[3appleshigh]

I believe it matters who and how long they have been umpiring in the area. A newer official needs to and in my opinion must toss the guy. He needs to gain a rep as someone who will not take crap or that is all he will get. But after a little while the ump can now relax and the players and coaches will take care of problems and the games is much easier. I'll give an example.


For two years I would toss people a little quicker than most , i would be more strick with certain rules that others let slide and I took no guff. I realized my no nonsense rep was solidified in the start of the third season doing a midget (16-19yr olds) game. I had ump'd these kids a number of times, but they had a new pitcher. In the first inning after a high pitch was not called a strike (I do have a low zone) as the pitcher wanted he slammed his glove on his knee and turn around and swore, he was mad at the call, but I truly didn't care, however three yes three of the infielders (C, 1B and SS) all called time together and went to the pitcher and told him to shut-up or he wouldn't be playing long. The C then appologized to me on the return trip and said it wouuld not happen again. That year I didn't toss a single kid from that team, where the two previous years it was probably 3-7 a season got the boot. so it is a senario thing, not quite cut and dried. One person is not going to ruin an age old rep. but could give you one if your just starting out.

I now have the ability to laugh at the player who draws the line in the sand and complains about the zone a little. He know's I have a line and is in general not willing to pursue things very far in fear of it. That line has grown farther and farther away now, but they don't realize it. I still hear at games, "watch your mouth, this guy will throw you." (I threw 2 players last year, real tough choices too, 1 kid stood on second base and at the top of his lungs told the opposition to F%%% off - and the other threw a total hissy fit over a strike-out and threw his helmet and bat and screamed "You're un-F%%%ing- believable. That was it.)