My first ejection, early in my second season of umpiring, wasn't particularly funny but it was quick. An assistant coach/father of the girl batting complained about a strike called on his daughter, who was at bat. When he persisted, I turned and politely but firmly told him "That's enought." To which he responded "So throw me out." "Okay," I responded. "You're out of here."
My funniest incident was a non-ejection. I was working a doubleheader in a rec league in which I also head a youth softball association. Before the first game, as we were trying to insure that the field, which had recently been hit by rain, was playable, I could just tell that I would have a problem with one of the coaches. To my surprise, absolutely nothing happened during the two games. In fact, as I drove home I began to draw doubts about my ability to judge character, which had been pretty accurate when it came to coaches up to that point. About a week later at a league board meeting, the coach of the other team, who is also on the board, made mention of the game and my work during some idle conversation. Then she pointed out: "That coach is a screamer. I had problems with him in soccer. So before the game, after you had arrived at the field, I mentioned to him "We're in trouble tonight. This ump likes to toss people'." It was a great ploy on her part, from both a coaching and umpiring standpoint.
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