Ejection from Last Night

[VolUmp]

Ford Frick --

Among his Ten Commandments to umpires are:

1) Be deaf to things you don't need to hear

2) Be blind to things you don't need to see

 

I think this is a perfect of example of being blind and deaf ... especially since you admit only you and the catcher heard what he said.

 

It's much like marriage ... enter into it with eyes wide open.  As soon as the ceremony ends, keep your eyes half closed .....

[Specks]

14 hours ago, WildFlyer said:

Ford Frick --

Among his Ten Commandments to umpires are:

1) Be deaf to things you don't need to hear

2) Be blind to things you don't need to see

 

I think this is a perfect of example of being blind and deaf ... especially since you admit only you and the catcher heard what he said.

 

It's much like marriage ... enter into it with eyes wide open.  As soon as the ceremony ends, keep your eyes half closed .....

Are you saying since only him and the catcher heard he should let it go?

[VolUmp]

7 hours ago, Specks said:

Are you saying since only he and the catcher heard he should let it go?

I'm saying if he had been blind to the stare down, there may not have been anything else to see or hear.

No need to even look for trouble.  And yes, if he did hear, "You're terrible," but only the catcher heard it, no need to acknowledge it.

[grayhawk]

12 hours ago, WildFlyer said:

I'm saying if he had been blind to the stare down, there may not have been anything else to see or hear.

No need to even look for trouble.  And yes, if he did hear, "You're terrible," but only the catcher heard it, no need to acknowledge it.

Your first statement is a fair point, which Matt made above.  Though I certainly was not looking for trouble.  However, if you let a 17 year old kid say "you're terrible" and get away with it, then you are doing a disservice to the umpires that have to deal with this kid in the future.  What you permit, you promote.

[Specks]

16 hours ago, WildFlyer said:

I'm saying if he had been blind to the stare down, there may not have been anything else to see or hear.

No need to even look for trouble.  And yes, if he did hear, "You're terrible," but only the catcher heard it, no need to acknowledge it.

If he says "you're terrible" I don't care if he wispered it in my ear, I'm gonna tear my rotator cuff launching him. So by your logic if he called you a co**su**er but only you and the catcher heard it you would let it go? Sorry don't care how we got there if if it's my fault he doesn't get to insult me.

[VolUmp]

52 minutes ago, Specks said:

If he says "you're terrible" I don't care if he wispered it in my ear, I'm gonna tear my rotator cuff launching him. So by your logic if he called you a co**su**er but only you and the catcher heard it you would let it go? Sorry don't care how we got there if if it's my fault he doesn't get to insult me.

No, Specks, there are indeed limits to what colorful metaphors I will choose to ignore.

The point I'm trying to make is if you don't make eye contact and he grumbles something mild that you can feign that you didn't hear, that's within our FORD FRICK mandate.

If you haven't read Ford Frick's Ten Commandments, you really should.  I wish I read it 15 years ago.  I'd have suffered fewer ulcers.  Plus, it's not worth your rotator cuff to EJ an idiot player.

[VolUmp]

1	Keep your eye on the ball.
2	Keep all your personalities out of your work. Forget and forgive.
3	Avoid sarcasm. Don't insist on the last word.
4	Never charge a player and, above all, no pointing your finger or yelling.
5	Hear only the things you should hear - be deaf to others.
6	Keep your temper. A decision made in anger is never sound.
7	Watch your language.
8	Take pride in your work at all times. Remember, respect for an umpire is created off the field as well as on.
9	Review your work. You will find, if you are honest, that 90% of the trouble is traceable to loafing.
10	No matter what your opinion of another umpire, never make an adverse comment regarding him. To do so is despicable and ungentlemanly.
The 10 Commandments of Umpiring by Ford C. Frick

[VolUmp]

4 hours ago, grayhawk said:

However, if you let a 17 year old kid say "you're terrible" and get away with it, then you are doing a disservice to the umpires that have to deal with this kid in the future.  What you permit, you promote.

Fair point ... I think if I knew I made eye contact with him, I couldn't let it go.  I've stated many times on this board that YOU, YOUR, AND YOU'RE are the magic words above the muttered "BS" or "F" bomb.

