[greymule]

To me, that would depend on the volume and who could or could not hear the comment.

True. This was low-key and conversational in tone, not confrontational, and only the catcher could hear it. The guy is an odd type, a sort of mild-mannered know-it-all.

Still, I should have ejected several players on Saturday but did not. Many of these guys have been around a long time and know how to get under your skin without saying any blatant remark that merits an obvious ejection. One team was particularly difficult in this way. Their pitcher, for example, would talk to an opposing baserunner, conceding "that first one he called a strike was inside on you," and so on in an effort to undermine the umpires. And their behavior was contagious, spreading to other teams that normally didn't pose a problem. I admit that we umpires had a hard time getting on top of the situation.

On Sunday, we read them the riot act before each game, and the behavior improved dramatically. The problem team was bounced out in two straight Sunday, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing the bases while they got pounded out.