Ejections you wish you'd made?

[MikeSafari]

Just reading through all these threads and wondered about whether you guys/gals have stories about ejections you should have made but didn't.

Last year, my first game of the season was a AAA Bantam (16U I believe, for the Americans in the crowd ) game. It was a pretty hard-fought game by both sides but just not very good baseball. Nobody was happy with my strike zone, which is fine, and I made a couple calls at the plate that were absolutely right but of course made one side or the other grumble. Nobody's enjoying the game because it's not very good baseball.

Bottom 7, we're getting down to the time limit, home team down by a few runs (maybe even less) with runners on. Pitcher uncorks a wild one that goes to the short backstop so R3 boots it down the line. Catcher runs after the ball, retrieves it, and fires a perfect toss to the covering pitcher... who sets up his glove at the back edge of the plate. Kid slides across the plate and into the tag. I call him safe.

Visiting coach is at this point rather annoyed, but I guess my lack of interaction with him from 50' away made him even more pissed off. So he shouts, "You're up and down like a toilet seat."

I should have tossed him right there, but having him throw a hissy fit would have put us over the time limit and not give the home team their shot at tying/winning, and I'm all about letting the kids play the game.

So I gave him a look, continued on, and his team won it anyway. But it left a bad taste in my mouth and I still think about what I should have done there. Feels worse than missing a call.

[Aging_Arbiter]

I agree.............a toilet seat most likely WOULD leave a bad taste in your mouth.

[johnpatrick]

I'd guess umpires fret more over ejections they didn't make than those that they do. I know I do. 

[Welpe]

Canadian insults are strange...

Anyways, I've had a few I wish I would have run. There was one coach when I was starting out doing LL that liked running roughshod over umpires, especially younger ones. I wish I had gotten him.

[Richvee]

Had one a few weeks ago I wish I ejected. 

14u tourney. Pitch comes in thigh high...not knees... thigh..Strike one. ...The kid turns to his dugout and with enough volume for all to hear, he yells "That pitch was at my ANKLES!!!" I told him in a very stern voice, "Just get in the box and hit". Now he's aggravated and swings as hard as he can at the next pitch and tomahawks a high fastball in the gap that splits the outfielders. The kid was quick, the outfielders were not and he's rounding 3rd as the F6 is getting the throw from the outfield. Now I'm hoping for a good throw and a tag at the plate so I can give this kid a big punch out at the plate. (I know I know...I'm not supposed to root)). He slides in ahead of the tag. He says nothing and heads to the dugout. (Smart move on his part)...

should have tossed him after strike one.  

[kstrunk]

Sometimes I'd just like to be able to say to some of these players... 'Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?". Or... "There's no crying in baseball son, stop crying...". 

[BCBrad]

Hey @MikeSafari

What does your provincial association have for specific rules for arguing with umpires? 

In BC, we have specific rules for unacceptable behaviour that is ejectable. (13.11) With many younger umpires learning the game, too many "daddys" had run gun shot over the lads and lasses trying to learn and develop as umpires. I do not know about Ontario, but here we lose a lot of the young umpires by the time they hit 18, and we have a shortage for umpires in Bantam and Midget levels. This is especially true for rep travel ball.

In past seasons, I regret letting things go sometimes, not so much for me, but because it means it is open season down the road for a younger umpires. With younger umpires, this may mean the difference between developing and enjoying umpiring to the point where they may work towards their national certification levels. Sometimes, you may have to turf someone to protect a younger umpire from that crap down the road .With our provincial code, unless someone is asking respectfully about an interpretation of rules, any other animated act or verbal disagreement of a call is grounds for turfing. Actually, it has lead to a more respectful and civil game because the coaches and players know there is a short leash for ejection and that umpires are mandated to enforce it.

[MikeSafari]

@BCBrad OBA doesn't have anything specific in terms of arguing with umpires as the rulebook is pretty much the same as OBR with very basic modifications. This year, however, we've received the bench restriction as another weapon in our arsenal when coaches get unruly. So far I've had no problems at any level this year, so I haven't needed to even warn any coaches.

My local association also lost a number of umpires this year either to retirement, "burnout" (so to speak), or the various other types of attrition we see, and we've seen about a 35% increase in registrations for players thanks to the success of the Blue Jays, so it's been tough on a lot of the young/new guys. And as a lot of the guys I "grew up" umpiring with get older and start to have families and more demanding jobs and so on, it gets tougher for them to work games. Last year I worked about three doubleheaders a week, and this year I've got a new job so I can't work any doubleheaders and I'm only working I think 2 house league games the entire summer--the rest is rep ball. Just the way she goes.

People abuse the hell out of younger umpires and then wonder why they can't get enough umpires to cover their games.

