Quote:
Originally Posted by NCASAUmp
These kinds of scenarios seem to be quite common in newer, less-established associations (whose names I won't mention, either) - a lot of "you know what we meant" seems to be their standard explanation when giving a confusing rule interpretation. Maybe they're just the growing pains of a green association, or maybe it might have something to do with the fact that some of these associations are the brainchildren of players who have poor misconceptions regarding the rules or some other such bad leadership. It always seems like a bad situation just waiting to happen, and I personally would avoid those organizations at all costs.
I do have a question though... In all of this mess, how did you get from having a PU being forced to make a call that the UIC told him to make, to you saying "screw this" and walking off the field?
I have a hard time with the idea of an umpire just walking off the field because of a disagreement. It's no different from any other disagreement over a call. Certainly a cluster to be sure, but I don't understand why you felt the need to interject yourself into a situation that did not involve you. This was the PU's call to make, not yours, and he was the one being forced into the bad situation, not you. I guess I'm a little dismayed at the lack of solidarity that you shared with your partner in said cluster. Walking off the field would have been more than throwing him under the bus, it'd be driving the bus back and forth.
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after being told my interpretation (which coincidentally happened to be correct) of the rules was going to be ignored and the TD decision, who i didnt even want on the field, was going to be applied, i was already 3/4 of the way off the field. and when the UIC is just going to flat out invent a rule out of thin air, i forgot to mention earlier he wanted the male batter that was due up ejected, the spot to become an auto out, and the team to only play 9 in the field, thats when i felt it was my duty, as someone whos job it is to protect the integrity of the game and make sure the rules are followed to stick my neck out and stand up for what i felt was right.
i appreciate the playing of 'devils advocate', and there were some other factors that are way too long to get into that factored in my willingness to just 'give up'.