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Where's the disagreement?
Well, I'll delurk for a moment to make one very simple comment.
I think the people on both sides are talking about two different things.
The notion that an unsportsmanlike "offense" is an "offense" is ridiculous, for the most part. I do not know think Warren is proposing that idea, because that is not how umpires anywhere I've lived (or umpires I've watched) ACTUALLY call things. Why else would umpires get reputations as "quick-triggers" and "lambs?"
9.01(d) gives authority for an umpire to eject for unsportsmanlike conduct. It doesn't REQUIRE anything.
The only requirements for ejection of a manager or coach spelled out I can find are in 9.02(a), 8.02(d), and 8.06 COMMENT. And in each case listed here, where ejection is MANDATED, the umpire is REQUIRED to warn prior to the ejection (unless accompanied by unsportsmanlike conduct, which is covered under 9.01(d)). [Note: 4.06 also covers the ejection of a participant for inciting a balk, but that is also an unsportsmanlike act]. If the manager persists in going to the mound a second time, or leaving his position to argue balls and strikes, or a pitcher intentionally throws at a batter, then we are DUTY-BOUND to eject.
This is what I think Warren is talking about, although I can admit I didn't read all of the posts on the subject.
But let's step back even further. Except for the case where the manager insists upon visiting his pitcher a second time after being warned, there is still a boatload of umpire discretion that is applied. Who says the coach has left his postion to argue balls and strikes? Who says the pitcher threw intentionally at the batter. In FED ball, who decides whether contact is malicious?
The individual umpire makes those decisions, based upon his own sensibilities, judgement, training, the customs of the game, etc. Now, if the umpire decides the beanball WAS intentional, if the contact WAS malicious, if the manager HAS left his position to argue balls and strikes.....THEN the umpire is rule-bound and ethically bound to eject.
In other words, the umpire shall not do the following:
--Well, that was malicious, but the team is losing bad and the game is almost over, and I don't want to fill out paperwork, and I don't want the coach to scratch me so I won't toss him....
--Well, that pitch was intentional, but the previous batter DID trot awfully slow after hitting the home run so I won't toss him....
--Well, the manager did visit the mound twice with the same batter up, but this is a friendly game and the team is losing 19-1....
--Well, I might have missed that pitch or check-swing, so I'll let the manager come down to the plate and bitch....
Am I geting close to your meaning Warren?
Rich
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Rich Fronheiser
Natick, MA
eContact, RightSports.com
[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Dec 26th, 2000 at 04:36 PM]
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