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Judgement
A long time ago, I was taught to eject a coach or player if his behavior was affecting the game or influencing it a manner that was negative. That sounds like a lot of fluff, but makes sense when you think of examples. Earl Weaver kicking dirt on the plate or at an umpire...Kerry Wood screaming about missed pitches as he's taken from a game...Lou Piniella dislodging and throwing a base...Gaylord Perry getting caught defacing a ball...all obvious examples.
I have pretty thick skin when it comes to name calling on the ball field. I usually have to have a coach direct an F-bomb at me or my partner to get my attention. Players get very little tolerance, though. I've run guys for saying, "No way I'm out, that's bullsh*t". We covered the "JUST WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE LANGUAGE" debate several months ago and it turned into a flame war. I've had born again partners that don't like hearing "God damn", but understand that we all have our triggers. The coaches he deals with know his style and the athletes behave accordingly.
Ejecting a contestant is always a last resort and you should be cognizant of the fact that you may have had a hand in it. Baiting/entrapping, thin skin or a kicked call are all things that will come back and haunt you. Having a quick trigger is a tougher rep to shake than being tolerant of unacceptable behavior. Think about why is this player/coach acting this way. Is it 1-0 and the whacker at first just went against him? Did you just miss a balk in the same game? Is the guy just an a-hole and forgets that you aren't under his control? I give a little more room when a guy is just blowing steam and not swearing. (You know the guy, he's down 22-3 and has a tee time.) That said, I've bounced guys for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout and they're gone before their cleats hit the dirt.
The parents among us recognize the times when we stop tolerating inappropriate behavior and crack down. If you are a hard-***, you'll be feared. If you let kids walk all over you, you'll be ostracized. Same thing on the field.
Just like strike zones, they'll have to adjust since each of us has a different tolerance. Ejections are just another judgement call.
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