First ejection of the year

[ump570]

Usually, I umpire 13U and above when I do travel ball; however, last weekend I was asked to do a 10U tournament because there was a shortage of umpires at that age group and I was able to get 13 games. I agreed to umpire 10U. I forgot how insane coaches and parents can be at that age.

 

The entire first day of the tournament things were pretty quiet. Mostly because there weren't that many close calls. Well, in the last game of the day, teams are tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.

 

Situation: 0 out, BR hits a slow grounder between first and second base about 10-20 feet from the bag. The runner was fast so this was going to be a whacker. I'm PU. I get up the line and trail the runner. BR gets to the bag just as F3 does a hook slide to get to the bag in an attempt to make the play. The play was very close. My partner sets up, does everything right, and makes the call, "Out!".Well, here we go. The offensive team goes ballistic. Parents are screaming, coaches are jumping around and yelling in the dugout; somehwat over the top behavior. But not too bad yet.  All of a sudden, a older gentleman in the stands jumps up and shouts, "Come on BLUE! You F#@$% Suck! You F@#$% Suck!" I don't ever get involved with the crowd, but these were 10 year old kids and everyone could hear this guy. He was right on top of us. It's an old minor league ballpark and the guy was sitting next to the OT's dugout and right behind the plate area.  There were no directors close by to see the guy, so I turned told him to knock it off. Well, he tells me, "Shut the hell up Blue and Call F@#@#$% Balls and Strikes! Whoosh! I say, "These are 10 year old kids and they don't need to hear that language. You gotta go." Well, now I'm the bad guy. Everybody starts letting me have it. Screaming and yelling, going completely nuts, telling me I have rabbit ears, the whole nine yards. I just ignore and go back to work. If these had been older players, I would have gotten the tournament director, but I felt that in this case the ejection was appropriate.

 

Anyway, I just don't understand why these people act this way. The kids are great. They were polite and most were more mature than their own parents.  They were having fun and making great plays. The baseball was fantastic; but the parents, and many of the coaches were just out of control. I'm doing 10U and 12U again this weekend so I'm hoping things are quieter. Do any of you guys have a way of deterring this sort of thing before it starts? For example, is it appropriate to emphasize sportsmanship and explain to the coaches that if they have a question to call time and only the head coach can discuss a call with the umpire who made the call. Often, at this level, you have 2 and 3 coaches sharp shooting from the dugout or jumping around yelling and trying to argue calls. I always shut them down and say, "First of all, the only person I'm talking to about this play is the head coach. Everyone else needs to stop talking and get back in the dugout, coaches box, etc." I've been umpiring for 3 years so I'm still learning a lot about game management. I'm getting better every year, but I always like to hear feedback.

[scrounge]

Absolutely nothing you say or do beforehand will prevent them from acting this way, you just gotta handle the circus when the clowns decide to perform

[grayhawk]

Many youth tournaments place the responsibility for fan behavior on the coach's shoulders. If that's the case, then tell the coach to handle the problem in the stands or he (the coach) will be ejected. If the fan wants to get his kid's coach ejected, then so be it.

[VAUmp]

They behave this way because they are so invested in the team.  Tournament fees of $500+ every weekend, Majestic uniforms, customized team batting helmets, embroidered team locker bags (with at least 2, $200+ bats sticking out of each).  These parents (stupidly) pay THOUSANDS of dollars for their kid to be on these "elite" teams.  

They've dropped 3-4 grand over the spring/summer for little Jimmy to be on this team (which they have to, or he won't get drafted by the Yankees at age 17).  That is why they are NUTS!  

Just my $0.02

[ALStripes17]

Usually, I umpire 13U and above when I do travel ball; however, last weekend I was asked to do a 10U tournament because there was a shortage of umpires at that age group and I was able to get 13 games. I agreed to umpire 10U. I forgot how insane coaches and parents can be at that age.

The entire first day of the tournament things were pretty quiet. Mostly because there weren't that many close calls. Well, in the last game of the day, teams are tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.

Situation: 0 out, BR hits a slow grounder between first and second base about 10-20 feet from the bag. The runner was fast so this was going to be a whacker. I'm PU. I get up the line and trail the runner. BR gets to the bag just as F3 does a hook slide to get to the bag in an attempt to make the play. The play was very close. My partner sets up, does everything right, and makes the call, "Out!".Well, here we go. The offensive team goes ballistic. Parents are screaming, coaches are jumping around and yelling in the dugout; somehwat over the top behavior. But not too bad yet. All of a sudden, a older gentleman in the stands jumps up and shouts, "Come on BLUE! You F#@$% Suck! You F@#$% Suck!" I don't ever get involved with the crowd, but these were 10 year old kids and everyone could hear this guy. He was right on top of us. It's an old minor league ballpark and the guy was sitting next to the OT's dugout and right behind the plate area. There were no directors close by to see the guy, so I turned told him to knock it off. Well, he tells me, "Shut the hell up Blue and Call F@#@#$% Balls and Strikes! Whoosh! I say, "These are 10 year old kids and they don't need to hear that language. You gotta go." Well, now I'm the bad guy. Everybody starts letting me have it. Screaming and yelling, going completely nuts, telling me I have rabbit ears, the whole nine yards. I just ignore and go back to work. If these had been older players, I would have gotten the tournament director, but I felt that in this case the ejection was appropriate.

