My Best Ejection Story

[Wally]

I find I have to deal with this or my partners have to deal with this with lower level coaches. There are a couple of things I've done that help me they are to 1. Call more strikes and 2. Inform or remind coaches it is against the rules to argue balls and strikes. Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

[Bayou Hoosier Blue]

It sounds like to me that you baited the last two umpire's into getting ejected. The reason that you picked up the rule book off the ground and quoted rules is beyond me. You were clearing showing them up, and if I was one of those coaches you would had to eject me as well.

You have to let those guys be the one's to get themselves ejected. You shouldn't be helping escalate matters.

It's up to the umpires to keep law and order on the field. If you have one that feels that he needs to show up coaches, then he needs to go find something else to do with his time. If you were in my association and they heard about what you did, you would have been fined a games pay and suspended for a month. Possibly the remainder of the baseball season.

[Bayou Hoosier Blue]

By the way....an illegal pitch is a ball with no runners on the base. If there are runners on base when an illegal pitch occurs, then it is a balk.

[Wally]

By the way....an illegal pitch is a ball with no runners on the base. If there are runners on base when an illegal pitch occurs, then it is a balk.

You are very correct. However, the pitcher was both on the pitchers plate and his double set was definitely not a quick pitch. Therefore the pitches were not illegal.

Baiting... An assistant coach leaving position to involve himself in a discussion, not at all. Assistants are meant to be seen not heard. The Head Coach, when he went from a discussion to a temper tantrum accusing me of being biased, thats a no brainier too. Had he kept it at a discussion level he would have been around.

[Umpire in Chief]

My craziest EJ story came from a JV game. The visiting team was the perennial worse team in the district and maybe the region, the home team was mediocre at best. The type of game some of the upidy higher level guys turn their nose up at.

The JV game was the first of the JV/V double header. The home team was ahead then the visitors get the bases loaded and the next batter for the visitors hit a grand slam to take the lead. The kid stood in the box watching the ball go out acting like he was a MLB super star. Then as he starts up the first base line he starts doing a little dance giving the home dugout the finger with both hands all the way up the line.

The home coach immediately gomes out to me at the plate. I hold out my hand to the coach trying to get him to hold up and tell him I've got it taken care of.

The super star touches the plate and I immediately toss him and he throws a fit. His coach has to take him off the field.

The home coach tries to argue that none of the runs count b/c I should have tossed him before he reached first and therefor no runners would be forced to advance.

I tried my hardest to explain we have 2 seperate events the home run and the ejection. The moment the ball crosses the fence in flight & fair the batter is awarded 4 bases. Then, we had the ejection. The coach continued to persist.

I went to talk to my partner half to re-affirm my call and half to appease the coach. My partner who was more senior than me agreed with my call and justification.

I wnt back to the coach and told him we were in agreement on the situation and the call will stand. He went crazy. I gave him a minute or two to vent and get out his fustration. After a while I tell the coach I understand his frustration, but were getting back to playing. He continued, and I told him again. The third time I snapped back at him the discussion is over were playing. I headed back to the plate and he followed continuing to yell. I had no other choice at that time to let him go.

The home team came back and 10RR the visitors. I spoke to our commish about the call and he said I was correct as did the home teams Varsity coach after the second game of the DH.

[HokieUmp]

By the way....an illegal pitch is a ball with no runners on the base. If there are runners on base when an illegal pitch occurs, then it is a balk.

I'm a little late to the dance, but how in Dog's name is that a balk or an illegal pitch? Illegal pitch is a) when the pitcher isn't on the rubber, or a quick return pitch.

As described in the OP, that's nothing, and the coaches were too dumb to know it. "Gotta have a runner before you have a balk, skip" is what I might have said before the rulebook comes out or it got that far out of hand, but I'm not sure I'd go as far as to call that baiting. Frankly, when the two come out of the dugout, rulebook in hand, they get a quick, sharp warning, and are gone as soon as they take another step.

At worst, the OPoster dumped them in such a way, that the coaches will go to their graves telling everyone how wronged they were, and they'll never actually have learned anything.

[vito1]

Suspend for a month and fine umpires? You must have a surplus of umpires. Most associations have a need for every umpire they can get.

[littleleagueump]

That is very FUNNY!

