We just finished our rec league play, tonight actually, for the league I serve as Commissioner for and umpire in.
I had two plays at the plate during tourney games that were rather interesting. Both in 11U, which is 9,10 and 11 year olds
Play 1 - Runner slides into home while attempting to score on a passed ball. She has her lead foot toes straight up.
Pitcher is covering and drops the tag down on the bottom of the runner's foot.
The runner slid a little early and comes to stop right as the tag hits her foot.
Initially, she looks short of the plate, but her heel is resting on the black.
I'll leave it a mystery, for now, what I called.
We play NFHS, except for a few local rec exemptions that don't pertain to the call.
Play 2 - Catcher makes a tag on a runner at home. Right after the tag is applied she makes some movements that lead me to think the impact of the slide into her glove might have moved the ball and she's fighting to keep control and not lose it.
I say something like "Show me the ball. I need to see you have it". She never actually shows me the ball, but her glove is closed, off hand on top and she holds them up in the air.
Obviously, she has the ball and has it controlled. I call the runner out.
Third base coach starts yelling, when I ask him what he wants, he points to second.
During the call at home, the batter/runner had gone to second base.
Her initial hit had been bobbled by the SS, which caused the runner on third to break and the throw to go there.
After talking to my partner between innings. turns out she never even hesitated. Base coach was waving her to second as soon as he saw the throw was going home.
Once I told the coach I had to make sure the catcher had the ball and I can't call time on live ball, he calms down right away, seems to realize what I'm getting at.
Fans are just going nuts.
The whole thing was silly.
The catcher wound up, more or less, sitting/lying on the runner from the impact of the slide and dropping down to tag her. On no known planet was she going to get up and throw the girl out at second, let alone from the ground
I put my mask back on and start to get in position for the next pitch and it still sounds like World War Three in the stands, banging on the bleachers and carrying on, even after they all heard my explanation.
Normally, I go about my business, but this is one those teams that every rec league has. The one all the other teams complain about the fans. The one I can't get any of my umps to work their games. The one where their own fans segregate from the one or two who cause problems, etc.
There had been some close plays already and it';s one of those times you can see it starting to get out of control, if you let it go.
I decide I'm going to nip it in the bud, right there.
I take off my mask, turn part way around, but not fully and don't make eye contact with anyone. I just speaking in general to no one and everyone, at the same time.
I say everyone needs to calm down, that the runner is out, had to see the ball, can't call time, etc.
I go back to the plate and I hear a lady tell the girls good job, he just needed to see the ball and I think "cool", somebody gets it.
Then, some guy yells "good play, bad call". It's clear from the tone, he's trying to show me up.
I'm thinking "really". I think about turning back around, but had no idea who said it, so I just acted like I never heard it.
After the game, I had, at least, 6 or 7 people stop me and thank me for doing that and not letting the circus get out of hand.
The funny thing was, probably all but two of them were from the team that was complaining
One even told me good job and apologized on behalf of his aunt, who must have been the lady I heard kind of start it all. She'd also been really loud on some balls and strikes throughout the game.
To top it off, I asked the catcher, who I knew a little bit, if she understood why I asked her to show me the ball. She said "yeah" in a way like she wanted to say "I know more than those idiots who were yelling at you"
Sometimes the kids get it, even when the parents don't.