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Last night, 10U. Close game, I'm BU. PU was extremely consistent, with a slightly bigger zone than normal (which both coaches and most players have come to expect at that age --- we all want them swinging and learning, not walking... and walking... and walking.)
Game ends 12-11, and I leave the field to go get my plate gear on for the 14U game following. As I'm exiting the dugout, a parent stops me, and starts berating me for the horrible strikezone of my partner. "How long has he been umpiring! That was awful! This guy's never seen a strikezone!" My first thought... "Oh crap, went through the wrong dugout"! I tried one sentence (probably a mistake) - "Ma'am - if we called this strikezone (pantomiming a normal one), the girls would just walk all day, every game would be 15-15, and no one would learn anything." She continues laying into me and I walk off.
I get maybe 15 feet from her when I hear coach yelling. This coach is the most mild-mannered guy around, and I've never heard him utter even the slightest disappointment at a call by the umpire. I glance over my shoulder to see if he's coming after me.
Coach is laying into the parent. "Don't you ever do that in front of my dugout again. That's not the attitude we should be having our kids learn from." It was greatness. After I'm dressed and approaching the field (on the other side!) for the next game, coach approaches with his hand extended and apologizes profusely for his parent's behavior.
What a great guy - I wish ALL coaches were more like this guy.
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