Issued my first Forfeit yesterday

[nickrego]

Varsity HS game, I have the plate.

The home team dominated this entire game, just about every inning produced runs for them, and nothing for the visitors. Most innings, it was 3 up - 3 down for the visitors. Both team's catchers sucked, and had trouble catching breaking balls properly. As usual, if a strike was on the fringe, and the catcher caught it ugly, I would call it a ball. If it was a fat strike, I would call it a strike no matter how he caught it. So here is where things go bad...

Top of 5th: Home 9 - Visitors 0

Visitors send 3 to the plate, home team sends 3 back to the dugout. Two strikeouts, one ground out.

Bottom of 5th: Home 9 - Visitors 0

Visitors make their first pitching change. Put in a kid that was throwing really slow / off-speed curves & junk. These pitches were ugly, but many of them were very fat strikes. I rung up one batter on a curve, a second went down swinging, and the third fly's out. I could tell the home team was getting pissy, because they didn't get that 10th run to make it a slaughter, and end the game early.

Top of 6th: Home 9 - Visitors 0

Visitors send 3 to the plate, home team sends 3 back to the dugout. Three strikeouts, two went down looking. No complaints from the visiting team.

Bottom of 6th: Home 9 - Visitors 0

Visitors make another pitching change. This kid is throwing heat and fast breaking balls. First home team batter goes down looking at a fast breaking ball. The catcher had set up too far back (as usual) and had to drop to his knees and reach in to catch it above the ground. It was a very fat strike. Batter walks off grumbling, crowd is getting upset. Next two batters reach on base hits. Fourth batter fly's out shallow, no advance of runners. Fifth batter goes down looking at the same pitch as the first batter. Catcher caught it the same way, also. Home team crowd is grumbling again (like I care). The home team just couldn't manufacture that last run off these two pitchers, and the were pissed as hell.

Top of 7th: Home 9 - Visitors 0

I am up the 1st base line a few feet, when I hear the catcher loudly telling the first base coach, both standing at the plate, what bull**** this is, how lousy my strike zone is, and how I am 'giving' the game away to the visitors. And to boot, he is looking me in the eye as he is saying it. This field has about a 15' backstop, so everybody hears what this catcher is saying. So I calmly walked over to the catcher and say, "your done for the rest of the game, go back to the dugout, your ejected." A split second after I finish saying the word ejected, another assistant coach comes flying out of the dugout, gets in my face screaming. I ask him who he is, he says that doesn't' matter, and starts screaming again. So, I calmly tell him that he is ejected also. He of course is still standing there screaming at me. I look over his head at the manager, who as managers do, is standing 10 feet away just watching, and tell him to get this guy off the field or the game is going to be over. I then turned and attempted to walk away. This guy grabs my arm, spins me around, and chest butts me, as he is continuing to scream in my face. Right there I raised my hands, stated that the game was over, and the home team just lost by forfeit (per our league rules).

My partner finally gets in from the field and pushes the guy away from me so I can leave the field. Now the coach starts screaming that I can't do that. There are only 3 outs left in this game and your going to forfeit, giving me a loss. This was a great win you just stole from us, etc. So, as I am walking off the field, I hear my partner say, "sorry guys, there's nothing I can do for you. He has called the game, I can't change it for you. It's out of my hands." I don't think I need to tell you how that made me feel. I decided not to bust him up side the head though.

So as I am walking through the parking lot, this assistant coach I had ejected comes flying around from the dugout and starts screaming at me again. The manager is, once again just behind him watching, so I tell him he better get him away from me. He says OK, and pulls him off and sends him back to the field. I figure I better just get in my car and get out of dodge without taking my gear off. As I am driving away, I realize I still have one game ball in my pouch. So I drive over to where my partner is 'still' standing talking with the manager and a couple of fans / parents, roll down the window, and toss the ball toward my partner [I use the term loosely] (it bounces a couple of times and rolls to him). As I am driving away, I see my partner still talking to them. Let me add, that when we walked out onto the field, instead of going over and checking equipment, my partner was busy shaking everybody's hand, asking how's the family to coaches and fans...A real smoozer.

My feeling about all this is they were just outraged because I did not change my zone, which was perfectly acceptable for the first 4 innings, to accommodate them getting that last run for the slaughter rule. I never have done that, and never will. It just wasn't good enough for them to win 9-0, they wanted that 10th run. Otherwise, like the coach said, they would have kept their mouths shut, gotten those last 3 inevitable outs, and gone home with the win.

So I just got off the phone with the commissioner, and he has decided to not uphold their appeal, the forfeit stands. He laughingly told me that in the appeal report, it stated that I 'threw' a baseball at the crowd in the parking lot as I was leaving. He also said that the visiting team manager's story matched up completely with mine.

To top it all off, the home team was a Christian school.

[mcrowder]

I'd make sure I relayed this entire story, specifically the part about your "partner", to your assignor. Not only should he have not acted as if it was YOU that he "couldn't do anything about", but he should have walked WITH YOU to the lot, and gotten the heck out of there as well. And you should have met up elsewhere to discuss things afterward. Talk about unprofessional on his part.

[big]

Originally Posted by nickrego

To top it all off, the home team was a Christian school.

Just because it was a Chrsitian school doesn't mean that the catcher and the coach were Chrsitians. I do a bunch of games for some of the local Christian schools. If this were to happen here either the ump or the scheduler or both would talk with school administration. All of the local Chrsitian schools have written policies that this will not be toleratred and that they will deal with the offender should any issues arise that would show negatively on the Christian faith. As a Christian I do believe that we Chrsitians are held to a higher standard. We not only need to adhere to the general sportsmanship rules be we are also called to adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ which teach both absoloute and unbiased fairness and the call to hold our temper in check.