Anyway, I just don't understand why these people act this way. The kids are great. They were polite and most were more mature than their own parents. They were having fun and making great plays. The baseball was fantastic; but the parents, and many of the coaches were just out of control. I'm doing 10U and 12U again this weekend so I'm hoping things are quieter. Do any of you guys have a way of deterring this sort of thing before it starts? For example, is it appropriate to emphasize sportsmanship and explain to the coaches that if they have a question to call time and only the head coach can discuss a call with the umpire who made the call. Often, at this level, you have 2 and 3 coaches sharp shooting from the dugout or jumping around yelling and trying to argue calls. I always shut them down and say, "First of all, the only person I'm talking to about this play is the head coach. Everyone else needs to stop talking and get back in the dugout, coaches box, etc." I've been umpiring for 3 years so I'm still learning a lot about game management. I'm getting better every year, but I always like to hear feedback.

Standard operation: we have no authority over the stands as umpires.

When a fan becomes that belligerent, you would be amazed at how quickly a TD shows up when you stop a game from resuming until the situation is handled.

[BigUmpire]

"When a fan becomes that belligerent, you would be amazed at how quickly a TD shows up when you stop a game from resuming until the situation is handled."

Not at most USSSA tournaments here in Georgia.

TD will see who the coach is and ask you to be nicer to him and his fans because the TD needs the money. Baseball whores!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ALStripes17]

"When a fan becomes that belligerent, you would be amazed at how quickly a TD shows up when you stop a game from resuming until the situation is handled."

Not at most USSSA tournaments here in Georgia.

TD will see who the coach is and ask you to be nicer to him and his fans because the TD needs the money. Baseball whores!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No no no, I didn't mean that the TD would do anything about it. I just mean he will magically appear when baseball stops being played on one of the fields.

[StrikeToWin]

When we have a fan that has become belligerent in our area, we first warn the coach to get his fans under control and let him know that if we have to toss a fan, then the head coach goes with them.  Parents and fans are the coach's responsibility and foul language and abusive language to umpires, other parents, coaches or players is not tolerated.

[BigUmpire]

"When a fan becomes that belligerent, you would be amazed at how quickly a TD shows up when you stop a game from resuming until the situation is handled."

Not at most USSSA tournaments here in Georgia.

TD will see who the coach is and ask you to be nicer to him and his fans because the TD needs the money. Baseball whores!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No no no, I didn't mean that the TD would do anything about it. I just mean he will magically appear when baseball stops being played on one of the fields.

So true !

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Majordave]

@BigUmpire

@ALStripes17

 

I'm with you guys.  I had that happen last year, the first time I did 60' baseball for that year (I usually do one or two 60' tourneys a year to "keep it real" and get a dose of the reality of youth baseball) and had a discussion with a coach about his players staying in the box and that I would not give them time on every pitch. He argued with me and I told him it was enough, go back to his dugout.  He went and got the TD, a 400+ pounder, who called me over to the fence to tell me to be nicer, "These people paid a lot of money to be here" or I wouldn't be working anymore tournaments for his organization.  Mind you these were 10 year olds and it was about 10:30 PM on a Saturday night.  WTF?  

 

The parents were the least of my concern but they were out of control and over the top too.  I think the kids had enough but they are just kids.  What can they do when their parents are so overbearing.

 

It is way out of control and the TD's and the parents are always the root cause of the problem.

 

@VAUmp

 

You've nailed it. To quote Nelly the rapper "It must be the money!"   I see a marked difference in the behavior of the wealthy parent-fans (bad) versus the lower income parent-fans.  We have some RBI teams that play in tournaments in the area and they are very well behaved (when they attend)  Sadly, some of the teams and games we only have coaches with the players.

 

The financial status often gives those with money a sense of entitlement and privilege.  I saw it as  Defense attorney and Prosecutor (extremely demanding clients/defendants when they are wealthy) and as an umpire.  

 

The divide gets larger and larger in my opinion.  I get a smug sense of self-satisfaction when the RBI teams win a game versus a team outfitted as VAUmp describes with all the matching, embroidered, custom crap.

 

Sad state of affairs but it usually evens out in the upper ages and echelons.  Maybe all the poor kids get out or the parents mellow or the players have enough guts to tell their parent-fans to STFU.  I know that once a player (catcher) asked me if I could throw the fat, loud MFing coach out.  (It was his father, hahaha.) The kid (18 yo Legion player) was serious.

[BigUmpire]

@BigUmpire

@ALStripes17

 

I'm with you guys.  I had that happen last year, the first time I did 60' baseball for that year (I usually do one or two 60' tourneys a year to "keep it real" and get a dose of the reality of youth baseball) and had a discussion with a coach about his players staying in the box and that I would not give them time on every pitch. He argued with me and I told him it was enough, go back to his dugout.  He went and got the TD, a 400+ pounder, who called me over to the fence to tell me to be nicer, "These people paid a lot of money to be here" or I wouldn't be working anymore tournaments for his organization.  Mind you these were 10 year olds and it was about 10:30 PM on a Saturday night.  WTF?  

