Ejections

[Warren Willson]

Originally posted by DJWickham
When they cross the line, who should eject when one umpire hears comments directed at another umpire?

I don't feel comfortable ejecting someone if the other umpire elects not to respond to it or it wasn't loud enough for anyone except me as a close base ump to hear.

I have used a quiet "don't go there" or "no more, coach," thinking that if the next inappropriate comment is addressed to me, I would toss for the inappropriate comment directed to me. I have been pleased that the usual reaction is for the manager to stop.

ANY umpire can eject if he sees/hears an offense committed. It doesn't matter WHAT the other guy does or doesn't see or hear! One of my colleagues tells of a time when he was doing the plate and the dugout was buzzing with mumbles about his zone. Nothing explicit, just mumbles. THEN, out of the buzz came a voice with a very specific, very explicit objection! He wheeled around intending to send the offender packing. Before he had even finished turning around, his partner was in at the dugout from his position up the line and yelling "You! You're done! YES! YOU! YOU'RE DONE!"

It doesn't matter who hears or sees the offense. If it's an ejection offense then that player has to go, and if you are the ump who heard it or saw it then YOU have to be the one who sends him! I'm not talking about simple bad language muttered under the breath, here. I'm talking about specific objections to decisions, personal comments about umpires, etc. The biggest mistake I have ever made as an official was in NOT ejecting a player because I thought my partner had seen it differently. I was DEAD WRONG. The guy should have gone and I'm the one who should have sent him!

Originally posted by DJWickham
My favorite game, however, was one in which the league president arrived at the plate for the meeting with two known problem managers and announced that I had been asked to do the game solely for the purpose of ejecting anyone whom I heard say anything that was not a postive comment. Easiest game I ever did.

Now THAT'S what I call a League President! Send that guy over here to run our league, will ya? (grin)

Cheers.

[Edited by Warren Willson on Dec 20th, 2000 at 06:14 PM]