things coaches say...

[mac266]

So there I was...

 

...working the bases at a JuCo game (NCAA rule book). R1, outs don't matter. The pitcher altered his delivery by stopping his free foot during the "kick," but -- this is important -- HE KEPT HIS HANDS MOVING and never did a "double set." The batting team's head coach went ballistic. "THAT'S A BALK! BLUE! BLUE! THAT'S A BALK!"

I ignored him and continued to umpire. He kept going as if I didn't hear him, confidently and wrongly exclaiming: "He can't alter his delivery for the purpose of deceiving the runner. That's what the rule book says...VER-BA-TIM!!!!"

[The Man in Blue]

Tangent -- I will die on this hill: continually in motion is not the same thing as a continuous motion.

Anyway.

 

Heard about a recent local EJ where a usually docile parochial school coach had some issues all night with a base umpire.  It started getting dark (no lights), and there was some ongoing back and forth about whether to call it or not.  They kept going.  The game took a significant change, and then the umpires decided to call it mid-inning.  The coach screams from the dugout "You haven't seen a f###ing thing all night, why does it matter now?!"

[SeeingEyeDog]

47 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

Tangent -- I will die on this hill: continually in motion is not the same thing as a continuous motion.

Anyway.

 

Heard about a recent local EJ where a usually docile parochial school coach had some issues all night with a base umpire.  It started getting dark (no lights), and there was some ongoing back and forth about whether to call it or not.  They kept going.  The game took a significant change, and then the umpires decided to call it mid-inning.  The coach screams from the dugout "You haven't seen a f###ing thing all night, why does it matter now?!"

Brothers, I'm not sure of your local protocols but, if you hear it or see it...you simply must address it. What we permit, we promote. If a coach wants to ask for time, wait for you to grant time and calmly come out and discuss a balk/no balk, I will have a brief discussion. A balk/no balk is judgement so, there's not much to talk about really. I'm trying to give him an opportunity to calmly understand what I am seeing/not seeing and why I am calling/not calling what I am calling/not calling. Some people you just can't reach; which is the way they want it.

A coach simply launching invectives from the dugout or coaches box? We have to shut that down and put progressive discipline on it as needed. I don't work NCAA so, I don't know their discipline/ejection protocols.

Stop sign, warn and eject seems reasonable here. We simply cannot allow coaches to grind us like this prolongingly. And @The Man in Blue, this is by no means a judgement on you in any way shape or form. I am an admirer of your work and a proud subscriber of your newsletter. I am merely addressing what you posted here...

~Dawg

[Velho]

11 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

@The Man in Blue, this is by no means a judgement on you in any way shape or form. I am an admirer of your work and a proud subscriber of your newsletter.

What newsletter?!?

I feel like I just found out I wasn't invited to a sleepover when I was 12...

[BLWizzRanger]

1 hour ago, Velho said:

What newsletter?!?

I feel like I just found out I wasn't invited to a sleepover when I was 12...

The first thing about the newsletter is not to speak about the newsletter.  You can pick out who is who below...

[834k3r]

2 hours ago, Velho said:

What newsletter?!?

I feel like I just found out I wasn't invited to a sleepover when I was 12...

[The Man in Blue]

Gotta’ admit, I’m loving the replies … but I’m confused as to what you are addressing @SeeingEyeDog.

The coach comments were not me and were an immediate ejection.  (I had the team their next game and wondered where the coach was.)

There is no newsletter and it certainly cannot be ordered out of the back of the quarterly magazine.

[834k3r]

16 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Gotta’ admit, I’m loving the replies … but I’m confused as to what you are addressing @SeeingEyeDog.

The coach comments were not me and were an immediate ejection.  (I had the team their next game and wondered where the coach was.)

There is no newsletter and it certainly cannot be ordered out of the back of the quarterly magazine.

[Velho]

On 4/21/2026 at 8:42 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

I am an admirer of your work and a proud subscriber of your newsletter.

@SeeingEyeDog Are you thinking of ROTD from @Little Ott?

[SeeingEyeDog]

19 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Gotta’ admit, I’m loving the replies … but I’m confused as to what you are addressing @SeeingEyeDog.

The coach comments were not me and were an immediate ejection.  (I had the team their next game and wondered where the coach was.)

There is no newsletter and it certainly cannot be ordered out of the back of the quarterly magazine.

Well, your message there said "...had some issues all night with a base umpire." Nobody asked me but, nobody on the field should "have some issues with an umpire all night". Prolonged, profane and or personal...warn, restrict, eject, right? What am I missing?

Lol...and yes...thank you for clarifying where NOT to order your newsletter. @Velho, that is also excellent disruption on your part, too...we see you working, brother.
 

~Dawg

[The Man in Blue]

7 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Well, your message there said "...had some issues all night with a base umpire." Nobody asked me but, nobody on the field should "have some issues with an umpire all night". Prolonged, profane and or personal...warn, restrict, eject, right? What am I missing?