[littleleagueump]

Bayou, you sound like one of the ejected coaches trying to rebel against Wally.

Wally, yes, you maybe should have expressed to the coaches after the first wolf cry. Once there is a yell of balk on the field, with no runners on, you should have called time and "asked" one coach, no others out to talk and explain. The pitch was illegal but not to be awarded as a ball to the batter. Only in minors and majors can you do that. Bayou evidently has never seen a Little League rulebook.

Next time Wally, do not let it drag out like that. Resolve the issues at hand and then continue the game.

See Bayou, that was explained rather calmly without being hostile.

[semperfiguy]

I too tend to shy away from ejections unless its absolutely necessary. Especially doing freshmen ball. It takes away from the players. But at times it can be unavoidable. too bad for the kids to see there coach have a meltdown over a lack of knowlege of rules of the game.

[Dobie]

Wally,

IMO you could have diffused the situation by simply acknowledging the balk comment the first time they brought it up. These coaches were obviously clueless, so give them a clue. Someting along the lines of, "That's not a balk coach," or "He's fine, look at rule 8," would most likely have ended the comments.

He and an assistant coach from the dugout approcah me with a rule book in hand. I was shocked to see a coach who actually had one. They read to me the last few paragraphs of 8.01(. The focused on the final line stating, "... the umpire should immediately call "Balk."

In my games (and I'd like to hear what the rest of you think) as soon as I notice the rule book in hand, they're both gone. You will no doubt be asked, "For what!?!" My reply is simple... "I don't tell you when to hit and run, You're not going to try to give me a rules clinic during the game."

Simply put... I don't show them up, so I expect the same courtesy in return. It doesn't take long for word to get out that you are fair, but will not put up with the shenanigans.

__________________________________________

Now my best ejection occured during a summer wood-bat league game. I was admittedly struggling behind the plate with my strike zone. Both teams were chirping. I had batters looking back at me, pitchers glaring in at me... I was awful!

The pitcher throws a belt high fastball right down the middle... "BALL FOUR," says I. Batter begins to trot to first base, and I notice the pitcher walking toward the catcher. I can tell he's beside himself. F2 meets him half way, F1 sidesteps and is coming in to talk to me. He gets to the cutout and says, "Where's your strikezone tonight?" I reply, "I left it in the parking lot, you can find it while you're out there!" *DONG!* He's gone!

Later that season I had the same team. Manager sends F1 out with the line up. He's laughing on his way to the plate meeting. I look over his shoulder and the whole team is laughing. He hands me the line up and says, "That was the best ejection any of us have ever seen. We voted you the funniest umpire in the league." I was glad to see that this was indeed a new day.

[Old Nr 24]

Could not have put it better myself, Dobie. In my day a rule book on the field and someone was going to leave quickly....end of story!

[mstaylor]

Some of these threads I hadn't read before, they predated me, but they are good threads with some excellent points.

In the OP I would have shut that down immediately. Whether is is a balk situation or not, I will tell them Balk is a word reserved for umpires. If in the case of the OP, I would also tell them with no runners it's nothing.

Once they come out to discuss why I'm not calling a balk I will ask them what are they seeing that I'm not. Always good for an interesting look. If they give me a bogus explanation, I will explain what they are saying is wrong. If what they think is a legit balk move but I don't have it, then I will explain if I see him do that I'll call it but so far I don't have it.

If they yell balk after I have told them not to, depending on how gratious I feel, they will get a second warning or they will leave. Has a lot to do with game situation.

The other thing I will shut down is the base coach calling safes at first base. I will tell them that I have it and I don't need the help.

[UmpJM]

You are very correct. However, the pitcher was both on the pitchers plate and his double set was definitely not a quick pitch. Therefore the pitches were not illegal.

Baiting... An assistant coach leaving position to involve himself in a discussion, not at all. Assistants are meant to be seen not heard. The Head Coach, when he went from a discussion to a temper tantrum accusing me of being biased, thats a no brainier too. Had he kept it at a discussion level he would have been around.

Wally,

The thing is, as described, the pitches were "illegal", although they were not "illegal pitches" which would properly be penalized with a ball. Nor, since there were no runners, was the pitcher balking. But his delivery was certainly not "legal".

