Firestorm of ejections

[Ump0000]

On 8/27/2020 at 12:18 AM, BlueClue said:

I am about ready to lose it.

Little League game, just trying to have a season and this is their championship. My partner is a no-show, that's fine I've done the majority of my games 1-man this year. 

The 1st inning I'm already hearing it from the VT dugout (These are 11-12 year olds...), this goes on for about an inning and a half until top of 2nd 2 outs batter hits a ball that looks close to the line. I see it foul the whole way and call it as such. The VHC is IRATE, screaming about how that ball was fair and I missed it, to which I immediately warn him. Following the inning, I warn their bench that any more of this and they're gone.

Fast forward to the bottom of the 4th, runners on 1st and 2nd 1 out, the batter hits a fly ball in the infield that I immediately signal an infield fly. Following the conclusion of the play I reaffirm my call, to which the HHC storms over to me screaming "are you joking?!" followed by him trying to argue that it was not even close to being an infield fly. He starts to get more and more aggressive to the point where I toss him. He storms off the field and heads to the bullpen, to which I tell his assistant to get him to leave. The league's VICE PRESIDENT tries to step in and prevent him from getting tossed but to no avail, I'm not restarting the game until he's gone. At this point everyone is out for blood, the VP is fuming on the phone with the board because I tossed his buddy out, and the parents are about ready to rip my head off. Finally we resume.

After 5 innings we're passed our time limit, the sun is down and we don't have any lights at the field. I go to the VHC to explain the situation and that we're done. He is absolutely IRATE, screaming how I'm screwing over his team and calling the game "30 seconds" after the cutoff (more or less a few minutes). I tell him there's nothing I can do (I have rules to follow) to which, the SAME coach who asked me earlier in the inning to go by the books definition of the time limit, goes ballistic again, to which I tossed him.

Following that Mr. Vice President decides he needs to talk to me. He goes on about how the board'll be having a conversation on "rule interpretations", after which he's done talking and I left the field.

What gets me about this one isn't the fact I tossed both coaches, it's the fact that this VP had the balls to try and override my control over what occurred on the field.

Pretty sure I've got it all out, I'm going to go grab a cold one now.

And after the game, the league rep does not need to speak to you. That's the assigner's job. Get off the field ASAP

[Aging_Arbiter]

3 hours ago, Ump0000 said:

And after the game, the league rep does not need to speak to you. That's the assigner's job. Get off the field ASAP

/\ THIS!!!

A couple of years back, I was observing a "newer" adult & a junior umpire one night (since I was the UIC).  Whatever happened (don't recall specifics at this point), the league president tried to "have a talk with them" after the game.  I met the crew at the gate, and told them to follow me.  As the president started talking, I told him that I would be back to talk with him shortly.  We did post game, and I went back to find the Prez.  Before he started, I asked him for a moment to ask 2 questions, and then I would listen.  Did you appoint me as the UIC?   Do YOU want to do my job?  After that, he voiced his concerns, and I listened.  He conceded that it wasn't his place to handle that situation, and thanked me for not allowing him to embarrass himself further.

 

Subsequently, Prez term ended and I was able to convince him to take up umpiring.  After his first season, he apologized to those umpires, for acting the way he did.

[SeeingEyeDog]

On 11/10/2020 at 12:30 PM, Aging_Arbiter said:

/\ THIS!!!

A couple of years back, I was observing a "newer" adult & a junior umpire one night (since I was the UIC).  Whatever happened (don't recall specifics at this point), the league president tried to "have a talk with them" after the game.  I met the crew at the gate, and told them to follow me.  As the president started talking, I told him that I would be back to talk with him shortly.  We did post game, and I went back to find the Prez.  Before he started, I asked him for a moment to ask 2 questions, and then I would listen.  Did you appoint me as the UIC?   Do YOU want to do my job?  After that, he voiced his concerns, and I listened.  He conceded that it wasn't his place to handle that situation, and thanked me for not allowing him to embarrass himself further.

 

Subsequently, Prez term ended and I was able to convince him to take up umpiring.  After his first season, he apologized to those umpires, for acting the way he did.

