[DG]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Back in the late 1980s we had a HS 3A championship game erupt into a bench clearing brawl. Many umpires (probably 20 of us) were in attendance down the left field line watching from just beyond the stands at the University of San Diego ballfield.

Several innings prior to the incident, one team's runner took out F2 with a flying body block. The catcher held on to the ball. The umpire, who should have ruled Out, and ejected the runner from the game, only called him Out. The defense argued, but to no avail.

Well, they say turnabout is fair play. A couple innings later (I think it was the 6th), the other team got their turn, and of course the runner did the exact same thing to the offending team's catcher, naturally retaliating since the umpire didn't do his job the first time.

Both benches cleared and all four umpires stood a little distance from the meelee, taking down numbers and getting ready to eject whoever came off the bench to join in, plus the guy who decked the catcher. I believe their were 13 ejected between the two teams, IIRC.

So basically, the umpires should observe the action and take notes for the ejection report.

A bit of early umpiring might have prevented. Toss for MC, do it quick, do it emphatic; toss the offensive coach (or defensive if it was defensive MC) if he protests too long.