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My Place To EJ?


BlueRanger
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A situation that occurs somewhat frequently is that I will be on the bases and coaches/players/fans will be lobbing EJ-worthy comments at my partner (PU), but not myself My partner will usually not make any moves to put an end to it, and it then stays the same or escalates. Is it my place to toss someone who crosses the line even if the comment is not directed towards myself?

Thanks,

LoneBlueStar

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Pre-game it.  

Dugout dope behind your PU's back crosses the line, then go get it. 

Pathetic parents spewing hate speech towards anyone, then sic the yard dog on them before another pitch is delivered.   

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7 minutes ago, Cav said:

Pre-game it.  

Dugout dope behind your PU's back crosses the line, then go get it. 

Pathetic parents spewing hate speech towards anyone, then sic the yard dog on them before another pitch is delivered.   

Ok, thats a good idea as far as pre-game goes. I guess I was more worried that it would be improper to dump someone where it would be perceived to be my partner's call, but yes, I probably should be more aggressive in shutting that down.

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Burn the dugout while you give your partner a chance to handle it.  If it's clearly over the line, and s/he passes on the opportunity, go ahead and get your hands dirty.

I also think you should make an earnest effort to post-game this.  One or both of you may learn from explaining your respective action/inaction.

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Do It!!...Especially if you are working with a younger or less experienced umpire. Nothing wrong with having your partners back.
Of course this applies to Coaches and players...Fans..well there are ways to deal with that too and you can take the lead there without feeling like your overstepping.
As well as Pre-Game..If you have to act..Post Game it as well. No one is too old or experienced to learn.
 

 

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It's generally a good idea for umpires to handle their own on-field battles. An umpire who cannot do so will be perceived as weak and more "workable."

Outside the fence we ignore until we can't. Once a fan starts distracting you from your work, you're as eligible as the next umpire to have game management (usually the respective head coach, unless there's an AD or TD present) address the issue. Don't talk to the fence: fans are not our responsibility.

I'm continually amazed by how much crap umpires take.

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On this same vein... invited to work a Pony game for another league cause they were short.

The plate umpire was an older fella and a regular with that league.

A high school player (who knew me as a HS umpire) wasn't happy about the strike zone and TWICE drew lines in an at bat. Then did it AGAIN in another AB.

The plate guy didn't even seem to take note. And I didn't want to step on his toes since he was familiar with the league.

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7 minutes ago, BT_Blue said:

On this same vein... invited to work a Pony game for another league cause they were short.

The plate umpire was an older fella and a regular with that league.

A high school player (who knew me as a HS umpire) wasn't happy about the strike zone and TWICE drew lines in an at bat. Then did it AGAIN in another AB.

The plate guy didn't even seem to take note. And I didn't want to step on his toes since he was familiar with the league.

^ This. Given most of the partners this happens to are older than myself (Im in HS) Im hesitant to go dumping people when the ire is directed at him/her. Im totally down for dumping people when Im working with the guys younger than myself.

-LBS

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11 hours ago, LoneBlueStar said:

A situation that occurs somewhat frequently is that I will be on the bases and coaches/players/fans will be lobbing EJ-worthy comments at my partner...

I'm curious about the types of comments and how frequently you see this happen. I haven't really noticed much of this in the few years I've been umpiring and would like to know about your experiences.

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On 2/9/2018 at 11:53 PM, ElkOil said:

I'm curious about the types of comments and how frequently you see this happen. I haven't really noticed much of this in the few years I've been umpiring and would like to know about your experiences.

The comments are generally things like "Oh thats BS!!" "Are you f-ing blind?" "Thats horrible! You're a d@mn disgrace!" "You need to stop being a p#ssy and start calling that a balk!" etc.

*Side Note: Instances in which it gets much worse than this are extremely rare for me and have only happened once I can remember, but the above is about standard fare to hear being said at some point during a day of games in North Dallas. :D

The most brutal of these usually get thrown at guys older than me. I was honestly surprised that I seem to get less of it than them. The "lesser" comments are usually thrown at me and guys my age and younger who are just getting a feel for umpiring and haven't really had a chance to develop game-management skills. 

I am happy to go more in-depth and provide additional specifics if requested. Thanks for the replies everyone!

-LBS

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10 minutes ago, LoneBlueStar said:

 

The comments are generally things like "Oh thats BS!!" "Are you f-ing blind?" "Thats horrible! You're a d@mn disgrace!" "You need to stop being a p#ssy and start calling that a balk!" etc.

HOLY HELL!!!!

I can admit I have hear the "that's BS" line before. But that was a long time ago.

The rest of it? Those are probably the easiest ejections you will ever have.

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Just now, BT_Blue said:

HOLY HELL!!!!

I can admit I have hear the "that's BS" line before. But that was a long time ago.

The rest of it? Those are probably the easiest ejections you will ever have.

One would think! :Facepalm:The sad thing that since so many things like this are let go again and again and again, and never truly addressed head on, it just perpetuates things to the point its at today.

I've been catching during tournament games and have heard stuff like this from the jack-@ss coaches and parents, and I've only seen a few umpires do anything about it at all, let alone start dumping people.

-LBS

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38 minutes ago, LoneBlueStar said:

 

The comments are generally things like "Oh thats BS!!" "Are you f-ing blind?" "Thats horrible! You're a d@mn disgrace!" "You need to stop being a p#ssy and start calling that a balk!" etc.

