Umpire HIT BY PITCH

[JJ]

I've never ejected a catcher for not catching the ball. I've been lucky in that I've never had a battery mad enough at me to "let one go". I've been hit when a catcher has been crossed up, but not enough to get excited about - usually before I could say anything the catcher was already on his way to the mound. I have told catchers to "Catch the ball" on a pitch they should have gloved, but they're already hearing the same thing from their coach - and maybe their pitcher who thinks he just got a strike taken away by his own teammate. I've heard stories for years about umpires dumping catchers because they (the umpires) get hit. I've always figured if this guy is their Number One catcher, I SURE don't want to dump him and risk Number Two.