[WestMichBlue]

Freshmen DH and I am not too excited about going. But the games were OK. A couple pretty good pitchers kept the games moving; we played two complete 5-inning games plus the obligatory food break in a little over 3 hours. But a bad partner ruined the evening for me.

I am standing by my car watching the home team finish infield practice, getting ready to put on chest protector and shirt. New partner drives up. Quick handshake and he heads for the field, saying “Come on, let’s get going; they’re ready to start; gotta check helmets!” “Uh Mike, I’ve been here for a half-hour; done both dugouts, checked bats, helmets, catcher’s equipment, and walked the field. But it’s nice that you are here now.”

“Oh” he says, and instead heads for the bleachers and starts talking to some fans. I finish, and then go sit next to him, and have to interrupt his conversation to discuss our pre-game issues. I go over the mechanics litany; he just nods his head and “yeah, yeah, yeah.” He lets me know that he is very experienced.

During pre-game conference he interrupts at least three times to ask his own questions (which I would have reached eventually).

The first half innings ends with him in “C.” He motions to me and I meet him in the center of the field. “That pitcher is illegal,” he said, “she is stepping outside the plate width.” I told him that I had been watching; that her foot was on the line, but I was not concerned yet. “That’s illegal,” he says, “her foot has to be inside the line.” I replied that the foot had to be entirely outside to be illegal. Now he is getting excited and raising his voice. “You’re wrong; go look at the pictures in the book, they show the foot entirely inside.” By this time the players are coming on the field and I moved away. I stood there fearful of what would happen if he called an IP. I could see that he would argue with me in front of the coach and her pitcher.

Each half-inning break he went to the same place at the fence talking to fans. As the inning started he slowly walked to “A” while continuing to talk. I even saw his head facing the fence when a pitch was being delivered.

He never came “inside” the entire game.

Made all calls from a fixed position. Steal of second; he stayed in “B.” From “C” on a play to 1B he made the calls from the edge of the grass.

No pre-game for 2nd game. I was standing at the plate waiting for him; he was in the dugout having cake and punch. He got a line-up from the coach, walked to the opposite dugout for a line-up, and yelled out “Lets play ball!”

On an extra base hit I’ve got obvious obstruction on F3; my arm is out as I take the runner into 2B. B-R in safely, I drop arm and head for “C.” Partner calls Time and, from home plate, starts chewing out F3; telling her she better get off the base when there is no play, etc. etc. etc.

I’m in “C” with R1 at 3B. Ground ball to F6; I’m coming in slowly waiting for F6 to commit. She lets R1 go and throws to 1B. I sprint into infield and am in good position to make a very close call. I sell the out and immediately hear “Can we have some help, Blue?” I shake my head as I move towards “A,” not going to discuss a judgment call. The request is repeated to my partner and I turn in time to see him throw out his arms and say “Safe! She pulled her foot!”

I am burning. At the end of the inning I say to him “Don’t you ever do that to me again. You don’t over-rule partner’s calls, and you never discuss a partner’s calls with a coach.” He starts arguing and I walk towards RF. I am nearly to 1B when he yells at me, “You’re wrong; you don’t know the rules!”

The home team lost the opener, but has a comfortable 8-2 lead with two outs in the top of the 7th inning. For some reason he decides that the pitcher needs to tuck in her shirt. She does a little, but he still objects. “No,” he says, “you’re folding it over. I want you to tuck it in.” And then, “No, quit folding it!” And finally, “Look Young Lady, put your hands on the shirt and push them inside the waist-band. I want to see the waist-band!”

We have a 14 y.o. freshman now in her tenth inning of pitching, only one out away from victory - and visibly upset. She struggles; the visitors get some walks and hits; the game is getting tense. She gets two strikes on at least four batters, but partner refuses to call a third strike, even though several were “freshmen level” strikes; close enough to be called. Finally, with the score 8-7 and the tying run at 3B, we get a pop-up to end the game.

I try to ignore him in the parking lot. He said, “Will I see you again?” I should have shut up, but instead I told him that I would never work with him again. He got angry and said, “You don’t like it because I over-ruled you. Too bad that you don’t know the rules. If you won’t admit that you are wrong and won’t accept being over-ruled, then you don’t belong in the game!”

WMB