MABL San Luis Obispo Spring 2014 Playoffs

[805BLUEsaysTWOOO]

 I've battled shoulder/elbow problems since I was 13 and just accepted the fact that I'm not getting any younger and my playing days were behind me. So to stay in the game I love, I continued umping and coaching my kids teams, just like my dad did for me.  So a a few friends of mine whom are coaching in the same little league, tell me about a mens baseball league locally. Long story short after 13 years off, I returned to the diamond this past fall and just finished the spring league, summer starts in a few weeks. Anyway, my team goes into last sunday's playoffs as the #1 seed and its a single elimination 4 team playoff. We are playing a team known for their bad attitudes and had just recently been allowed back into the league.  Fast forward to the top of the 5th inning, I'm playing third base, bases loaded and the visiting team is ahead 7-3. F1 isn't watching the runners, I'm watching R3 creeping down the line and he makes a break for home just as F1 starts his wind up, I yell "runner 4! 4!" and F1 speeds up his delivery and throws to F2 who makes a clean tag R3 OUT end of the inning.  VT dugout erupts and wants a BALK called, base ump says there was no balk. R3 and the F2 from visiting team continue their objections directing all kinds of profanities at the umpires. VT takes the field and we are coming up to bat, VT F2 proceeds to kick all of his teams bats out onto the field along with saying "BULLSH*# CALLS" yada yada I'm a baby. F2 makes his way to warm up F1 and the base ump had had enough and sternly warns him to pipe down or he's gone. F2 responds with "F*** YOU!" really loud, U2 dumps him on the spot. At that point U2 imo should have turned and walked away but he didn't and he and F2 proceeded for about 5-6 minutes to go face to face screaming at the top of their lungs at each other "your gone!" "F*** YOU!" VT is really fired up and 2 more players are tossed for going after U2. Meanwhile my team and I are sitting in the dugout in total disbelief that this was happening.  So since they only had 9 players to start the game, take away 3 morons, sorry you can't finish the game in which you were leading the undefeated #1 team and obviously had the momentum. Not the way we wanted to win but what the hell is the matter with people. There is no place for that kind of crap in baseball or any sport. This guy basically handed the game away because of a call that was made correctly and he didn't like it.  Anyway the league President was there announcing the game and running the score board, so needless to say that that those players will be banned for life and that team is no longer with us. We came back that night and played a really good team and it was a really fun championship game which we won 4-2. Umpires were on point with all of their calls, both teams shook hands at the end, all in all a strange, long, satisfying day at the ball park.   

[Majordave]

Interesting story.  Thanks for sharing.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of Adult Baseball.  I had always heard nightmare stories about it and I have observed MSBL/MABL games in one city-Louisville, KY when I was coaching 16-17 travel baseball.   Saw an event like you describe.  It was ugly.  Totally out of control.  Vowed to never try to play in it or watch it again and avoided taking my team to a park where Men' League baseball was played.

 

Fast forward about ten years and I move to KC area.  My college assigner also assigns men's league for KC MSBL/MABL and he offered me games working with college partners.  It was mostly active college umpires or former college level umpires or really good, really mature, seeking to become college umpires who work this league (Which is actually 4 leagues-18U, 25U, 35U and 45U).  I work all the levels and have only had a couple of ejections and only seen a couple more in four years of working it. Just started the 5th season.    The league president is a very strong personality who administrates, umpires in all 4 leagues and plays in the 45+ league sometimes.  He is a big dog in the national organization and spends almost all of every October in Arizona at the MSBL/MABL World Series.  He does not allow a bunch of crazy stuff.  Nor do any of the umpires who are all experienced, trained and mature.

 

That is how I see it-the League administrator or board has to have a no BS policy and the umpires have to be competent, professional, experienced and work hard.  Without that it would probably what I observed in Louisville in the early 2000's.

 

My .02............