I was doing a search over the weekend end I discovered this old thread; I had forgotten about it even though I am the one that started it, but since Mark, Jr., had player ejection in a JV baseball game about two weeks ago, I decided to post an update so to speak to this thread.
Setting the stage:
The Saturday (April 07th, to be exact) before Easter, Mark was the PU for a JV game between Team A (Home) and Team B (Visitor). During the game Mark ejected a player from Team B for Malicious Contact. That evening he completed the OhioHSAA Game Report and emailed it to the OhioHSAA and the Principal of Team B. In his email to the Principal, he said that since Team B would not be back in school until Monday, April 16th, he would call him then per OhioHSAA Rules and Regulations. Easter night Mark received an email from Team B's Principal telling him that he need not call because he had read the Game Report and it told him all he needed to know concerning the event. Don't we wish all school administrators were like that.
Flash forward to Tuesday, May 10th:
Our assigner in his infinate wisdom assigned us to different JV baseball games as sites only three miles apart. Mark's game was between Team A (Home), yes, that Team A in the April 07th game, and Team C (Visitor). Team A losing by one run with one out and a runner on 1B in the bottom of the 7th inning when a Pinch Hitter comes to the Plate. First pitch is a called strike. PH starts to complain so much that before another pitch is thrown, Team A's HC has to find a PH for his PH,
.
Mark files his Game Report that night. The next morning Mark will have to call the Team A Principal to report the ejection. Mark has never had to make such a phone call because in five years of officiating H.S. basketball and umpiring H.S. baseball, these are his first two ejections. Like the great father that I am, I sit him down and advise him as to how to conduct his conversation with the Principal. I told him to keep it simple, short, to the point, and do not let the Principal try to change the subject.
I was not present for the telephone conversation, but Mark told me that he did his best to follow my advice but the Principal threw him a change-up and he took the bait. He asked Mark how many players he had ejected this year, and Mark told him two. Mark and I talked about it later and he realized that he should have told the Principal that the question was not germaine to the situation, and if he was going to answer it he should have brought up the April 07th game.
Mark's inexperience in these situations is something that we have all experienced as young officials. The only reason for asking such a quesiton was to attempt to label Mark as an official who is out of control and ejects players for no good reason. Mark really has nothing to worry about because he as established himself as a good young umpire, but there are Rats out there and sometimes they look like cute little bunny rabbits.
MTD, Sr.