[Dakota]

All that stuff they taught you in school about grammar, capitalization, quotes, sentences, and paragraphs really is usefull for communicating your thoughts, etc. to others. Just because there is no grade here doesn't mean it is not important.

Here is your little essay, just slightly edited. See the difference? Only took me 2-3 minutes. ....

(Tee, is this better?)

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I would like to know if I handled the situation the right way. Here is how it started, from begining to end.

I was on my way to the field to do an 11-12 year old playoff game (2 game elimination tournament). It was the top two seeds playing, one of which already had a loss. Usually these games only have one umpire but one of my umpires (who is part of my organization) had a forfeit on the field next to us (no one ever showed up to his game he was supposed to do). So, he offered to do the bases and help me do my game.

He asked both coaches during the ground rules if they wanted him to do the bases while I did the plate. They both said, "No, I don’t mind."

So we start the game. First inning comes. It was a rough inning. A lot of close calls were made and, in my opinion, they were the right calls. The only call that was really close (and coach questioned) was a play at the plate. The kid slid in feet first right between the catcher’s legs. The catcher tagged him on his chest; kid was safe.

After the first inning, the score was 3-2. About 2 innings later it’s a full count to the batter. The pitch comes. It’s a ball. While the runner was on his way to first, the catcher calls time. I grant him time, which I shouldn’t have because the runner hadn’t touched first yet.

The first base coach starts yelling at my partner about me and him granting the catcher time before the runner touched first. I hear the coach say, clear as day, "You should get your head in the game, blue, and stop getting on the kids for throwing their equipment." (I should also add 2 kids in earlier innings got a warning for throwing their helmet and bat at the dugout.)

Right after the coach says that, I give him a warning. Right after I give him the warning, he throws his hands at me, sort of like, "oh please," and that he was disgusted with the warning and he was trying to tell me, "screw you, blue." So, I threw him out.

Parents were very rowdy. Coaches started getting loud. Since it was a close game and he was very loud and screaming, I said to myself, "It is a close game and I have to keep it in order."

Then, in the next inning, a double play ball gets hit. They get him at second. It was a close play at first. My partner called him safe. I hear the coach who I ejected earlier scream from the stands, "That was a horrible call blue." I then call time and tell one of the coaches from his team to get him out of sight. I wanted him out of the field complex. The man was getting very rowdy. I felt it would escalate to something bigger. He then screams out "I am reporting you to the league you have no right to do this."

The game then continues. Everything went pretty good the rest of the game. I didn’t have one complaint about my strike zone the whole game. The only close call was the play at the plate, which I explained earlier.

After the game I hear that same coach who I threw out come back in the dugout and tell us, "You both called a horrible game." Now keep in mind his team won. I also have 2 parents of the losing team come up to me and my partner and tell us, "That was the worst game I have ever seen 2 umpires call." The best part about this is the two parents who are telling us we are horrible are saying, "Why does one umpire stay on the first base foul line with no one on and between first and second leaning more toward 2nd base with a man on first." The two parents where complete idiots. The way some of the coaches and parents handled themselves over a 11-12 year old game was a complete disgrace.

Oh, I forgot to add, one kid was also thrown out for throwing his equipment twice. The first time he was given a warning. After he was thrown out a parent comes up to me and asks me, "Is that rule how you throw a kid out for that or do you just feel like throwing him out." All the parents were extremely nasty during and after the game.

I also get looked at by coaches as a young umpire who doesn’t know what he is doing and won’t eject anyone no matter what the coach says or does. (I am 17 years old and also look a lot younger than my age, which doesn’t do me any good. This is also my 3rd year umpiring.) All I want to know is if I handled it the right way. How would any of guys handle a situation like this?

Thanks.

PS: I also couldn’t forfeit the game if things got out of control. I was told by my head umpire not to forfeit the game. I wrote about this in an earlier post.
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