[SAump]

After a game, a team's athletic trainer {grown adult} came up to my partner and I to ask us how we would throw the UIC from the previous night under the bus. Please respond to the following situation.

F2, while batting, is HBP over the left eyebrow. General swelling, no blood, diziness or headache. F2 is replaced. 20 minutes later, it is now time for legal re-entry after receiving approval from the team's certified medical expert. The trainer states that he is licensed by the state and that it is his responsibilty to make these decisions.

This person states that the umpire would not permit re-entry unless a Dr's handwritten note was presented to him, or something to that effect. He told the umpire about his "credentials" and had taken responsibility for the player's re-entry. He stated that he would not call balls and strikes for the umpire and that the umpire should not have overruled his decision.

He brought us copy of the 2008 FED rulebook and told us there was no such rule requirement. The trainer thought this issue was important enough to be addressed by rule for medical personnel. Not wanting to argue w/ the guy, I stated that the UIC was protecting himself, the best interest of the kid's general well-being. I told him the UIC has final authority to agree with him or not agree. He may have forfeited the game. When it was obvious that his needs were not being met, he turned to my partner and asked about reporting the incident.