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After last night's game I'm considering subscribing to the frequent ejection theory of game management. The two teams (12YO OBR) were in first and second place, and a win by the first place team clinched the championship, so everyone was a little tense.
One coach knew exactly where the line was and leaned on it the whole game. After he asked me why a bounding ball down the third base line was called fair, I told him that it bounded over the bag. He said it didn't. I asked him if he was questioning a judgement call and he turned and headed back to the dugout and loudly (and sarcastically) proclaimed "Of course not. Yoru judgement is astute." Had I dumped him at taht point, I would have been seen as the agressor since he was walking away. Later as he passed me to give his batter some instruction between innings he stopped to very quietly tell me that it appears to him and his team that my judgement was tilted in favor of the other team. I told him that he wasn't to open his mouth the rest of the game.
The moment the final out was recorded, a different coach on the same team shouted "Thanks Blue for the worst umpired game we've had all year." I turned and dumped him. The coach who had been pushing it the whole game yelled "you can't do that, the game's over." So I tossed him too.
I feel like I let too much go early in the game because the individual offenses were relatively minor and because I was concerned with appearing to be the aggressor. The problem is that each of these small things built up and eventually caused problems.
I see coaches like little children. They like to see how much they can get away with and the more you give, the more they take.
In general I feel like I let too much slide. I don't want to become a complete harda** but I need to tighten up the game a little. Any suggestions for this? Would taking HHH's "hang 'em high" approach for a few games help out, or should I do something else?
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