You chose to ignore the offense's legitimate objection to their opponent's illegal delivery, repeatedly, let them show you the rulebook on the field, and then you (lah me!) showed them something in the rulebook - that had no bearing on the essential question at hand. That is incompetent umpiring.

When the pitcher does something illegal for which there is no prescribed peanlty (like "double setting" from the windup with no runners on, for example), the umpire instructs him to use a legal delivery. If he repeatedly refuses to comply, you eject him.

If I were you, I'd find another "favorite" ejection story. Becuase yours just supports the argument that the majority of ejections result from umpire incompetence. And it sounds like your overall "game management" was non-existent.

JM

[christheump]

Took place last month during a USSSA Tourney..... U12AA team and things were just not going their way the whole game....5th inning coach starts chirping about the strike zone from the dugout. I calmly go over and ask him to keep his opinion of the strike zone to himself. He calmly walks out of the dug out and at the top of his lungs tells me that is it time to get some new knee pads from being on my knees and sucking so long.... I simply say, "coach your gone" with a giggle in my voice because I could not help but chuckle at what he said....and walk off. His assistant coach then started on me about what was so funny....and all I could do was turn to my partner and say "hey, he thinks I need new knee pads!"....

[Ump Rube]

This was maybe my 3rd or 4th season umpiring for my league, they use a modified FED rules b/c it is an in-house league (everyone is on the batting line-up, no player sits on the bench for a 2nd inning before everyone has sat 1 inning, ect.).

In the 4th inning R1, R3 pitch comes in BR swings and 2 items seem to go flying 1. the ball rolling down the 1BL, 2. F2's mit. So now I have CI. F1 picks up the ball and fires a rocket to F3 who misses it. Ball goes out of play and I award 2 from TOP and ignore the CI. One of the fans while all of this is going on has started yelling "Interference! Interference!" Getting louder and louder as the play progresses. Before I have a chance to speak with the coach to explain what just happened (he is waiting patiently at the door to his dugout) the fan jumps up and at the top of his lungs screams, "You stupid motha F er that was Interference!" All I do is point and he folds up his chair and excuses himself to the parking lot. I explain to the coach and he understands we move on.

Later that same game...

There is a swampy area out a ways in LF. Our Board of Directors decided that instead of making this a GRD (per FED rules) they chose to make it a judgement call (UIC awards bases he felt BR would make had ball not left play). BR comes up hits ball over the head of F7, and begins to trot. Ball bounces a couple of times and visibly splashes in to the swamp. BR not even to 2B when this happens I award him 3B. He is not happy B) trys to talk a little but I ignore him. Coach comes out to check on this told him we covered it in pregame he leaves with no problem . Very next pitch from F1 is wild to the backstop, R3 decides to come home. F1's pitch hits on the fence where the post is, ball comes straight back to F2 who flips to F1 and basicly waits for R3 to slide in and get tagged. He does I call him out and he lights up with, "Are you f:tantrum:!?" Gone. He continued to let rip for about 3 more words before I could say, "Keep talking and your team will forefit the game." (League rule: player refusing to leave can cost a foreture of game). At this time his team now begins yelling for him to shut up.

After the game...

EJ'ed player and fan seen leaving in the same car, turns out they were father and son. :HD:

[constable]

Coach bringing the rule book onto the field is a no-no in an attempt to show up the umpire if you ask me. He probably woulda been gone right then and there.

I compare that to be the same as the batter drawing a line in the box.

[BT_Blue]

Had this on monday.

Im UIC. Batter tries to check his swing. I say he went. OHC (who is at first coaching) wants to know if I can ask for help. I say no. He looks shocked. Asks again. I say no. Turns to my parter and asks "did he go?" I tell the coach not to do that. He turns, says sorry and shuts up.

[frenchblue]

constable,

i was wondering if you eject a batter for drawing lines on you the first time it happens?

what i usually do if a batter draws a line on me (and lets say the BR is a RHH) and draws a line halfway into the LHH batter's box showing me where he thought the pitch was. i polietly ask him for the bat, and draw a line halfway into the RHH batter's box, same distance from the plate as he drew his line in the other box. i give him that bat back and tell the BR "that's your stike zone now" (loud enough for the catcher to hear). then you pray the pitch is in between the lines you and the BR drew.

i learned the technique from a gentlemen who has done a CWS. he could not keep guys from drawing lines on him, even after warning and ejecting. so he tried something a bit stronger and now he teaches the technique at clinics. great man:nod:

frenchblue

[Finnblue]

All I do is point and he folds up his chair and excuses himself to the parking lot.