I believe the greatest strength as an umpire is that I know that as a Chrsitian I not only have to answer to my partner, the coaches, and my assigner but I have to both answer to God and to judge my fairness in calling a game by God's standards.

[mick]

Attaboy, Nick !!!

[tmp44]

Originally Posted by mick

Attaboy, Nick !!!

Nick,

What Mick said. I know one thing, if were you, the next time I saw your "partner," I'd ask him what in the hell he was doing....and I probably wouldn't be that nice.

[DG]

1. A catcher falls to his knees to catch a breaking ball, I call a ball.
2. Catcher makes an ejection level remark to me and I don't walk over to him calmly and have a conversation with him. I instantly give my best ejection signal and "you're gone" is all he hears. Everybody in the park will know what just happened.
3. Anybody comes running out of the dugout at me after I just ejected a player and they will not get to me before they also get the best ejection signal and "you're gone too". I am not going to take the time to ask them who they are. Everybody in the park will know what just happened.
4. Manager having seen two instantaneous ejections should know what is coming next if he gets involved and should try to maintain order.
5. If while driving away I find a game ball in my bag, it stays there.

Partner will get a phone call when I get home. Assignor will know I do not care to work with him and why.

I remember a game Tee posted once where he got about 5-6 ejections in a row. They just kept coming. Keep tossing until there are no coaches left and the game is forfeit for lack of coaching.

[SanDiegoSteve]

What DG said.

Plus, I'm not shy to tell catchers to move up closer. I put them where I want them, which is catching strikes.

My favorite trick is to move up to where they were set up and they have no choice but to move closer to the plate.

[nickrego]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

My favorite trick is to move up to where they were set up and they have no choice but to move closer to the plate.

One of the disadvantages of the GD system is it gives the catcher too much room to hang themselves.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by nickrego

One of the disadvantages of the GD system is it gives the catcher too much room to hang themselves.

Since you mentioned it, I have recently abandoned the Gerry Davis stance in favor of a standard heel toe. I have taken to placing my hands behind my thighs, leaving only the soft underside of the arms exposed. I have seen numerous MLB umpires doing this, and I have taken to doing it that way.

If I could get decent catchers ever, I would love to work the scissors again, as I did most of my umpiring life.

[nickrego]

Interesting...

I switched from what your doing now, to the GD system.

I find I get a much better look at the ball, and get hit a lot less (maybe just coincidence).

Although, in this game I took a high inside fastball untouched on my right pec.
A foul ball untouched to my inside right thigh (glad I bought the padded Interawear this year).
And another high inside fastball to the cage.

[BuggBob]

If the ball goes through the strike zone it is a strike, I don't care if it is a good or bad the catch. You can't tell catchers to move up, left, right or back --that is coaching, we're umpires not coaches. If the catcher is blocking my view of the plate, the strike zone just got smaller, I may tell him if he asks.

Good for you Nick from what you described you did exactly right. I would however have words with my partner, many bad words.

Bugg

[TussAgee11]

I was taught never to forfeit a game under any circumstances. Eject if you have to, suspend play at the worst. Leave the field, call your assignor. That way the league can make a decision. The umpire never has the right to forfeit a game under any circumstance. Leave that up to the league. Suspend the game, leave the field, let the league guys figure it out. Make sure you write everything down right away to give them an accurate report, so you don't miss anything.

Your partner failed you miserably. Doesn't sound like much of a team out there. Talk to your assignor about that too.

Lastly, keep the game ball. Who cares. A prize for all the hell you went through.

[big]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

I was taught never to forfeit a game under any circumstances.

Fed rules which most of my games are played under state "no coach-no game." Automatic forfiet.

I've been taught just the opposite of TussAgee11. If you eject a player or coach and they refuse to leave the field forfiet the game. If there is no allowance (threat) for forfeit why would a coach or player take you or your ejection serious?

I will say that in the past ten years I've only ever forfeited one game because the coach refused to leave. Around here all of the coaches know the law of the land. When your ejected, leave! If not wait a couple of minutes and you can take the rest of the team with you!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by BuggBob

If the ball goes through the strike zone it is a strike, I don't care if it is a good or bad the catch. You can't tell catchers to move up, left, right or back --that is coaching, we're umpires not coaches. If the catcher is blocking my view of the plate, the strike zone just got smaller, I may tell him if he asks.

Of course I'm not going to instruct varsity HS or higher players concerning anything. I am talking about inexperienced catchers who obviously have no clue about the position.

I'll tell the catcher to move up if I so choose. I'm not coaching, I'm controlling the situation. If I want to be closer to the plate, the catcher is going to have to move up and catch where he is supposed to. I'm not going to call balls and strikes from 10 feet behind the plate. And I don't plan on being there all day trying to get strikes out of the pitchers, or being a human backstop for lazy catchers.

The closer and better target presented by the catcher, the easier it is for the pitcher to focus on and hit that target. If the coach hasn't taught his catchers properly, I intend to help them out, and I have. Many of these catchers have thanked me, and told me that their coach would have never noticed these things.

The catcher's main #1 job is to keep the ball off of me (with the exception of fouls, of course). Anything else he does is secondary as far as I'm concerned. I'm not out there to take a bunch of untouched fastballs off my thighs, hands, wrists, forearms and elbows. This is usually not a problem at the varsity level, but at the youth ball level the catching is usually atrocious.

[SAump]

I wish you non-denominationalist would stop taking pot-shots at us Christians every time the religion subject RISES.