[FleasOf1000Camels]

I work lots of travel tournaments in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.  I frequently see teams from Ontario, usually in the upper age groups.  As a general rule, I have found them to be much more civil than there American counterparts.  More likely to call me SIR than BLUE.  I also like the fact they all use wood bats.  When I become emperor of the universe, I'm going to issue an executive order that ALL baseball must be played with wood bats, 

[MikeSafari]

2 minutes ago, FleasOf1000Camels said:

I also like the fact they all use wood bats.

OBA rules are that wood/composite/bamboo bats are to be used from bantam (age 15) and up, so most kids are using them when they're really starting to learn the intricacies of the game. I think it's a great idea, and also makes the game safer because some of these kids are huge and can smoke balls all over the place.

[basejester]

52 minutes ago, MikeSafari said:

OBA rules are that wood/composite/bamboo bats are to be used from bantam (age 15) and up, so most kids are using them when they're really starting to learn the intricacies of the game. I think it's a great idea, and also makes the game safer because some of these kids are huge and can smoke balls all over the place.

I hope that the rule isn't written to allow all composites.  That wouldn't make any sense.

 

[HokieUmp]

On 6/8/2016 at 10:47 AM, MikeSafari said:

Just reading through all these threads and wondered about whether you guys/gals have stories about ejections you should have made but didn't.

I've had some in the past, but I definitely missed an opportunity two Sundays ago.  (And yes, before I tell the story, you're right - you always pine over The Ones That Get Away.)

Youth tournament, 13U - it was called the "Virginia State Championships," but only for THAT sanctioning body.  Bottom 7, home team chasing 2.  The first batter hits a grounder that F6 turns into a banger.  I get the out;  the usual moaning and groaning occurs.  I don't really think anything of it, since it's normal.

Then I hear it:  "Oh sure - you just want to go home."  Truth be told, he's not wrong - after six games over two days, with weird tie-breaker rules and rain delay, I've spent my entire weekend at this field.  Thing is, this heckle was coming FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE DUGOUT!  I'm used to hearing it from outside the fence, but not a coach - and certainly not that clearly.  I burned the dugout briefly, but decided against tossing.  Problems were 1) I wasn't sure of which adult it was (although I'm pretty sure it was the coach in shorts and flip flops, and if I *HAD* tossed, it would have been him, on general principles);  2) we were two outs from the end, and I didn't want yet more delays, in case the EJ led to more dumb-assery;  and 3) to what end?  Again, with these travel ball weekend circuses, what frigging difference does it make?  The coach misses the last two outs, and nothing more, it doesn't carry over anywhere, and next weekend, he's in some other location altogether.

But it was a clear ejectable offense, for me:  he's just told me and everyone around that I've cheated his team, just to expedite the game.  Hate my call, if you think it's wrong or have your own bias;  don't suggest, though, that I make a call based on a clock or a situation.

So, yeah.  Ultimately, I regret not getting that one.

[MikeSafari]

1 hour ago, basejester said:

I hope that the rule isn't written to allow all composites.  That wouldn't make any sense.

What do you mean by "all composites"? The rule actually says that a bat with any metal component is classed as a metal bat.

[JSam21]

1 hour ago, MikeSafari said:

What do you mean by "all composites"? The rule actually says that a bat with any metal component is classed as a metal bat.

I think he is confusing the wood/composite/bamboo part of your previous post. I think you meant to say wood-composite bats. Wood barrel with composite handles.

[Kevin_K]

16 hours ago, HokieUmp said:

Problems were 1) I wasn't sure of which adult it was (although I'm pretty sure it was the coach in shorts and flip flops, and if I *HAD* tossed, it would have been him, on general principles); 

 

I had a situation in this year's NJ state high school tournament.

I was BU and my partner was not exactly the greatest when it came to game management. The HT bench was jockeying the entire game and said some things that were wholly inappropriate for a HS game. Some one on their bench yelled some homophobic comments after a pick off attempt and I, because my partner would not, warned the bench about their comments. 

The next inning a similar comment was hurled so I could hear it from C. I walked toward the bench and picked some one to eject. I know I did not get the one who said it, but the message had not yet been received that they could not continue to act like a-holes. One of their Ass coaches started barking that the kid did not say anything and came out of the dugout to complain. His ticket was punched as well. Remarkably, the rest of the bench became quiet for the remainder of the game.

Sometimes you need to find a sacrificial lamb to quiet the monkeys.

[LMSANS]

10 hours ago, Kevin_K said:

I had a situation in this year's NJ state high school tournament.

