Interesting feedback...interesting in that it's pretty much what I expected. I did
not auto-eject the coach, although in hindsight, I wish I would have. I knew this guy was a Grade-A butthead from the previous day, and I thought it would be prudent to give him exactly as much rope as he wanted to hang himself. You know, the whole "be approachable" and an 'utmost professional at all times' mantra. I wasn't letting his past behavior prejudice me, although from another view, maybe I did by letting him stay when any other coach probably would have been dumped.
The conversation:
Him, running: {unintelligible}
Me: [Giving a big, high one-handed stop sign while still watching the ball] NO, Coach! Wait until the ball's in the circle. It's live!
Him, still coming: {rabble rabble grumble grumble}
--Ball is possessed by F1...not quite into the circle, but no one's running. Close enough for me to pay attention to the coach as he's within a few feet of me. I see that neither partner has called Time.--
Me: Coach, you can't be out here. No one has called Time yet.
Him: I called time! (more words that I didn't really listen to)
Me: TIME! Coach, now the ball's in the circle. What can I do for you?
Him: {Bog-standard "How can you make that call?" coach complaint. I don't recall the actual words. He didn't think the fielder touched the bag before the runner.}
Me: No, sir, the out stands. The throw was high, as you said, but the fielder caught the ball and her left foot came down on the bag before the runner's left foot reached it. ( <--
I know for a fact that those were my actual words...this was the first time I've used such detail. Another umpire had talked about how specifying which foot was where can sometimes stop a coach in their tracks...provided the coach is willing to listen to what you have to say. This guy wasn't.)
Him: You gotta go for help!
Me, pointing to my partners' positions as I talk: Coach, my first-base partner is behind the play, and our plate umpire is 85 feet away. I'm right here on top of it, and I could see all the elements: the ball, the glove, the fielder on the bag, and the runner's foot. She's out.
Him: You're not going to go for help?
Me: No, sir.
Him: I can't believe you guys!
Me: Sorry, sir.
Him, walking away: All you umpires have been rubbish all week!
Me, giving another stop sign: PAT, KNOCK IT OFF!
Him: {hesitation and surprise that I know his first name} No....uh....YOU knock it off! {keeps walking away}
I posted this play for conversation here because the feedback I got after the game was a surprise to me. I thought I handled it well; kept the coach in the game and life went on. The feedback I got was that I looked animated and aggressive during the discussion (which is totally possible as I gave two stop signs and pointed while talking) and that I should have appeased him by going for help in order to defuse the situation (which I 100% disagree with as I had all the elements with 99.9%+ certainty).
Thoughts?
Har dee har har.
You know what I meant.
