[LIUmp]

They were hading them out for free today huh? I got mine today too!

PONY championship game 14U. Visiting team losing most of the game but gave up 2 runs in bottom of sixth to be trailing 5-2. So top 7th, lead runner gets a walk and stolen base, and on a hit to right gets thrown out at third. Next batter takes a 3-2 changeup inside corner at the knees that I call strike 3.

3rd base coach: "Blue, was that on the swing? Time blue...where was that pitch?" I walk toward coach and am intercepted by coach from the dugout, who is the head coach.

OC: Where was that pitch?
Me: Coach it was over the pla..
OC: You haven't called it there all day! You're horrible!
Me: Good bye coach.

I walked away. She states, "Good I wanted to go home anyway." She leaves the field. Next batter looks at strike 3 on the outside corner. Unbeknownst to me the OC was watching from behind the backstop and as I and my partner walk off she yells to me: "That was a strike, but the other one was not!"

My PONY regional director, who is also an umpire, told me I have to fill out a form and explain exactly what the coach did that made me eject her. I said I didn't eject her, she ejected herself. I also asked, "do you want me to write 'coach used 'you're horrible'? in the reason for ejection section? He told me that after the game he congratulated her for her good game and that we will see her at the PONY Nationals, to which she told him that she hopes I'[m not there, because I'm terrible.

Stinks for this coach that I will be there. So I get the award that I get to bring with me to PONY Nationals.


Best part for me must have been the scrutiny I got from our regional director. "Be careful to give coaches an opportunity to argue; try to calm them down or warn first; or here's my favorite - you're horrible can get a response of "so what, not that big a deal" from PONY National office." He told me to look in the rule book to find out exactly HOW I should write WHY I ejected her.

On behalf of myself, and of all other umpires before or after me - the magic words of "you're horrible" will never be tolerated and will get you an early ride home every time.

This was my first ever ejection, by the way.