[PAT THE REF]

Hey Everyone...

Sorry for the long post... The following incidents took place during a Varsity game. Please comment and make suggestions about what I did right/wrong. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. We will call the Home team – Red and the Visitors – Blue. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. (or guilty ;P )

Out of Play Throw Incident:
During the beginning of the game, the pitcher threw a ball over the first baseman’s head and landed into dead ball area beyond first base. I ruled “time” and awarded the runner second base. In my judgment, the pitcher threw the ball from the rubber and therefore awarded him only one base. After both base coaches were screaming that he stepped off, my partner awarded him third base. For every throw from the rubber from that point on, there was an argument/discussion that the runner should be awarded third.

“Double Play” Incident
In the bottom of an inning, with a man on first, the ball was hit to the shortstop. He proceeded to attempt a quick 6-4-3 double play. As I was in a standing set and second, the ball was thrown to the second baseman who was a good foot away from the bag and never made an attempt to touch second base. I ruled the first runner safe. He proceeded to throw the ball to the first baseman for the force out - in which he was out.

As I turn around to bounce ahead of the runner, the runner - now safe at second, is about three feet off the bag towards the pitcher. His coach screams at him that he is safe and then returns directly to the base.

Time was called by the Blue coach met me at the mound to discuss the call. He wanted to know why that runner was safe at second, “He failed to touch the bag coach”. Then he inquired why he wasn't ruled out for being out of the baseline. I asked him to clarify his question, upon that he wanted to know why the runner was allowed to return to the base if he walked three feet off it. I informed him that each runner makes his own baseline from the starting point to the base. He persisted that it was a straight line between the bases. We discussed the rule about baselines and the development of them. Then after about a three minute conference, I informed him that we need to get the game back underway. He acknowledged and returned to his dugout.

Balk Incident
Immediately following the “double play” at second, the pitcher from the Blue Team proceeded to balk. Before I could pop up and declare the balk, both Red coaches proceeded to scream, “THAT’S A BALK!” I gave the stop sign to both coaches in their boxes. After I awarded the balk the coach then came out again to discuss that call. I informed him that the coaches were not calling the balk and that I was in the process of calling it. He returned to his dugout.

MAJOR Incident
In the top of the seventh inning, two out, full count on the batter, I believe there was a man on 1st. My partner rings the batter up on a debatable pitch for a called strike three. As he was walking away, the batter threw up his hands, flung his bat into dead ball area and threw his helmet into the air a good ten feet. At first I ejected the batter for this display.

As the players took the field to start the bottom of the seventh, I noticed the player was still in as the catcher. I jogged down to home plate and told my partner that he was ejected. I briefly told him what occurred and what caused the ejection, then he informed the coach of the ejection and disqualification of his senior catcher.

The head coach from Blue then proceeded to leave his dugout and come after me. I informed him that # x was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. I started walking towards first base (from the plate area) and he “cut me off” somewhere around the forty-five foot line.
He proceeded to touch my shoulder and I shrugged him off. He then told me that “I don’t know what I am doing, I don’t understand, He is a senior who has never been into a high school playoff game and I am running his high school career.” I then informed him that “Coach, he ejected himself when he threw the bat.” He came back at me with “you really don’t know what you are doing, why are you doing this to the kid.” We literally went back and forth like this for about five minutes… During the discussion, I gave the coach three specific warnings.

I told him once, “Coach we have to get the game back underway, we have a game to finish.” After another round of him accusing me that I am ruining his high school career, “Coach, I hear what you are saying, but we have to get the game back underway.” Then it has been about seven minutes and I have given him two specific warnings already. I have attempted to move towards the outfield but he has cut me off repeatedly.

Then I told him “Coach, we are done arguing and we will get back to the game.” As I started to walk away he literally cut me off again and stated “What if I want to argue this! You are ruining his high school career! You have seen some bad calls and made some today. You have seen a lot worse then this on the diamond, we cant eject him.”

After three specific warnings, delaying the game about ten minutes and him cutting me off repeatedly I told him that “Coach, I hear what you are saying but we have delayed this game long enough, I am going to walk towards the outfield, we will discuss this later if need be but we need to get the game underway. If you are standing here when I turn around, you will be joining your player.”

As I walked toward the outfield, to take my position I heard footsteps behind me. When I got near the edge of the grass I turned around and there was the coach who chased me down and was still arguing the call. I ejected him at this point. Once he left, the assistant coach took over (JV coach) and that was it until after the game.

Post Game Conference

Upon leaving the field and being escorted out by a few “larger” parents of Red’s kids; My partner went back to the field to discuss the ejections with both coaches. When he came back he wanted me to “eat” the ejections and not report them because neither the kid nor the coach knew what they were doing and that the opposing coach would not object.

As the Red coach was leaving he talked to me and personally asked me not to report it because of the personal situations of the team and player. I told him what the consequences were and that it really should be reported. He told me that he wouldn't say anything and that we shouldn't report it. Then the Blue coach apologized to me and admitted that he was wrong in charging me down on the field.

As I waited in the parking lot - I thought things over. Then my partner said, lets not report it and you'll owe me one. I really wanted to report the coach but I couldn't report the coach and not the kid, because the coach was ejected for delaying the game and coming after me about the kid.

After all four coaches were consulted the “ejections” were changed to “dugout restrictions”. I would not have even considered the fact of not reporting this incident if it were not for my partner and the home team’s coach APPROACHING ME to discuss the matter.
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I know what I did *(failure to report) was wrong and I have learned my lesson from it. Now that I look back on it, once you toss (and both - I think - had a valid reason to be) I should have “manned” up and written them up for their suspensions. Regardless of the situation for the following weeks to come.

Please let me know what you would have done...