. 

 

That's why I obliged a coach who got tossed at 8:45 AM and 93 degrees in my first of three. I knew it was his last game, and I'd be damned if I was going to have him making me suffer anymore than the heat and time were going to. He wanted to go sit on the bus with the AC--hey, not my issue.

[tjwoelfel13]

Sometimes the greater punishment is to make them stay.

[SteveJ]

As I learned, it really doesn't matter to me if the coach suffers or not. However, if I'm suffering, and he's there to add to it, it makes my suffering worse. 

 

That's why I obliged a coach who got tossed at 8:45 AM and 93 degrees in my first of three. I knew it was his last game, and I'd be damned if I was going to have him making me suffer anymore than the heat and time were going to. He wanted to go sit on the bus with the AC--hey, not my issue.

I see

[noumpere]

 â€œCome on Steve you are calling those pitches strikes for the other teamâ€.

 

Third inning, 26-1, Jim says, “That team has no class!â€

 

While I agree those comments need to be addressed, neither rises any where near the level of an EJ (by themselves, and depending on what else might have been happening in the game)

[mbrown2097]

You don't have to go looking for an EJ.  It'll find you!!!  Don't be eager and Don't have rabbit ears.  It'll be obvious when it's time.

[SteveJ]

 

 â€œCome on Steve you are calling those pitches strikes for the other teamâ€.

 

Third inning, 26-1, Jim says, “That team has no class!â€

 

While I agree those comments need to be addressed, neither rises any where near the level of an EJ (by themselves, and depending on what else might have been happening in the game)

 

While I agree with you 100% on the comment in the third inning I usually tend to be a little less tolerant when a coach yells out of his dugout, loud enough to be heard by everyone, questioning my integrity.  Sure, it's not up there with comments like "You suck" but it is still personal. I never make it personal and I expect the coaches to act the same way.

 

I think that one of the problems in baseball (and other sports) is a lack of respect toward the officials. Disrespect comes from players and parents taught to be disrespectful by the actions of coaches (as well as what they see on TV). I guess it's a different world now where being disrespected by coaches, parents, and players is expected and tolerated. 

[BuckeyeMike]

I cannot believe how the reactions of the players and fans are influenced by the reactions of the coach(es).   It's amazing.   If I were a psychology major, I would do my thesis on this phenomenon.     If you can control the coach, you control the fans and players (for the most part). 

 

About how you handled the comments....   I've been told that when you take your mask off and address foul behavior, there's really nowhere else to go on the next one....it's almost certainly an EJ.   Certainly not "always", but usually.   I respect that you have a history with this coach and dealt with the comments accordingly, but I would caution you about going straight to taking off the mask at the drop of a hat.

 

Just my experiences and 2 cents.

[SteveJ]

I cannot believe how the reactions of the players and fans are influenced by the reactions of the coach(es).   It's amazing.   If I were a psychology major, I would do my thesis on this phenomenon.     If you can control the coach, you control the fans and players (for the most part). 

 

About how you handled the comments....   I've been told that when you take your mask off and address foul behavior, there's really nowhere else to go on the next one....it's almost certainly an EJ.   Certainly not "always", but usually.   I respect that you have a history with this coach and dealt with the comments accordingly, but I would caution you about going straight to taking off the mask at the drop of a hat.

 

Just my experiences and 2 cents.

 

I cannot believe how the reactions of the players and fans are influenced by the reactions of the coach(es).   It's amazing.   If I were a psychology major, I would do my thesis on this phenomenon.     If you can control the coach, you control the fans and players (for the most part). 

 

About how you handled the comments....   I've been told that when you take your mask off and address foul behavior, there's really nowhere else to go on the next one....it's almost certainly an EJ.   Certainly not "always", but usually.   I respect that you have a history with this coach and dealt with the comments accordingly, but I would caution you about going straight to taking off the mask at the drop of a hat.

 

Just my experiences and 2 cents.

I've been taught that once you warn a coach, with or without your mask on, the next step is to eject him if the problem continues.  I do not understand the difference between warnings with or without your mask being on.

[Jocko]

My first reaction is a hard look. Possibly a knock it off, depending on the situation. Once I remove my mask, he's warned.@SteveJ

[SteveJ]

My first reaction is a hard look. Possibly a knock it off, depending on the situation. Once I remove my mask, he's warned.@SteveJ

The coach's first comment in my OP was a negative comment directed personally to me. That's a lot different than some chirping from the dugout.  How would you have handled that comment?

 

So let's say that I'm going to use your method of handling "generic" chirping. I would first look at the coach? Second I would say "knock it off"? If it continues I would do what? Do you do all of this while the ball is "live"?

 

Here's how I handle non-personal comments from the dugout. When I first hear the comments I too look over at the dugout. I looking to see if I can identify who is making the comments.  Assuming that the coach is aware that making comments like that is against the rules and also assuming that he is paying attention to the fact that I have held up action to look over at his dugout, he should beware of three things; (1) I heard the comments, (2) I am looking for who is responsible (ultimately the coach is responsible for it), and (3) He needs to make sure that it stops.

 

IF I feel that if a warning is necessary, I call "Time" (because I don't want to turn my attention away from possible "live ball" action), I remove my mask, take a couple of steps toward the dugout and say something like this, "Jim, you need to knock that off". By using Jim's name I now have Jim's attention and by removing my mask Jim has no doubt that I am looking at him because he can see my eyes.  If it doesn't stop the next, and final step, is an ejection.  I rarely have an ejection.... With the exception noted below.

 

Recently the league I work for has started running 10U to 12U seasons. We had a lot of "club ball" teams join up. As part of the leagues umpire development program our less experienced officials worked these games with a more experienced official there to guide them, all part of their training.  As one of the trainer/evaluators I worked at least 2 games in these age ranges every weekend and observed many others.  I found that the coaches, parents, and players were on average the rudest, loudest, least baseball knowledgeable people that I had ever worked with.  Our league is conducted under strict rules pertaining to conduct. Teams, coaches, and players are fined, suspended and even banned from the league if warranted.

 

I (and all of the experienced umpires) had more ejections during this first season then we have in a long time.  It took a few weeks but slowly everyone's behavior began to improve. By the end of their first season games were running much more smoothly.