Quote:
Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
To start, this is the rule, you are being paid to enforce the rule and if you start worrying about how a player is going to react by you doing your job, you will stop doing the job for which you are being paid.
Not my problem. If the pitcher is going to be an ***, nothing the umpire does or doesn't do is going to make that change. For that matter, in many circumstances, if the player is trying to intimidate you (and that IS what the player is doing), you may have just raised the bar for him/her and THAT may escalate it that much more.
Why would an umpire get into a pissing contest with anyone? When was the last time you saw an umpire lose a debate/discussion/argument with a player or coach?
Yeah, as an umpire, you don't WANT to eject anyone. And you do want to defuse any possible volatile situation. However, there are TWO teams on the field and both are paying for the umpire to be there and enforce the rule by which THEY agreed to play. Your feelings are irrelevant to the issue. You are not the one who intentionally allowed the ball to pass into center field and delay the game.
And, yes, the game situation may determine how you handle the situation. But if you allow this pitcher to get away with this stunt, what are you going to let the other pitcher get away with? After all, you don't want to seem unfair, right? Where does it end?
In this case, the OP has already set the play and resolution. You are being asked to rule on the protest as the UIC. And I can tell you that personal feelings or preferences should not factor into your decision.
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First of all Irish, I don't worry about how a player is going to react.
Second, I am NOT going to stop doing my job. I've been doing my job for over 30 years now and I've gotten pretty good at it.
Third, I am only making a suggestion here. Instead of getting in to a situation that I KNOW will quite probably result in a player getting ejected, I look for an ALTERNATE way to "do my job" and keep him in the game. An ejection is the LAST RESORT between a player and an umpire.
I'm not "letting the pitcher get away" with anything. What I'm saying is, I'm using the catcher to help resolve the situation. Don't be caught with "tunnel vision" and see a difficult situation in only one "light." Also, I realize that "personal feelings" play NO part in resolving a protest. I've been involved in MANY protests and in every one, personal feelings played NO part in resolving it. BTW - I've NEVER lost a protest. If I have to, I'll break out the rule book, find the appropriate rule and show the manager. Now, if he wants to argue with the rule book, oh well.....
If a player "baits" me in to how I respond, then I'm playing his game. That's not going to happen. You umpire leagues long enough, you get to know the players - the good ones, the bad ones and the "wannabes." I've been on the field long enough to know to see it (baiting) coming.