[DownTownTonyBrown]

Originally posted by Atl Blue
...a lazy catcher is not an unsportsmanlike catcher. Kids go brain dead now and then...

Yep. Some more than others.

...If the catcher is moving outside and not protecting you, get behind him. If he isn't getting the inside corner, he'll figure it out real soon.

This isn't reaaly possible. It sounds good but you know as well as I do that a catcher can move outside and STILL PROTECT you. How could I possibly know the one or two times that he is going to go brain dead and NOT PROTECT me/you?

In 35 years, I have gotten hit by a pitch for which the catcher did not move at all a grand total of once. I have had bad catchers many times, even in just the past season.

No wonder you feel the correct response is to suck it up. If you only had to do it once in 35 years, then you are absolutely right. SUCK IT UP. I don't believe anyone here has advocated ejecting on the first occurence... so you've never had that opportunity, not having ever been in the position of getting hit twice.

I didn't really count or pay attention, but at first blush, I immediately recall 4 times that I was hit THIS SEASON with the catcher making absolutely no effort. Three of those times hit protected areas. One was a foreign student who had never played baseball and got stuck as catcher... smack a straight shot to the mask. The kid didn't know his responsibilities. Another was an adult playing in a tournament as a substitute for the regular catcher and he was very tired - one in the shin guard and once to the shoulder. This most recent time was a 17 year old kid that was just being lazy - too lazy to reach across his body and catch a very regular pitch. He was most likely upset about being required to play catcher - he wanted to pitch. This is the one that hit me in the unprotected area of that bone end sticking out from the side of my elbow.

In all cases, I sucked it up, and we continued with the same catcher. So in the elite world vision of Hensley, I'm a man. Yeah right; that's the difference between boys and men. I feel my comments are "spot on" too so perhaps we are arguing different perspectives of similar but different situations.

Oohh and the 4 times this season is just that... this season. Most of the other occassions in the other 25 years I've forgotten about. Never kicked a catcher yet for me getting hit. Probably won't start anytime soon either.

It's not the umpire's job to tell the coach to get a new catcher. Some umps want to tell coaches to change pitchers just because their pitcher has hit (pick a number) of batters. "Thanks for your opinion, I'll manage my own team thank you."

I think you have misunderstood what these people are saying. They are not suggesting that the coach has a choice - this is just a polite way of ejecting a player without going through all the emotional arm waving and the confrontational stuff of "You've got to justify this." ... and of course the follow-up requirements for having ejected a player.

Now, it is an important point that I really cannot do a good job if I think I'm going to get hit at any unknown moment. The natural response to flinch is ovecome as an umpire learns that he is wearing protective gear that will cushion most of the blows and that the catcher will stop the ball before it reaches the umpire. Getting hit several times, quickly removes that no-flinch training - I'm jumping out of the way of every pitch. Now I cannot do my job because of the catcher I have working in front of me. Coach, you want a good job? Get a catcher that does a good job. Simple. Call it an ejection if you want. I think it is just a way of making the game go smoothly and allowing me to do a proper job.

If you think it's intentional, run him. If it's not, I will say it again, suck it up and do your job. Just wanted to make sure you didn't miss my point.

Didn't miss your point at all. Hopefully you didn't miss mine either.