[officialtony]

HS Varsity game. I am PU. Hotly contested game which is close until 5th inning. Visiting team is now down by 4 runs and his best hitter comes to the plate. I call two close strikes on pitches not swung at. Coach calls time and meets his batter 10 feet from the plate. As he is walking away I hear " bu*****t calls ". I ignore but he is on my list. Bottom of same inning, home team attempts double steal - R1 and R2 moving together. F2 throw ( horrible I might add ) gets by F5 and F7 retrieves it. R1 on his way to the plate. I am set for the play and the throw from F7 comes in. F2 tags R1 on the shoulders as R1 has already hit the plate with his forward foot ( slid ). I call safe ( I am confident with my call and decision ),I look up and the Visitors coach is standing next to the ondeck batter 5 feet from the plate screaming about the call. He had to be in live ball territory as the play unfolded. I wasn't aware of his presence, following the ball and the resulting play. He tells his catcher to ask for time, which I grant after I make sure R2 is standing on 3rd and no other play can occur. He proceeds to tell me there is no way safe is correct. No vulgarity or abuse other than the call was wrong. I tell him I made the call, the runner beat the tag and he must return to the bench and I don't want to see him or hear from him the rest of the game - that I have heard enough. He mumbles something about three ring circus as he returned to the dugout. OK fire away and let me hear the responses. What would you have done and at what point?



BTW, in retrospect, I should have tossed him the minute I saw him standing over the concluded play during live ball situation. I know that now. Just looking for feedback.

[Edited by officialtony on May 5th, 2005 at 02:31 PM]