Another situation where I find myself asking, "If we required all adults involved with a youth baseball league to umpire one or two games per season, how might youth baseball improve and become more positive because the number of adults wanting to hurl complaints at umpires (especially the teenaged umpires) might be significantly reduced?" A little static fired at umpires by fans is part of the fabric of the game and I hope it always will be. And the more time I spend around the game, the more appalled I get at what people think is ok to shout at umpires. And how the corollaries between how a coach engages with umpires never fail to mirror how that coach's players and that coach's team parents engage with umpires. Thanks for sharing, @Aging_Arbiter.

~Dog

[Aging_Arbiter]

3 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

never fail to mirror how that coach's players and that coach's team parents engage with umpires

…………….and what they see on TV

[BT_Blue]

In fairness... it boggles the mind what people think it is ok for them to say and do IRL. Let alone on a ballfield. 

[philaump]

On 8/27/2020 at 12:18 AM, BlueClue said:

I am about ready to lose it.

Little League game, just trying to have a season and this is their championship. My partner is a no-show, that's fine I've done the majority of my games 1-man this year. 

The 1st inning I'm already hearing it from the VT dugout (These are 11-12 year olds...), this goes on for about an inning and a half until top of 2nd 2 outs batter hits a ball that looks close to the line. I see it foul the whole way and call it as such. The VHC is IRATE, screaming about how that ball was fair and I missed it, to which I immediately warn him. Following the inning, I warn their bench that any more of this and they're gone.

Fast forward to the bottom of the 4th, runners on 1st and 2nd 1 out, the batter hits a fly ball in the infield that I immediately signal an infield fly. Following the conclusion of the play I reaffirm my call, to which the HHC storms over to me screaming "are you joking?!" followed by him trying to argue that it was not even close to being an infield fly. He starts to get more and more aggressive to the point where I toss him. He storms off the field and heads to the bullpen, to which I tell his assistant to get him to leave. The league's VICE PRESIDENT tries to step in and prevent him from getting tossed but to no avail, I'm not restarting the game until he's gone. At this point everyone is out for blood, the VP is fuming on the phone with the board because I tossed his buddy out, and the parents are about ready to rip my head off. Finally we resume.

After 5 innings we're passed our time limit, the sun is down and we don't have any lights at the field. I go to the VHC to explain the situation and that we're done. He is absolutely IRATE, screaming how I'm screwing over his team and calling the game "30 seconds" after the cutoff (more or less a few minutes). I tell him there's nothing I can do (I have rules to follow) to which, the SAME coach who asked me earlier in the inning to go by the books definition of the time limit, goes ballistic again, to which I tossed him.

Following that Mr. Vice President decides he needs to talk to me. He goes on about how the board'll be having a conversation on "rule interpretations", after which he's done talking and I left the field.

What gets me about this one isn't the fact I tossed both coaches, it's the fact that this VP had the balls to try and override my control over what occurred on the field.

Pretty sure I've got it all out, I'm going to go grab a cold one now.

This is a major reason WHY I stopped umpiring LL baseball years ago.

[philaump]

On 8/27/2020 at 9:49 AM, SeeingEyeDog said:

I could not agree more with @wolfe_man...

I love LL. I do. I played there, I umped there and I coached there. For a time, one of my goals was to try and climb the umpire ladder to Williamsport. Honestly, they could call me tomorrow and tell me I can hand pick my crew...and I would decline.

Ever since I moved over to scholastic, youth travel and men's leagues (while no picnics either) I have ZERO desire to ever step onto a LL field again. It's a great league that has given me and millions of others a great deal. I hope the LLWS can return soon and I look forward to watching.

The way LLWS is handled is another reason why I don't umpire LL.

$2,000,000 a year TV contract with ESPN, $75,000,000 in revenue, $25,000,000 in assets (source: Forbes magazine), and they don't pay umpires to do regionals or WS games?!

The exploitation of volunteerism just bugs me.

[blue23ll]

"The 1st inning I'm already hearing it from the VT dugout (These are 11-12 year olds...), this goes on for about an inning and a half "

If we allow this to go on, it will never stop. 

 

[LRZ]

"The 1st inning I'm already hearing it from the VT dugout (These are 11-12 year olds...), this goes on for about an inning and a half "

I know this is an old thread, but it's always timely to remind ourselves that "we promote what we permit."