Sometimes the fans are on your side

[ElkOil]

JV game tonight. I'm PU. Visiting head coach is mouthy to everyone, including me. His cronies in the stands don't like my zone. My partner says it's fine, and honestly, I think it's pretty good, too. In the second inning, I start down the ol' IAWE route with the coach. I've already ignored him. Now I acknowledged him after his latest snit by saying, "Coach, we're not discussing balls and strikes. I hear you." 

Another inning goes by and he says something snarky again from the dugout.  I take off my mask and tell him, "Coach, this is your warning.  You're restricted to the dugout for the rest of the game."

He looked shocked and took a step toward me. I pointed at him, "Re-STRICT-ed... for the rest of the game." He froze and took a step backward.

I turned and walked back toward the plate and he said, "Tell me what I did!"

A father in the stands shouted, "He doesn't have to!"  And for the rest of the night, the coach and his pals in the stands were silent.

I'm liking this new rule. And whoever the guy in the stands was who also had enough of the coach's crap.

[JHSump]

Probably a case of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

That father in the stands was probably either a father of a player on the other team, or a father involved in a personal dispute with the coach about playing time for his son, or some other such thing. I would not read too much into his "support" of you.

I restricted a HS varsity HC the other night, in the 2nd inning, after he argued a RLI ruling and continued to do so after I told him "that's enough." I proceeded to the written warning and restriction. Some fan in the stands (clearly on the HC's side) barked at me for the remainder of the game any time a BR was outside the running lane on routine ground balls to, for example, F6. After the game, on the way to my car with my partner, a father for the other team said, "Good call," in what was a clear reference to the RLI ruling. I just said thanks and kept going. Often their reaction just depends on their side.

But, I'm sure you know all this. It's still interesting to hear these stories. Thanks for sharing.