Quick Trigger Finger Umps

[Storm13]

I am a semi-pro player as well as an ump.  The other day I was playing with my semi-pro team and was catching.  There was a play at the plate and I thought i got the tag on the guy before he slide across the plate.  The Umpire didn't and called him safe.  I looked at the ump just out of natural reaction and asked him " Are you sure"...he said "Yes"...I said "OK sir...Thanks you" and he looked and me and he said "I am about to toss you son".  that was the first and last thing I said to him that game but WOW...I was about to get tossed for saying OK sir and thanking him.  What is the wildest thing you have ever tossed a guy or saw someone get tossed for?

[JaxRolo]

Umps are Rats!

[catsbackr]

You're probably not going to get a good reaction from me either if, after I make a call, you ask me "Are you sure?"

[ricka56]

You're probably not going to get a good reaction from me either if, after I make a call, you ask me "Are you sure?"

That along with a "Thank you" would probably make me think you're being sarcastic. 
A "sorry...my bad" might get you out of the doghouse. 

[Rich Ives]

I am a semi-pro player as well as an ump.  The other day I was playing with my semi-pro team and was catching.  There was a play at the plate and I thought i got the tag on the guy before he slide across the plate.  The Umpire didn't and called him safe.  I looked at the ump just out of natural reaction and asked him " Are you sure"...he said "Yes"...I said "OK sir...Thanks you" and he looked and me and he said "I am about to toss you son".  that was the first and last thing I said to him that game but WOW...I was about to get tossed for saying OK sir and thanking him.  What is the wildest thing you have ever tossed a guy or saw someone get tossed for?

Don't look at him.

[Storm13]

Alright...the are you sure was just a snap reaction thing and I caught myself about to argue with him...then i realized he was not going to change his call either way so i just said OK...thank you.  I guess I am more tolerant of players asking me because I would never even have thought about tossing a player or coach for this.

[ricka56]

All he did was give you a warning. "I'm about to toss you" isn't how I'd handle it, but it worked for him...that day. 

[ElkOil]

From your description, I don't think I would have said I was about to toss you, but I'd certainly wonder about your intentions.  I'm pretty good about compartmentalizing, so I'd move beyond it pretty quick -- but not everyone would.  I've had guys say stuff, then tell me they didn't meant for it to come across poorly.  That's easy to accept and move on from.  One thing all of us in the game would do well to realize and keep in mind -- umps, players, fans, parents and coaches -- this game is best when played with passion and emotion.  That means some reactions will be strong, vocal and demonstrative.  And yes, questionable.  As long as we let cooler heads prevail, check our egos and delicate sensibilities, and play on, things like what you describe won't be big deals and just a normal part of the game.

[lawump]

@‌Storm13 your situation is a HTBT.  I have learned over the years (in listening to many players & coaches relay a story involving an umpire) that there are usually two sides to every player vs. ump (or coach vs. ump) story.  I seriously wonder if the umpire involved...were he to post on this thread his version of this event between you and he...would post the same description of this incident as you did.  I have found that 95% to 99% of the time the answer is a resounding, "no".

However, with that said, if your description of this event as relayed in your OP is 100% correct then I would say, yes, this umpire over-reacted. 

Edited September 25, 2015 by lawump

[Cav]

So I find myself filling in for the manager of the USA WESTCOM ball club, the Strike Force.  It's a multi-ranked, multi-talented team that plays clubs from the other services and also some local teams over and over again to help out the recruiters I guess.  We didn't ask; we were just in it for the fun.

I was a long ball hitting catcher and outfielder.  I was getting old and hadn't hit a long ball in several months and my participation and thus my interest had begun to wane.  I dabbled in helping coach my kid's JV team at Moanalua HS, ended up in charge and promised myself never to make that mistake again.  That's a lot of work!

Somehow I found myself attending classes and becoming an umpire.  I worked a few games (my very first was on the bases for an inter-league scrimmage between U/Hawaii and Chaminade U; still today I have no idea what happened!) and I met a few new friends and even remembered a few of their names.  (I think there is a particular ingredient in Turkey that deteriorates ones memory.)

So, back to the game at the storied Joe Takata Field at Ft. Shafter...

We're at the plate for the pre-game and the crew introduced itself.  I recognized the plate man's face but didn't catch his first name because of all the noise in the stands filled with maybe a dozen wives and kids.  I knew his last name was King (in Hawaii, that's like Smith) but could not remember his first.  I was sure it was Joshua or something like that.

Eventually our catcher had had enough of our starter, an Orel-Hershiser-wanna-be, so I took over behind the plate because no one else would.  Plate ump King and I were jaw-jacking while our reliever, a Mariano-Rivera-wanna-be, is walking the side.  He kept calling me by my first name, but I just could not remember his.  I was becoming obsessed with remembering his first name! 

Soon enough the jarhead club, the Victorious Secrets, or something like that, had runners on and their hitter Brutus rips one up the middle.  I'm only guessing here, but I think R3 waited to finish his cold drink before taking off for home.  Anyway, the throw surprised everybody because it was right on the money. I laid it down on the runner who thinks he's re-taking Guadalcanal.  I then hear the plate man shout, "SAFE!" 

Maybe it was his excited voice or the way it was said, but something stirred my faded memory and I finally remembered his first name.  I have no logical reason why I chose that particular moment to announce my mental victory, but I looked up through the volcanic dust that had enveloped home plate and shouted, "You're JOE King!"     

Of course I had to go. 

After the game, John King and his crew shared a few cold ones with me in the parking lot.