[SanDiegoSteve]

Even those of us who realize that players are rats, and that coaches are rats and coke soakers, walk on the field with professionalism. We cheerfully greet the coaches, shake their hands at the plate or whatever. I don't know many successful umpires that are openly hostile to the participants.

There is a big difference between knowing that they are rats (which is a very generic term), and actually letting that affect your judgment.

I have related the story of the partner who came to the plate meeting and started with, "okay, this is your one warning right now, don't argue with me or your gone, do you understand?" I cringed when I heard this, and would never want to enter into a game with this kind of chip on my shoulder. After the game, I immediately called my assignor and had this guy scratched from ever working with me again.

I believe in being really easy-going until you do something rat-like, and then I will pounce all over you like a hobo on a ham sandwich. But I do not come onto a baseball field with any kind of confrontational attitude. I always give the coaches every opportunity to do their jobs. It's not until they step over the line that we have any problem.