EJ Number 1

[BobUmp]

First One of this Year:

12U Tournament, OBR rules with NFHS Slide/avoid for all bases.. Both teams from out of state, OK baseball, pitchers throwing strikes, batters swinging bats, fielders making plays.. I am PU.

R3, 2 outs T6: passed ball, R3 makes a break towards home, catcher recovers ball right away, run down ensues, ball gets back to catcher, he steps into baseline to apply a tag, and R3 TRUCKS him, both arms make a pushing motion. I call TIME, he's OUT and he's EJECTED

HC from 3B box barrels down like Earl Weaver, but I get my Stop sign up before he arrives and he controls himself and is respectful while i explain he neither attempted to slide or avoid contact, so he is an out and an EJ.. All pretty Vanilla, EXCEPT R3 is crying... He has wandered to the gate to go off the field and his mom is there to hug him  

HC asks me if i could explain to him why he is ejected and i agree. i toss his pitcher a new ball to start warming up for next half inning and head to the gate for a conference with R3, HC, and MOM.. First thing i say is "I'm NOT mad at you.. Noone is MAD... You just did not attempt to slide legally or avoid contact with the catcher, so by rule you are out and ejected. This rule is in Middle School when you start playing MS ball, so it's a good lesson to learn now"

Somehow i get out of the "conference" unscathed, and R3 even shook my hand for some unknown reason... man, i do love umpiring the younger guys as much as i love the higher levels, just for different reasons..

May the rest of my EJs this season go so smoothly.. 

PS, later in the same day, I have the plate for a 13U tourney game, with a "nationally ranked" 13U club which are the VT. During WARMUPS before first pitch top 1, I had to warn their bench and coach and read the riot act for taunting the pitcher of the HT DURING WARMUPS. Somehow, I got out of that game without an EJ..  I had to fill out an EJ report on the website anyways for the earlier EJ, so I had no issues doing two..

[Mudisfun]

Good EJ.

Good job slowing the coach down and getting him chilled before getting to you. Glad it turned into a teachable moment for both the coach, the mom and the player.

 

[The Man in Blue]

Now that is how it should be done.  Kudos!

[urout17]

I'm not sure why you went to the gate to have a conversation with the runner and his mom, the HC of course.  Is this something you normally do?  I'm just curious.  Is this a 12U rule?  I hope I'm not being an ass.  I don't work games that young.  Thanks, and my apologies to not offend.

[BobUmp]

Thanks for the above, and I must give credit to this site. Somewhere in here I believe there was a link to an NCAA PU that had an ejection on a play at the plate that was similar.. just not a rundown, a tag up on a fly out I believe. He calmly called time, indicated the out, then the EJ. He had the player pop up right into his face to protest and another kid who was signalling him to slide near the dirt circle and he calmly put up the stop sign and explained to them the call, they calmed down, backed off, the coach came up and he did the same with the coach and got out alive and well. I remembered that and tried to emulate it, and it worked..

@urout17, I'm not sure why i went over to the gate either.. NO its not the norm for me or anyone, especially at this Tourney Site where the game was played.. It was just a read i got from the mom and kid that this was going to be a learning moment, not a "kill the ump' moment, and wound up making it a memorable EJ.. probably dodged a bullet, in hindsight..