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In "serious" [you might say Real(tm)] baseball, Tee's approach is the best way. Assistant's are there for their players, and the umpire's [ideally and in theory] don't know they exist. If anyone's talking, it's s'posed to be the skipper. In my area Real(tm) baseball is College, HS Varsity, Legion, and District [or above] summer tournaments.
Since I'm in a fairly small community, everything else is rec ball and pretty "familiar": in which case, a low key comment or question, posed in a civil, reasonable manner, will receive a civil, reasonable, SHORT response - whoever it comes from. I do not "argue" about baseball with children, Assis't. Coaches, or spectators - at any level.
If an Assis't even starts to argue, I tell 'em: "Look, if your skipper had a problem with the call, he'd be out here." Usually shuts them up. Of course, I also am well known in my area as a "take-no-crap" umpire who has, in the past, confirmed the self-ejections of miscreants: in wholesale lots, where necessary.
You gotta deal with the culture you are working in: if you can manage it [it's the accepted and expected mode of behavior/ interaction], then "Assis'ts don't exist" is a lot easier on the umpire. Otherwise, some discussion may be expected/required by the prevailing culture, but NEVER tolerate "arguments" [demonstrations of active displeasure or delaying the game] by players or assistants: what you MIGHT take [up to a point] from the Head Coach/ Manager earns a warning or EJ from anyone else.
[edited 'cause the "word nanny" didn't like an abbreviation]
[Edited by cbfoulds on Dec 30th, 2005 at 08:53 PM]
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