[L.A. Umpire Guy]

I have had about half of the ejections that I should or could have. My first two ever were malicious contact ejections, in which you just inform them that they're gone. I prefer to keep good people in a game rather than punish them for an uncharacteristic outburst or personal insult. I do it to preserve order or to rid a contest of a bad person, which is usually an adult coach or adult player (J.C. or 18-over wood batt leagues). My coach and adult player ejections result in an instinctive wave and it seems that it's always been a simple sweeping wave of the left hand with my mask in it. So a little wave of the mask has become the thumb. It's a lot like "It's time to go."

I liked a recent ejection of Joe Maddon (perhaps it's the one you're referring to), in which the veteran umpire listened patiently to what Maddon was hollering, and then when he said something magical, the umpire just pointed like you described, and then the conversation continued for a while longer. No agitation; no theatrics, it was very cool.