Was It Intentional?

[Kaliix]

A war story as related to me by my assignor. This happened to him in a game early this week.

Regular umpire is caught at work and bails 15 minutes before the game. Assignor decides to the game himself, only one umpire for the game. Team "W" is known to be trouble.

2nd inning, head coach at third base argues a belt high pitch on the outside corner. He had been complaining earlier and now PU takes off mask and walks down toward third to give the coach his final warning. Don't recall exactly what was said but it had to do with calling the strike zone. As PU turns and is almost at home plate, he hears "What f#$king strike zone?" Head coach gets ejected. Coach leaves but not without further words.

6th inning, visitors come back on superior team "W" and is leading. Bases loaded with "W" at bat. F6 makes diving stop and fires in the dirt to F3. F3 stretches, makes great scoop for the ball while keeping his toes on the bag just long enough to record the out. First base coach starts going ballistic, kicking the first base saying something to the effect that the kid was off the bag. PU warns coach to settle down and to stop kicking the base. Coach ignores warning keeps arguing and kicks base again. Coach gets ejected. Parents are starting to become vocal when the head of Team "W's" baseball for that town tells them to knock it off and if there is any more protesting game will end right there.

Game continues. Next inning, "W's" coach makes a pitching change. PU dusts plate, moves six to eight feet out of the batters box and is looking at "W's" bench when first warm up pitch from pitcher strikes him in the temple. Umpire goes down for 5 to 10 minutes and as he put it, "My eyes were open but I wasn't seeing a damn thing." Game is forfeited at that point.

Now considering all the above, would you
1) Consider what pitcher did intentional?

2) Would your answer change now if you now find out that the pitcher was the head coaches son? (First coach ejected)

3) Would you still answer still be the same if you now find out that it was a Reese game played by 11 and 12 year olds?

4) What do you think should happend as a result of the incident?

[Blue37]

Yes, it was intentional.

The fact it was the coaches son only reinforces that decision.

The kid is done for the year. If I have any indication that he was instructed to do it, the person who gave the instruction is gone for life.

[bbump82]

I would first like to know what the pitcher's reaction was when this happened. Then I would be better able to make that decision.

I've seen 11/12 YO's pitch so bad that the only way they could get the ball across the plate was to hand it to the catcher!!

If it was, I agree with B37, I would also be looking into filing charges against the father if he instructed the kid to do it.

[His High Holiness]

I have an 2 part article starting next week entitled "The Evil of Youth Sports." Recently, there have been several great lead ins here for this article. After reading the fiasco that started this thread, my conclusion is that some posters could write an even better article and get paid by Carl.

Peter

[U_of_I_Blue]

bbump-

I have seen 11/12 YO's pitch horrible too. Never have I seen one miss the batter's boxes (not the plate mind you, the edge of the boxes themselves) by 6 to 8 feet, That's a long way.

Now to answer Kal's original question:
Pitcher ejected
If there's a coach left he's gone too, I find it hard to believe that a kid at this age would do something like this intentionally without being instructed by someone.
Report the situation to the local board. Reccomend that the kid be gone for a year, any coach that's left on the bench never coach again (because they either coached him to do so or allowed another coach to do so), and look to file charges.

-Josh

[DG]

Originally posted by Blue37
Yes, it was intentional.

The fact it was the coaches son only reinforces that decision.

The kid is done for the year. If I have any indication that he was instructed to do it, the person who gave the instruction is gone for life.

A year for the kid may not be long enough. He and his father can both be gone for life as far as I am concerned. File charges and there will be an investigation and the facts will become known.

[bbump82]

Originally posted by U_of_I_Blue
bbump-

I have seen 11/12 YO's pitch horrible too. Never have I seen one miss the batter's boxes (not the plate mind you, the edge of the boxes themselves) by 6 to 8 feet, That's a long way.

I don't disagree with you at all. I guess I was a little unclear in what I was trying to say. I meant, was he upset at seeing what he had done or was he laughing about it"
If he seemed visible upset, I would be more inclined to think that it was not intentional. That also would brings up another question, if it was intentional, was he trying to hit the PU, or just put one across his bow? Either way, they're gone, and I'm filing a complaint with BOD.

[U_of_I_Blue]

Gotcha, I misunderstood you at first read, now that I look at it again I see what you were getting at.

-Josh