I was BU and my partner was not exactly the greatest when it came to game management. The HT bench was jockeying the entire game and said some things that were wholly inappropriate for a HS game. Some one on their bench yelled some homophobic comments after a pick off attempt and I, because my partner would not, warned the bench about their comments. 

The next inning a similar comment was hurled so I could hear it from C. I walked toward the bench and picked some one to eject. I know I did not get the one who said it, but the message had not yet been received that they could not continue to act like a-holes. One of their Ass coaches started barking that the kid did not say anything and came out of the dugout to complain. His ticket was punched as well. Remarkably, the rest of the bench became quiet for the remainder of the game.

Sometimes you need to find a sacrificial lamb to quiet the monkeys.

The statement we read says "no warnings will be given".  I was just wondering if you received any feedback?

[Kevin_K]

2 hours ago, LMSANS said:

The statement we read says "no warnings will be given".  I was just wondering if you received any feedback?

Nary a peep.

[MikeSafari]

Just had another one last night. Junior ball (18-22), tier 1 (basically our local AAA).

Visiting team first baseman was kind of a SH*# all night to his teammates and members of the other team, but they were both from the same organization so I was letting a lot of chirping go as it was mostly in good fun.

Early on in the game there's a pretty straight up play to first and I call the kid out, even though the first baseman might have pulled his foot off the bag, just a tiny bit early. Close enough that I called him out. No complaints.

Later on, though, same play happens, and this time the kid walked off the bag before he even caught the ball. Call him safe, signal off the bag, and he starts mouthing. "That's a brutal call," "How can you make that call in a 1-1 game?" etc. I told him that was enough, and he seemed annoyed but shut his yap for a minute.

When the inning finished with a pretty standard throw to first (this time I was in P3, which I think for my American friends would be C), I called the BR out, and turned and headed to right field when suddenly what should appear right beside me but the baseball, landing suspiciously close to where I was walking, and in completely the opposite direction of where it should be going at the end of an inning.

I really wish I'd stuck with the play just a second or two more so I could actually see the SH*#bag first baseman toss the ball at me. Would have run him instantly. Instead all I could do was warn him and the coach that I wouldn't tolerate anything more.

Man it burned me not to toss the kid. What a baby. Even his coaches were saying he does SH*# like that all the time, so I probably would have helped them out, too. Ah well.

[johnnyg08]

You'll always regret not ejecting when you could or should have.

 

 

[BigUmpire]

On 6/8/2016 at 10:47 AM, MikeSafari said:

Just reading through all these threads and wondered about whether you guys/gals have stories about ejections you should have made but didn't.

Last year, my first game of the season was a AAA Bantam (16U I believe, for the Americans in the crowd ) game. It was a pretty hard-fought game by both sides but just not very good baseball. Nobody was happy with my strike zone, which is fine, and I made a couple calls at the plate that were absolutely right but of course made one side or the other grumble. Nobody's enjoying the game because it's not very good baseball.

Bottom 7, we're getting down to the time limit, home team down by a few runs (maybe even less) with runners on. Pitcher uncorks a wild one that goes to the short backstop so R3 boots it down the line. Catcher runs after the ball, retrieves it, and fires a perfect toss to the covering pitcher... who sets up his glove at the back edge of the plate. Kid slides across the plate and into the tag. I call him safe.

Visiting coach is at this point rather annoyed, but I guess my lack of interaction with him from 50' away made him even more pissed off. So he shouts, "You're up and down like a toilet seat."

I should have tossed him right there, but having him throw a hissy fit would have put us over the time limit and not give the home team their shot at tying/winning, and I'm all about letting the kids play the game.

So I gave him a look, continued on, and his team won it anyway. But it left a bad taste in my mouth and I still think about what I should have done there. Feels worse than missing a call.

From the great one

·        "You will only regret the ejection you missed"-.mstaylor

[BigUmpire]

On 6/14/2016 at 8:10 AM, Kevin_K said:

I had a situation in this year's NJ state high school tournament.

I was BU and my partner was not exactly the greatest when it came to game management. The HT bench was jockeying the entire game and said some things that were wholly inappropriate for a HS game. Some one on their bench yelled some homophobic comments after a pick off attempt and I, because my partner would not, warned the bench about their comments. 

The next inning a similar comment was hurled so I could hear it from C. I walked toward the bench and picked some one to eject. I know I did not get the one who said it, but the message had not yet been received that they could not continue to act like a-holes. One of their Ass coaches started barking that the kid did not say anything and came out of the dugout to complain. His ticket was punched as well. Remarkably, the rest of the bench became quiet for the remainder of the game.

Sometimes you need to find a sacrificial lamb to quiet the monkeys.

·      “ If you have 100 monkeys misbehaving, KILL ONE, watch the rest of them straighten up”- Bigumpire