 

The parents were the least of my concern but they were out of control and over the top too.  I think the kids had enough but they are just kids.  What can they do when their parents are so overbearing.

 

It is way out of control and the TD's and the parents are always the root cause of the problem.

 

@VAUmp

 

You've nailed it. To quote Nelly the rapper "It must be the money!"   I see a marked difference in the behavior of the wealthy parent-fans (bad) versus the lower income parent-fans.  We have some RBI teams that play in tournaments in the area and they are very well behaved (when they attend)  Sadly, some of the teams and games we only have coaches with the players.

 

The financial status often gives those with money a sense of entitlement and privilege.  I saw it as  Defense attorney and Prosecutor (extremely demanding clients/defendants when they are wealthy) and as an umpire.  

 

The divide gets larger and larger in my opinion.  I get a smug sense of self-satisfaction when the RBI teams win a game versus a team outfitted as VAUmp describes with all the matching, embroidered, custom crap.

 

Sad state of affairs but it usually evens out in the upper ages and echelons.  Maybe all the poor kids get out or the parents mellow or the players have enough guts to tell their parent-fans to STFU.  I know that once a player (catcher) asked me if I could throw the fat, loud MFing coach out.  (It was his father, hahaha.) The kid (18 yo Legion player) was serious.

 

 

 

Was this a USSSA Tournament?

[Majordave]

For the 60' baseball story-They called the organization Tournament Of Champions (TOC) but I think that was the local company playing under U-Trip rules and umbrella.

The 90' baseball story was a Legion tourney.

Why do you ask?

[TStokes97]

People saying umps have no authority over the stands are wrong, At that age group its MY FIELD AND MY PARK during gametime I have power to heave anyone in MY FIELD OR PARK if I feel its necessary for me to do so

[BigUmpire]

For the 60' baseball story-They called the organization Tournament Of Champions (TOC) but I think that was the local company playing under U-Trip rules and umbrella.

The 90' baseball story was a Legion tourney.

Why do you ask?

USSSA is all about the money!

[SoCal Lurker]

At the moment I'm lucky with the low-key travel ball team my kid plays with.  When the ump blows a call (or people think he did), we don't get screaming from our coach or our parents -- one parent turns to another, "he was safe, wasn't he,"  "yeah, ump must not have seen the foot come off the bag" "oh well, shame we don't have two today."  (OK, occaisonally someone does, but it's unusual -- quite a bit more enjoyable for the kids, and not teaching them to blame the umps.  I really like having a coach who would never say, "we were playing against 10 today...")

[Majordave]

@BigUmpire

Aren't most of them? In fact, I've found out in my nearly 52 years on this earth that almost everything for almost everyone is the money.

Sad, but true.

I'm not against money but it is not the reason I get up in the morning or the primary motivation for anything I do.

I know. I'm weird. I've known it for a long time.

[BigUmpire]

@BigUmpire

Aren't most of them? In fact, I've found out in my nearly 52 years on this earth that almost everything for almost everyone is the money.

Sad, but true.

I'm not against money but it is not the reason I get up in the morning or the primary motivation for anything I do.

I know. I'm weird. I've known it for a long time.

Most are

I would like to be a TD BUT I know how most organizations work AND I would sacrifice money for quality of play and ALWAYS back up the umps on the field.

I might stick my foot up his ass after the game, in private BUT never in front of anyone else.

 

[grayhawk]

People saying umps have no authority over the stands are wrong, At that age group its MY FIELD AND MY PARK during gametime I have power to heave anyone in MY FIELD OR PARK if I feel its necessary for me to do so

 

This attitude will get you INTO more trouble than it will get you OUT of.

[TStokes97]

People saying umps have no authority over the stands are wrong, At that age group its MY FIELD AND MY PARK during gametime I have power to heave anyone in MY FIELD OR PARK if I feel its necessary for me to do so

This attitude will get you INTO more trouble than it will get you OUT of.It just means I HAVE power not that I will USE that power. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7yeA7a0uS3A

[bam]

Just an off-hand question. If this is an old MiLB park, how are 10 year olds playing on it?

[TStokes97]

Just an off-hand question. If this is an old MiLB park, how are 10 year olds playing on it?

I would imagne they brought the base holes in, maybe moved walls to put 2 fields in the park

[BigUmpire]

New bumper sticker:

 

"Absolutely nothing you say or do beforehand will prevent them from acting this way, you just gotta handle the circus when the clowns decide to perform."- scrounge

 

 

 

Thanks

@scrounge

[ump570]

Just an off-hand question. If this is an old MiLB park, how are 10 year olds playing on it?

It's in Allentown pa. Most weekends the stadium is used by 90 foot divisions 13u and above, but about twice a year they set it up for the little guys. The kids love it. Fortunately, we have great td's who have always backed me. The reason I tossed this guy was because the Td was far away and this guy was letting f-bombs fly left and right in front of 10 year old kids. I felt this behavior was extreme enough for me to get involved.