[JaxRolo]

Good ejection

[afaber12]

Short, maybe not sweet, but certainly simple. If you've just ejected someone and you have any doubts over whether you're right or not, you're probably on the side of the angels if the guy's coach is mad at him and not you.

For anyone reading this and thinking, "Ok, so he said 'You're terrible', but it was pretty quiet. I'm not sure that I would eject there." I hope you'd at least respond with some type of warning, because doing nothing will encourage it to happen again, either in you're game or the next umpires' game. And though I agree that the volume of a potential ejectee's comments is worth considering, also keep in mind that the batter here was already drawing attention to himself with the slow walk/stare combo, followed by a bat gesture then the comment. Even if it was only the batter and the hero of the story that heard it and the catcher was somehow out of earshot, chances are everyone knows that something is going on, and it won't be just the geniuses who'll correctly work out the batter disagreed with the call.

Whenever there's actions that go along with the comments, the volume of the comments stops being a factor in my eyes.

[BT_Blue]

On Friday, December 09, 2016 at 11:55 AM, WildFlyer said:

No, Specks, there are indeed limits to what colorful metaphors I will choose to ignore.

The point I'm trying to make is if you don't make eye contact and he grumbles something mild that you can feign that you didn't hear, that's within our FORD FRICK mandate.

If you haven't read Ford Frick's Ten Commandments, you really should.  I wish I read it 15 years ago.  I'd have suffered fewer ulcers.  Plus, it's not worth your rotator cuff to EJ an idiot player.

Can you get workman's comp for that?

[grayhawk]

On 12/12/2016 at 6:04 PM, afaber12 said:

Short, maybe not sweet, but certainly simple. If you've just ejected someone and you have any doubts over whether you're right or not, you're probably on the side of the angels if the guy's coach is mad at him and not you.

For anyone reading this and thinking, "Ok, so he said 'You're terrible', but it was pretty quiet. I'm not sure that I would eject there." I hope you'd at least respond with some type of warning, because doing nothing will encourage it to happen again, either in you're game or the next umpires' game. And though I agree that the volume of a potential ejectee's comments is worth considering, also keep in mind that the batter here was already drawing attention to himself with the slow walk/stare combo, followed by a bat gesture then the comment. Even if it was only the batter and the hero of the story that heard it and the catcher was somehow out of earshot, chances are everyone knows that something is going on, and it won't be just the geniuses who'll correctly work out the batter disagreed with the call.

Whenever there's actions that go along with the comments, the volume of the comments stops being a factor in my eyes.

I can guarantee one thing - that kid learned something that night.  And he learned it in a game that didn't matter in terms of wins and losses, league standings, or playoff status.  What he chooses to do with this lesson is now up to him.  I gave me no pleasure to provide this lesson to him, nor is it something that I regret.  It just IS.

[JDavis225]

On 12/8/2016 at 8:25 PM, WildFlyer said:

I'm saying if he had been blind to the stare down, there may not have been anything else to see or hear.

No need to even look for trouble.  And yes, if he did hear, "You're terrible," but only the catcher heard it, no need to acknowledge it.

There's plenty of reason to acknowledge. That catcher is going to his dugout and share what happened with his coach and teammates and now they're gonna think it's ok for everyone to do it. Don't ever miss the opportunity to EJ. Despite it being HS ball, a lot of the players know what they can and cannot say. 

[Ilbass22]

I had a similar thing happen to me a few years ago! I showed up for a game to find out that we were completing a rain shortened game. The home team was getting beat pretty badly and we had rain coming again! I had worked for this coach for several years and got along with him well! At the pre-game the coach said "Open your strike zone up and let's get this over with!" Knowing the coach as I did, I said, "Swing or I'll swing for you?" He said, "Exactly!" We played the game and the home team got beat on a 10 run rule. But as the last batter swings at his second horrible pitch, he turns to me and says, "Your f***ing horrible!" Shocked, I asked what he said? He lied to me! But the coach was there and he had heard it! He then repeated what he said! The coach told him to get in the dugout! The next game was post season for the school. I told the coach that could eject the player. He was good with that! Him being the old school coach that he is, I asked if he wanted to handle it? He told me very much so! So I let him! But the player did come back out and apologize!