[JJ]

First the editorial in the local paper. Then the reply from one of the umpires. Summer college level baseball -

"CHAD DARE, Commercial-News Sports Editor
DANVILLE — The best time in every sport is when the playoffs roll around — whether it is football, basketball or baseball.
That feeling is no different in the Central Illinois Collegiate League.
After a grueling 44-game schedule, the top four teams in the wooden bat baseball league square off for the postseason tournament title.
While almost every player admittedly cannot wait for the season to end — so that they can finally get a few days off before returning to their respective college — they also want to achieve a final goal with a group of guys that they have basically lived with for the past 10 weeks.
Wednesday’s contest at Danville Stadium was supposed to be a battle between the pitching prowess of the Dans against the offensive exploits of the Quincy Gems.
Danville was able to pull out a 8-7 victory over Quincy to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, but most of the 1,156 fans at Danville Stadium didn’t leave talking about the game.
Instead, most of the postgame chatter centered around the umpires — in particular, home plate umpire John Smith (name changed by forum poster).
At a time in the season when the 40-plus players are supposed to be taking center stage, one overzealous umpire decided to steal the show.
In the fifth inning, Smith not only ejected Danville manager Jamie Sailors, but he also threw out the Dans starting catcher Wyn Diggs and assistant coach Cory Barton was also ejected in that sequence.
The ejection of Sailors was because Smith incorrectly ruled an overthrow by Danville third baseman Devin Hicks as a dead ball.
During the pregame meeting at home plate, the ground rules are always discussed. Smith, for whatever reason, added a new one in the fifth inning.
While the throw by Hicks never left the playing field — because of a fence that was installed beyond the first-base dugout over a year ago — he still called it a dead ball.
Sailors, still standing in his third-base dugout, yelled out at Smith about the incorrect call.
Instead of letting the coach say his piece and moving on, Smith lost his temper and ejected Sailors from the game.
Base umpire Joe Jones (also changed by the forum poster), who has worked NCAA Division I Regionals — just ask him — proceeds to continuously chest bump Sailors as to prevent him from talking with Smith as to the reason for the ejection.
Human nature tells us at this point that emotions are pretty high.
Instead of collecting himself and being a professional, Smith blows another gasket on the ensuing pitch.
This time he ejects Diggs for taking off his catcher’s mitt following the pitch, which was called a ball.
There was no use of foul language or any gestures with his hands, all Diggs did was take off his catcher’s mitt.
What was wrong with that?
Only a few baseball experts would know that when Diggs took off his glove it was a sign to the Danville bench that he felt the pitch was a strike.
Obviously, Smith knows this sign, and like he had done before, makes himself the head clown at a three-ring circus.
The Gems, not immune from some questionable calls against them, were able to avoid being tossed from the game until the ending.
In the ninth inning with Danville leading 8-7, Quincy’s Kevin Hoef pops one up down the first-base line with a runner on third and two outs. The Gems shortstop makes contact with Dans first baseman Garrett Gipe and was called out for interference.
After a short discussion, the umpires are leaving the field with Owens still trying talk with them and he is promptly ejected.
Not only will Danville try to win the series without its manager, but Quincy will try to avoid elimination without Owens. Both managers must serve a one-game suspension for their second ejections of the season.
One of the biggest games of the CICL postseason tournament and both managers are suspended as is Diggs from catching for Danville.
Not exactly an ideal situation for either team.
But, the umpire, who seemed to be the one out of control, will still be working the contest.
No one would ever say that umpiring or officiating is easy.
But ask the best in the business what they want the most and you will get the same answer — to be unnoticed.
That was impossible on Wednesday night at Danville Stadium because 1,156 people were witnesses to the Smith show. "


Now, the umpire's reply to Mr. Dare -

"Mr. Dare:
Interesting editorial column you wrote today in the Commercial-News. Thank you for being an avid Danville Dans fan. As for the column, well, it might behoove you in the future to do at least enough research on the facts of a story so as to get most of them right.
Contrary to what you wrote, Coach Sailors was not ejected for arguing about a ball being either in or out of play. He was ejected - after a warning - for arguing balls and strikes. Wyn Diggs was guilty of showing up the home plate umpire by throwing his glove in the air, not "taking it off" - every one of the ballplayers (and Diggs) knew what led to his ejection. Coach Barton’s use of profanity is what led to his ejection. And Quincy Coach Owens was not ejected for “trying to talk” to us - he was also ejected for profanity after he continued to follow us off the field and berate us AFTER we had given him repeated explanations of the game-ending play.
Here’s a suggestion for you: Before you write about what was said on the field, how about leaving the press box and sitting close enough to hear what is being said on the field. Maybe actually interview the people involved. Perhaps you will get a few more of the facts correct when you sit down to write your newspaper column.

Joe Jones
NCAA Regional umpire (and proud of it)
22-year CICL umpire

Ah, the press...