*Side Note: Instances in which it gets much worse than this are extremely rare for me and have only happened once I can remember, but the above is about standard fare to hear being said at some point during a day of tournament games in North Dallas. :D

The most brutal of these usually get thrown at guys older than me. I was honestly surprised that I seem to get less of it than them. The "lesser" comments are usually thrown at me and guys my age and younger who are just getting a feel for umpiring and haven't really had a chance to develop game-management skills. 

I am happy to go more in-depth and provide additional specifics if requested. Thanks for the replies everyone!

-LBS

Yow, dude. EJ, EJ, EJ. Every day and twice on Sunday. I don't care who those comments are directed to, it can't be tolerated. In HS ball, profanity is explicitly addressed in the FED rules. Since this is happening with some frequency, I agree with the others who advocate pre- and post-gaming this. Dump enough people who behave inappropriately and one, it'll stop. Two, the next time they see you, I'm betting they'll be better behaved.

I know how difficult it is to be a younger guy in a position of authority. Just remember that the biggest hurdle to overcome isn't other people's perceptions of you, but your perception of yourself. You're the paid professional umpire who has been hired to uphold the rules and integrity of the game, regardless of your age or your age relative to anyone else. Embrace that role and have fun with it. It's a real confidence-builder.

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4 hours ago, LoneBlueStar said:

 

The comments are generally things like "Oh thats BS!!" "Are you f-ing blind?" "Thats horrible! You're a d@mn disgrace!" "You need to stop being a p#ssy and start calling that a balk!" etc.

IIRC, it was @BigUmpire who may have first indicated that if you shoot one monkey, the rest usually quiet down fairly quickly.

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Just in case some of you haven’t heard (read) this advice on ejections I’ll try to succinctly state how I was taught way back when. 

First, some great advice on here about pre-gaming with your partner. I’m a fan of even discussing it “in-game” if it’s important. Briefly of course.

Now, the 3 P’s of Ejections. 

Personal- “You suck!”  Gotta go. 

Profane- “That call effin sucked!”  Again, gotta go.

Prolonged- “Coach we’re done, let’s play ball now.  No, we’re not, I’m not done. You haven’t explained your call well enough yet.”  Aaaaaand, He’s done. Buh-bye! Gotta go. 

Works pretty well. May not cover every situation. 

I don’t get to work at one very choice venue anymore because I dumped a coach who ran at me from 3B dugout, without calling time, after I’d put my hand up and warned him to stop and not continue further on a whacker play at first. I’m content with that call and that EJ but the tournament director wasn’t. So, I don’t work showcase tournaments at that all turf Division I venue anymore. Oh well.

That’s why some umpires don’t eject- they are afraid of the repercussions. I’d rather be able to live with myself.

My .02...Your mileage may vary. 

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On 2/9/2018 at 12:58 PM, LoneBlueStar said:

Ok, thats a good idea as far as pre-game goes. I guess I was more worried that it would be improper to dump someone where it would be perceived to be my partner's call, but yes, I probably should be more aggressive in shutting that down.

No.You are a crew. I think there is a difference between being able to take care of your own business vs not letting your crew mate get rolled over the coals.

For example. There's a guy in our group who is literally hard of hearing or near deaf in one ear...so he legitimately isn't hearing what is being said to him. 

I dumped a guy from the bases for drawing a line on my partner who after ringing him up walked the opposite way to avoid trouble...so he didn't see it...but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

I think there is a fine line between trying to be Superman and simply supporting your partner. 

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my .02 its a grey area for me. depends a lot on the partner I'm working with, his experience, and our relationship. I'm inclined to let them handle their business with a few exceptions. one notable one when a HC was leaving a discussion with my partner and said to his AC loud enough for me to hear that the PU was a "faggot." He got dumped in a heartbeat by me and my partner thanked me after

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On 2/9/2018 at 10:26 PM, BT_Blue said:

HOLY HELL!!!!

I can admit I have hear the "that's BS" line before. But that was a long time ago.

The rest of it? Those are probably the easiest ejections you will ever have.

Agreed. And unless the word "YOU" is followed by something like... "are the best umpire I have ever seen".....most YOU statements lead to an EJ. Complaining about a call is just an opinion, everyone has one. 

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On 2/10/2018 at 6:47 AM, Majordave said:

Just in case some of you haven’t heard (read) this advice on ejections I’ll try to succinctly state how I was taught way back when. 

First, some great advice on here about pre-gaming with your partner. I’m a fan of even discussing it “in-game” if it’s important. Briefly of course.

Now, the 3 P’s of Ejections. 

Personal- “You suck!”  Gotta go. 

Profane- “That call effin sucked!”  Again, gotta go.

Prolonged- “Coach we’re done, let’s play ball now.  No, we’re not, I’m not done. You haven’t explained your call well enough yet.”  Aaaaaand, He’s done. Buh-bye! Gotta go. 

Works pretty well. May not cover every situation. 

I don’t get to work at one very choice venue anymore because I dumped a coach who ran at me from 3B dugout, without calling time, after I’d put my hand up and warned him to stop and not continue further on a whacker play at first. I’m content with that call and that EJ but the tournament director wasn’t. So, I don’t work showcase tournaments at that all turf Division I venue anymore. Oh well.

That’s why some umpires don’t eject- they are afraid of the repercussions. I’d rather be able to live with myself.

My .02...Your mileage may vary. 

I am not sure why, but I know of umpires who won't EJ a coach who charges them. This mystifies me.  If someone charges me from a coaching box or the dugout, they are gone, period end of story. I also do not take kindly to being yelled at from across the field or from the dugout. 

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