Lol...and yes...thank you for clarifying where NOT to order your newsletter. @Velho, that is also excellent disruption on your part, too...we see you working, brother.
 

~Dawg

Ahh. . . like I said, not my game and I wasn't there, so I don't know the full extent.  A usually docile coach, so I'm leaning towards he was probably quietly frustrated all night (not barking all night) and that was exacerbated by the umpires waffling on the darkness call.  

I wish I could offer more great news that the newsletter could be ordered via an 800 number that can be found on fliers posted on random light posts in major metropolitan areas.  I'm not not saying that . . . just wishing out loud.

[BLWizzRanger]

9 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

... could be ordered via an 800 number that can be found on fliers posted on random light posts in major metropolitan areas.  I'm not not saying that . . . just wishing out loud.

Reminds me of one time when as the coach left the field, in a fall ball game, that I ejected him from... "you are like a prostitute. you both get paid and you both suck."  Kinda fits nicely in with the topic of this thread... don't you think?

[The Man in Blue]

You complain about the price, yet you keep paying me.  😱

[Velho]

31 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

You complain about the price, yet you keep paying me.

"That restaurant's food is horrible"

"Yeah. And the portions are so small!"

[BigBlue4u]

15 hours ago, BLWizzRanger said:

Reminds me of one time when as the coach left the field, in a fall ball game, that I ejected him from... "you are like a prostitute. you both get paid and you both suck."  Kinda fits nicely in with the topic of this thread... don't you think?

Reminds me of another "grand slam" comment by a coach.  After a whacker at first base in which the runner was called out, a lively discussion ensued between the first base umpire and the first base coach.  After several moments, the coach said "Hold it a second.  I have to go get something."  The umpire asked what the coach needed to get.  "Some Vaseline," he replied.  It took the umpire about 4/5 of a second to get the meaning of that comment and what followed was a spectacular ejection.

[StatsUmp]

I had a game where I called INT on a runner who chose to run in front of F5 and subsequently hindered F5's ability to throw to first. 

The offensive HC starts insisting, "There was no contact!" I inform him contact isn't necessary for INT.

After the game, I learn the head coach is a registered with the state as an umpire - making me wonder if he was trying to test my rules knowledge or if he truly believes contact is required despite having a copy of the rule book that states otherwise. 🤔

[jimurrayalterego]

43 minutes ago, StatsUmp said:

I had a game where I called INT on a runner who chose to run in front of F5 and subsequently hindered F5's ability to throw to first. 

The offensive HC starts insisting, "There was no contact!" I inform him contact isn't necessary for INT.

After the game, I learn the head coach is a registered with the state as an umpire - making me wonder if he was trying to test my rules knowledge or if he truly believes contact is required despite having a copy of the rule book that states otherwise. 🤔

Running in front of F5 on a normal basepath would not be INT. Is there more to the story?

[jimurrayalterego]

43 minutes ago, StatsUmp said:

I had a game where I called INT on a runner who chose to run in front of F5 and subsequently hindered F5's ability to throw to first. 

The offensive HC starts insisting, "There was no contact!" I inform him contact isn't necessary for INT.

After the game, I learn the head coach is a registered with the state as an umpire - making me wonder if he was trying to test my rules knowledge or if he truly believes contact is required despite having a copy of the rule book that states otherwise. 🤔

Running in front of F5 on a normal basepath would not be INT. Is there more to the story?

[BigBlue4u]

4 hours ago, StatsUmp said:

After the game, I learn the head coach is a registered with the state as an umpire - making me wonder if he was trying to test my rules knowledge or if he truly believes contact is required despite having a copy of the rule book that states otherwise.

It's one or the other.  On one hand, he doesn't know the rule.  On the other hand, he does know the rule and is trying to determine if you know the rule.

[The Man in Blue]

7 hours ago, StatsUmp said:

I had a game where I called INT on a runner who chose to run in front of F5 and subsequently hindered F5's ability to throw to first. 

The offensive HC starts insisting, "There was no contact!" I inform him contact isn't necessary for INT.

After the game, I learn the head coach is a registered with the state as an umpire - making me wonder if he was trying to test my rules knowledge or if he truly believes contact is required despite having a copy of the rule book that states otherwise. 🤔

 

There is a vast difference in having read the rulebook, having a copy of the rulebook, and having been sent a copy of the rulebook.  Most coaches fall in that last category.

[Little Ott]

On 4/23/2026 at 12:14 PM, Velho said:

@SeeingEyeDog Are you thinking of ROTD from @Little Ott?

Yes.

[The Man in Blue]

I have not heard whispered reports of the newsletter being tattooed on the undersides of wayward turtles crossing major highways, so definitely do not send me any crypto-currency … and stop flipping the turtles over!!