Hey Ump, You Got One Job To Do...

[Mudder]

Had a game, 18+yrs old, OBR, competitive ball, this head coach coach always has great teams, pretty full of himself but a decent guy, but his assistant I don't care for much, an ex ump to boot.  I'm BU in C, R1 and R2, ground ball to F6, who throws to F5 to get the lead runner but the throw was on the outfield side of the bag, F6 had to catch it and reach in to tag the runner( he was not near 3B) and tags the sliding runner on the shoulder, I felt R2's feet hit the bag just before the tag and called him safe.  A very close play.

Lots of ohhhhs!, Head coach comes out nicely (1B dugout) and asks "what happened, didn't the runner slide right into the tag?"  I said "maybe from your angle it looked like that, but the thrown was offline, and I thought the runner just beat it".  He grumbles a bit and walks back to the dugout, his assistant (the one I don't like) yells out for the whole park to hear "Hey Ump, you got one job to do, so do it right, c'mon!"   

I'm usually very cool, with a thick skin, and it takes a lot to get me rattled, but I couldn't wait to respond to this guy.  I said "oh, ok,  thanks for the tip coach, now here's a tip for you, one more comment like that and you'll be spending the rest of the game in the parking lot", he says "you blew that call", I tossed him.

Did I bait him, or should I have tossed him after his first comment?

 

 

[bluejerred]

The HC already politely sought out your consultation on the play and you answered him in a professional manner.  The assistants actions were completely unnecessary and aimed to incite - No need to warn. Send him off immediately.  

Edited June 3, 2015 by bluejerred

[LittleBlue]

I might toss him right away for his comments, but if I'm not going to, I'd probably use a loud "knock it off." Anything after that and he's gone. Don't start going back and forth like that because you're going to be the one who looks bad.

[blue23ll]

An ASSistant coach, yelling at you, trying to tell you how to do your job, UH NO WAY, he's gone. There is no reason to even converse with this guy, it won't get you anywhere. 

[Mad Mike]

If you have to ask "Did I bait him?" You may have already answered your own question. 

If I tell a coach "one more word and I'm tossing you out of this game," I have limited my options. Especially if he says, "word".

Now I have to eject him because I set up an ultimatum. So, if you look at this from a verbal judo perspective, we have really given the power of an action over to the aggressor here--and left ourselves questioning if we did the right thing or not.

Sometimes it is difficult for us as human beings with all of our emotions to realize that as long as the 3 P's (Personal, Profane, or Prolonged) aren't heavily in play that they can have the last word sometimes, but we have the last act.

 

[renegadewolf]

I know I am going to get some major disagreement here, but sometimes you have to give a fool the rope to hang himself.  While generally I try to stay away from ultimatums especially in higher levels but in special cases I have used them.  If the coach wants to be a smart alec and say "word" after I have given him direction that I am done listening to him, toss him, the context will be there in the report and the ejection will be justified.  Showing me up is showing me up and sometimes a trouble maker has to go.

[Cav]

Did I bait him, or should I have tossed him after his first comment?

 

 

​Yes, to the first question; maybe, to the second.  An AC is about as useless in today's game as is yesterday's starter.  

[conbo61]

Assistant coach yelling that comment for all the park to hear? 

Gone-zo. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

[BillKen]

Agree.  "No coach, you just gave me another job so now I have two...calling him safe and throwing you out."  

[kstrunk]

As a former coach/manager, that assistant is offensive to me if I'm the head coach. As a coach, I've given my assistants ultimatums in similar scenarios, telling them if they can't keep their mouth shut they can leave the dugout. I'm doing my job, advocating for the team, and here is this blow hole spouting off from the dugout! I'd be surprised if the manager didn't have something to say to him as well. 

[Pete Peterson Sr]

As a former coach/manager, that assistant is offensive to me if I'm the head coach. As a coach, I've given my assistants ultimatums in similar scenarios, telling them if they can't keep their mouth shut they can leave the dugout. I'm doing my job, advocating for the team, and here is this blow hole spouting off from the dugout! I'd be surprised if the manager didn't have something to say to him as well. 

​I find it unfortunate that all head coaches don't think that way.

[cyclone]

First off, they are on thin ice already for arguing a judgement call.

 Head coach comes out nicely (1B dugout) and asks "what happened, didn't the runner slide right into the tag?"  I said "maybe from your angle it looked like that, but the thrown was offline,

and I thought the runner just beat it

".  

​I would leave the word "thought" out of the equation..."In my judgement" is much better and leaves very little wiggle room for argument.  Smart HC's hear the word judgement and know it's a done deal.

[Mudisfun]

I said "oh, ok,  thanks for the tip coach, now here's a tip for you, one more comment like that and you'll be spending the rest of the game in the parking lot", he says "you blew that call", I tossed him.

 

Good EJ.

I don't see a paint in the corner situation as her did not give the "one more word" ultimatum... you specifically stated one more comment like what you just said and you get the EJ. If the coach pulled the old "word" reply then you have no need to toss him as that comment is not pushing the barrier that was erected. The coach purposely drove over your barrier by "going there" and making another comment specific to your call. My opinion is you gave him rope yes but he chose to use it for the hanging.

[catsbackr]

Wow, too much conversation with the HC and AC to suit me.  

 

"what happened, didn't the runner slide right into the tag?"   No, coach, bad throw, runner beat the tag.

 

 "Hey Ump, you got one job to do, so do it right, c'mon!"  Knock it off!

 

 "you blew that call".  Ejection.

[constable]

Had a game, 18+yrs old, OBR, competitive ball, this head coach coach always has great teams, pretty full of himself but a decent guy, but his assistant I don't care for much, an ex ump to boot.  I'm BU in C, R1 and R2, ground ball to F6, who throws to F5 to get the lead runner but the throw was on the outfield side of the bag, F6 had to catch it and reach in to tag the runner( he was not near 3B) and tags the sliding runner on the shoulder, I felt R2's feet hit the bag just before the tag and called him safe.  A very close play.

Lots of ohhhhs!, Head coach comes out nicely (1B dugout) and asks "what happened, didn't the runner slide right into the tag?"  I said "maybe from your angle it looked like that, but the thrown was offline, and I thought the runner just beat it".  He grumbles a bit and walks back to the dugout, his assistant (the one I don't like) yells out for the whole park to hear "Hey Ump, you got one job to do, so do it right, c'mon!"   

I'm usually very cool, with a thick skin, and it takes a lot to get me rattled, but I couldn't wait to respond to this guy.  I said "oh, ok,  thanks for the tip coach, now here's a tip for you, one more comment like that and you'll be spending the rest of the game in the parking lot", he says "you blew that call", I tossed him.

Did I bait him, or should I have tossed him after his first comment?

 

 

Never give the " one more" option. Tell them that's enough, knock it off etc etc..

 

I woulda chucked him for his comment. No need for warning. That's a personal attack from a AC who isn't allowed to talk at all.

 

buh bye.