I'm coaching tonight and we are playing a team who hasn't won a game in two years. 1st inning we go up 3-1 but I'm getting a little frusterated because the umpire balked us twice but he refused to balk them when thier mechanics were absurd. This happened three times in the 1st inning: r1 6 or 7 step lead. RHP wheels from set position and steps at first at which point R1 knows he is safe to go because he has to got to first. Well not tonight the pitcher would then just step off and go to 2nd. Umps watch it happen three times in one inning. After it has happened again in the second inning I go out to talk. "Coach look who you are playing, lets not get picky." At that point im a little mad and told him he was getting paid to call a game not to judge talent and walked away. Long night of things like that. 1st basemen pulled 2 over on him dropping the ball and getting it back up to show him. that kid was grinning all night. So we end up winning by 1 and I'm joking with the umpires in the parking lot...friendly league and I've worked with the guys before...and I kid you not were are discussing a play and he says "hands are part of the bat" and I'm thinking, well that explains a lot ;)

Oh, my!

3 times in one inning and once in another... surely you recognize the incompetence and adjust your coaching style, ie stop sending runners to get pieked off by balk moves. Sometimes, coaching means adjusting to the competition and the umpires.