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Originally Posted by Clint Lawson
Stop umpiring with cotton in your ears. Don't let people yell at you or about you. If they say it were you can hear it. They want you to hear. So address it. Shut them up by yelling at them or run them.
Clint Lawson
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I more or less agree.
For too long, umpires have been letting crap be said to them out on the field. INAPPROPRIATE CRAP!!! At least the atmosphere now is for us to deal with it after years of being told "You gotta ignore them and take a little crap from coaches". That got us to the point of? You know the rest. Esculations that have gotten umpires hurt and harrassed.
BUT, it IS a matter of knowing what you can and cannot do something about. Know thy rule book on how it pertains to coaches/parents behavior on and around the field. KNOW the procedures for dealing with the problems. Then, apply with a heavy hand! I really believe in holding coaches/parent to VERY high standards of conduct. ANY swear words, insults that contain "You are.....", threats, taunting, etc...MUST be dealt with and with finality. Adults KNOW BETTER, and if we allow this kind of conduct to go on without ejections, we condone the behavior and are just as guilty of showing a bad example to the players who are kids!!! While coaches and parents have the task of showing good role models as parent and coaches, WE have the task of showing good role models as authority figures.
Many guys just don't deal with this stuff because they don't like the flack they will get from dealing with it. But I tell you, the quickest way to settle a game down is to remove the people that are esculating the situations in word and/or action. This includes parents in the stands.
Yes, take the cotton out of your ears. Listen to ALL that is said on the field. When it crosses the line, DEAL WITH IT!