[Al]

Tonight in a Coach-Pitch 8/under game I ejected the head coach (Bears)for arguing the call at the plate. The game was close and the team they were playing never lost a game. The Bears also had a 1st base assistant coach that argued a call by me when the 1st base umpire didn't see if there was a tag or not and asked me to call it. The tag was made and I called her out. The girl knew she was tagged as she went right to the dugout before I even called her out. But the 1st base coach made a comment to me and I said "she was tagged out, let's play". He said something else so I said "open your mouth one more time and you will be leaving the field" ..He didn't say a word, but opened his mouth wide. I said "if a word comes out of that mouth you are out of here" He said nothing, but then the head coach walked over to me as if he was going to say something, but changed his mind and went back toward the circle. So I said let's play ball. But the next inning there was a runner coming home and the catcher had the ball about 5 or 6 feet from the plate. The runners base path was about a foot to the outside of the base line. The fielder attempted to tag her but the runner slowed down a bit and avoided the tag by moving no more than 2 feet away from the tag attempt, which brought her to the grass edge which is 3 feet from the base line. After avoiding the tag she came back to the center of the base line and slid to the plate. SAFE! It was a thing of beauty. She is an excellent base runner, who plays on the travel team and knows her stuff. Anyway, the head coach came over and said "Isn't she's out she left the base line. I said she has 3 feet in either direction from where the attempted tag is being made. Then he pointed about 5 feet into the grass and said she ran there. I said she did not, I was watching her feet...are you arguing a judgment call? He said something about that's two calls you called wrong. I said if you don't stop arguing and get back where you were you are going to be ejected. He didn't move so I said do you want to leave the field? He said I don't care. So I said you're ejected and don't come back for the next game either. So then he starts to go to all the fielders to say good-game. I almost said get off the field now, but decided to just let him do his thing and the clock was running. They were down a couple runs so I figured if he wants to waste his teams time, fine. Then the clown lines up his team and says the game over blue. I said okay you lose 7 to 0 on the forfeit.

After I got home I got a call from the administrator and he said he got a call from that head coach and he wanted to know if I would accept an apology and let him coach the next game. The administrator said that's up to Al, and told the coach if Al says okay it will be only if an apology is made. I told the administrator for the sake of the kids on his team he can coach the next game. I don't expect any Umpires to get any more trouble from him the rest of the season. After the game was forfeited their was a parent of one of the kids on his team arguing with him, and someone told me he said he is going to quit all together. Nothin' like fun at the ole' ball park...

P.S. I thought I would be a nervous wreck, but I feel great about it. I know I made the right calls and I know I did the right thing ejecting him. Also one of the coaches of a Tball team has it all on tape (the entire game) and said he would be glad to let me use it, if I want to show it to anyone. I told him I would like to see it, but I don't need it for proof of anything. ...Al