I had almost similar case in Mustang game one night:

Sometimes, if we wanted, we could practice three-man-system, so we did in this game. I was U1. In the middle of the game, no outs, R1 taking good lead. Batter whacks liner to the alley between F8 and F9. While the ball was gathered and thrown back to infield the R1 was heading home. He got there about same time with the ball so there was very close play - which I didn't see because I had my I on the BR who was rounding second and colliding with F6 and falling. He stood up, continued to third where he arriver right after the ball thrown by F2. U3 called him out.

Now we had loud argument at home plate about the call there (R1 was safe) so the defense missed one out. I tried to get attention of third base coach and U3 to reverse the call there because of obstruction. When I finally get it, I pointed the kid who was already sitting in the dugout and told him to get back to base. And in comes the DC, really upset, because now I took the other out away. He claimed that he saw no collision at second base. That was true, because he was looking at the play at home. Finally I got it cleared on the field.

As I was returning to my position one father started yelling me behind the fence that I had no knowledge of the rules etc. I don't know what went to me but I walked to him, listened to his tantrum - no profanities, which was nice. And before I managed to say anything he finished with words: "Now you want me to go to parking lot, don't you?" What else can I say but: "Yes, please".

Anyway, the result of this: we were denied to use three-man-system any more at that PONY area.

MS

[moblue]

Anyway, the result of this: we were denied to use three-man-system any more at that PONY area.

Sounds like how the league in my hometown might react. The umpires get it right, so punish them (and thus the league punishes themselves) to prevent them from getting anymore difficult calls right. Some people...:shakehead:

[nolanadair]

Frenchblue (I mean Matt - lol)

I actually did that once and the manager flipped out. I then proceeded to tell the manager why I had done that. After he had finished talking (he was still animated about the whole situation) I politely asked him if he would of rather had me throw out his player for showing up the umpire (I have replied to a thread that goes more in depth on showing up an umpire). He then quickly shut his moutha nd returned the dugout. I did not have another problem with that team nor did I hear any complaining from that side of the field the rest of the game.

[frenchblue]

Coach bringing the rule book onto the field is a no-no in an attempt to show up the umpire if you ask me. He probably woulda been gone right then and there.

I compare that to be the same as the batter drawing a line in the box.

constable,

i was wondering if you eject a batter for drawing lines on you the first time it happens?

what i usually do if a batter draws a line on me (and lets say the BR is a RHH) and draws a line halfway into the LHH batter's box showing me where he thought the pitch was. i polietly ask him for the bat, and draw a line halfway into the RHH batter's box, same distance from the plate as he drew his line in the other box. i give him that bat back and tell the BR "that's your stike zone now" (loud enough for the catcher to hear). then you pray the pitch is in between the lines you and the BR drew.

i learned the technique from a gentlemen who has done a CWS. he could not keep guys from drawing lines on him, even after warning and ejecting. so he tried something a bit stronger and now he teaches the technique at clinics. great man

frenchblue

[constable]

constable,

i was wondering if you eject a batter for drawing lines on you the first time it happens?

what i usually do if a batter draws a line on me (and lets say the BR is a RHH) and draws a line halfway into the LHH batter's box showing me where he thought the pitch was. i polietly ask him for the bat, and draw a line halfway into the RHH batter's box, same distance from the plate as he drew his line in the other box. i give him that bat back and tell the BR "that's your stike zone now" (loud enough for the catcher to hear). then you pray the pitch is in between the lines you and the BR drew.

i learned the technique from a gentlemen who has done a CWS. he could not keep guys from drawing lines on him, even after warning and ejecting. so he tried something a bit stronger and now he teaches the technique at clinics. great man

frenchblue

Most times I would. Drawing a line is an attempt to show up the umpire.

That's not cool. If you show me up, it's gonna be a quick evening for you.

I don't have a quick trigger finger and am all about warnings ( I'm a cop, I know all about picking my battles) but there are certain things that you cannot allow.

[mstaylor]

I agree with constable, most lines are gone the first time, particularly in HS and above. Lower than that you can explain it won't happen again, but HS or below no FU calls.