Aaarrrgghhh Unsporting rant.

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Working State AA American Legion tournament this weekend. One of the teams, we'll say Team A, seems to get everyones ire up (Parents/fans are extremely unruly, threatening physical violence, cat-calls, just snotty arrogant, asses). They are losing in a semifinal game but after a season of 7 inning double headers, the wheels seem to fall off in those extra 2 innings. Team A losing 9-4 going into the 7th. They tie it up at 9's. Top of the 10th, Team B scores on a sacrafice fly... wait ... as a last ditch effort to not loose this game Team A appeals the tag-up at 3rd. UIC rules the runner left early... aarrgghh (I was watching. If he left early, it was slight - less than a step), more innings. Top of 11th, Team B is pissed... solo HR, next batter solo HR, then a double, then another HR. Team B is up 13-9. Bottom of inning Team A gets runners on 2nd and 3rd, two out. Batter has two strikes looks like it could be over... pitch looks good, but no, ...ball, they walk him. Bases loaded, still two outs. New batter has 1-2 count. Looks like it could be over again, or be tied again. Team A coach now yells for time and approaches Home Plate ump.

Coach complains that Team B pitcher has now pitched 12 and 2/3 innings in last three days... Oh my God! Ooooopps.

American Legion rule reads "No player may pitch more than a total of 12 innings during any consecutive three-day period... PENALTY: Game shall be forfeited if protest is filed with the Umpire in Chief before the last out of the game."

It's so right but so wrong. One more strike call, One less 'tag-up was early' call and Team A would have found themselves in a loss and an unprotestable situation. Now they walk away being behind by 4 runs with a win and are in the championship game. They are a decent team but I feel undeserving of a championship. Disrespect and lack of courtesy have never won favor with me.

I had the locker room door open and guarded for the crew's quick exit. It proved to be a non-event for the umpires. The American Legion State President of Baseball took the brunt of the ruling.

To point out one little more display of Team A's arrogance... earlier in the tournament Team C is huddled together along the deep right field line. Team A runs through their huddle pushing people aside, touches the outfield fence and then back through the Team C huddle again. Team A coach was reprimanded but of course no penalty. I'm thinking, given that action and then the controversial protest, it was lucky he got off the field alive.

[cbfoulds]

Originally posted by His High Holiness

Don't you love the "Pledge" that is recited before each Legion game. I have a theory that the pledge is a list of things that they promise not to do. That pledge has got to be the absolute pinnacle of hypocrisy.

Peter

Amen, HHH.

Had a similar [happier outcome] event in District Legion tourney:

Turns out one team's catcher DIDN'T HAVE A LEGION PATCH ON [horrors!!]. This was pointed out to me [by a "Legion Representative" (and partisan of the other team)] in the 4th or 5th inning. I told the offender to go fix it, and he returned to the field "properly attired". Good enough? NO - seems that this might be a DQ/ ejection or protest/forfeit situation.

I've got dugout, fans and this Legion guy raising hell with me. Finally, I told 'em to tell the "offended" manager, and if he raised the issue, I'd have to do something about it.

God bless that manager, he refused to have anything to do with a chicken$#!+ "protest" like this, even though he was losing the game at that point.

I find myself having to supress a gag reflex every time I witness the "Legion Pledge" ritual, knowing that I am likely to see examples of the worst kind of cheating, dirty play, disrespect for the umpires and general bad sportsmanship. There are individual and team bright spots, but on the whole, the Legion teams I've seen include some of the worst a$$#01@s and crybabies [coaches, players and esp. fans] to be found in amateur baseball.

[JJ]

Ahh, but they gotta play someplace, and bless the Legion volunteers who provide the opportunity. It's also quite a place to cut our umpire teeth on handling situations and reining in unruly players and coaches while ignoring unruly fans. Yes, I admit sometimes (!) it's not much fun, but we've ALL been there, and those of us who have survived are better umpires for it.

[DG]

If the runner left early, he left early. If the pitcher pitched more than he was allowed, he pitched more than allowed. If the Team A coach is an a$$, then he is an a$$. Call 'em like you see 'em, and not like they should be.

[cowbyfan1]

Heard about how Legion can be. I called a few games this summer and had no problems. Worst I ran into was this past weekend at the 18 and under AABC regional. Had some idiot fan tell me I needed to go back to the indian reservation because I was calling the outside corner (or as he put it 18"'s off the plate) I turned to look for game admin to have the idiot escorted out but could not find one right off wiithout really holding up the game.
He did shut up when he realized I was calling the plate the same both ways, until his team lost, then he started again after the game. I ignored him until he finally spouted off that it was obvious I never played the game a day in my life. I turned around and told him it was obvious he never learned sportsmanship a day in his.