Quote:
Originally posted by Little Jimmy
Not so good thing
1. I had my first ejection today. Coach went over the line complaining. Wouldn't stop griping about my calls, my past history, my favoritism for the other team etc. Even though I feel confident that I did the right thing it didn't leave me with a particularly good feeling. Maybe it gets easier with time.
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Softball myth: Ejecting a participant is a bad thing.
Truth: It is only bad if you do it out of spite or just because you are outright mean. As CB noted, coaches and players usually get themselves tossed out of the game.
When an umpire ejects someone, it actually helps other umpires (and yourself) down the road. You have just laid down the law and told these folks that it is not permissible to act like an *** on the field. You have issued notice that their shenanigans will not be tolerated as part of the game.
You have given personal notice to the two teams involved that when they see you, they should be prepared to play ball by the rules and leave the BS in the equipment bag.
Now, you are always going to have your Billy Martin/Gene Mauch types that think acting like a pompous *** to motivate their team is part of their job description. These are the types that will never understand that jumping up and down like a madman is not a better way of managing a team, and you will most likely dump them on more than one ocassion.
However, when you run one of these folks, never give them the satisfaction of letting them think you really care. Do not be like the MLB guys and get in their face and argue back. Let them rant and rave, but just stand there smiling. Eventually, they will become bored with your lack of response and slow down their routine. That is when you continue to smile and tell the coach to have a nice shower and calmly walk away.
Please note that I am not suggesting this be done with anyone other than those incredibly obnoxious idiots who believe they are the 300 lb gorillas and can do whatever they want including making the umpire look as if they are responsible for everything from the extinction of the dinosaur to the asassination of JFK.
Also note, I am not suggesting ejecting people become a common practice in sending a message. You should only eject folks who have crossed the line and deserve it. Most
players and coaches are not deserving of being considered wrong or bad unless they go out of their way to do so.
