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.

[maineblue]

Christian schools in my experience have some of the worst behavior out there. In a JV game a couple of years ago between a school that is in the country, and a Christian school from the city, I had a bench restriction of the Christian school coach, the near ejection of one player for language and almost had a fight.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by maineblue

Christian schools in my experience have some of the worst behavior out there. In a JV game a couple of years ago between a school that is in the country, and a Christian school from the city, I had a bench restriction of the Christian school coach, the near ejection of one player for language and almost had a fight.

Sorry, but as a parent of three players in private schools, an ICCL umpire, and an ICCL coach, I find your statement to be completely ridiculous!

I would say your experience is limited in working these games and you encountered a few anomolies.


Tim.

[Texas Aggie]

56: why exactly is his statement ridiculous? Do you have info that would show it to be untrue? If true, how can the STATEMENT be ridiculous?

Just because you have three kids in private schools, and umpire and coach in private school leagues doesn't mean this stuff doesn't happen. I'm a strong Christian, have worked various sports for years for mostly public and a few private schools and have witnessed less than professional behavior from private school coaches and less than Christian behavior from their students. Doesn't mean I have anything bad to say about private schools in general, but I do think the coaches and administration of those schools need to accept the fact that they must have behavior from all individuals a step or two above what's expected in general sporting events.

There's nothing unreasonable about that.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

56: why exactly is his statement ridiculous? Do you have info that would show it to be untrue? If true, how can the STATEMENT be ridiculous?

Just because you have three kids in private schools, and umpire and coach in private school leagues doesn't mean this stuff doesn't happen. I'm a strong Christian, have worked various sports for years for mostly public and a few private schools and have witnessed less than professional behavior from private school coaches and less than Christian behavior from their students. Doesn't mean I have anything bad to say about private schools in general, but I do think the coaches and administration of those schools need to accept the fact that they must have behavior from all individuals a step or two above what's expected in general sporting events.

There's nothing unreasonable about that.

Sure it happens in parochial schools. There's no disputing that. I guess I over reacted when his claim was that the problem is worse in Christian schools. I just don't believe that to be true as a general statement. I read the post again and see he's just relating his personal experience, and there's no way anyone outside of his area can dispute that. I don't want to seem holier-than-thou, but I believe the private schools should model only exemplary behavior when it comes to a code of conduct, far above those so often displayed in the public school systems. Maybe I'm setting the standard too high for our participants as to my expectations.


Tim.

[nickrego]

Originally Posted by maineblue

Christian schools in my experience have some of the worst behavior out there.

Sadly enough, I have to agree. Over the years, I have had more trouble with Christian schools than all other schools put together.

I had to run another Assistant coach of a Christian team again today;

Christian team is ahead, 10 - 0 over the visitors in the bottom of the 4th.

Their batter hits a blooper down the 1st base line, just past 1st. F1 circles around to make the play. I am standing on the line looking out, about 10' from the play. F1 is standing with both feet in fair territory, reaches out into foul territory (his entire arm) and makes contact with the ball, which pops out of his glove, hits the ground and comes to rest in fair territory. I call Foul Ball. Christian teams *** (3 letter abbrev. for Assistant) coach on first goes crazy, arguing it is fair because it rested in fair territory, and F1 was standing in fair territory when he made contact. I got him calmed down, told him what I saw, informed him of the rule, and got him to go back to his spot, without ejecting him.

One batter later, we have R1 & R2, 0 outs (IFR). B3 hits a low blooper down 1st base line. R1 takes a step toward 2nd, then decides to go back to 1st, in doing so, he runs smack into F1 who was charging the ball to make the catch, and knocks him out of the play. I kill the play, call Interference, call R1 out, and send B3 to 1st base. Coach goes ballistic again, saying the Batter should be out, and R1 returns to 1st. I immediately dumped him. My partner, not sure who was out and who wasn't, comes to me to ask who should be out and who should be on base. After I explain the rule to him, while this coach is now claiming it should have been an IFR (ball was too low, and would have been caught on the run). I head back to my position C. This coach now approaches my partner and starts in on him, and my partner talks to him about it for several minutes !!!! At this point, the visitor's coach is yelling that we need to get the game going, that I had already ejected the coach, and that my partner should not be taking the time to explain anything to an assistant coach (very refreshing). I had to tell the home team manager (who as usual was standing back just watching) to get him off the field or the game was going to be over. He did, we finished, and the home team (Christian team) won in the top of the 5th, 10 - 0.

But once again, here you have a Christian team that is slaughtering their opponents, nit picking and complaining, while the losing (non-Christian team) is once again taking the loss with dignity. I will say though, at the top of the 5th inning, when F1 came back in, he apologized for his coaches behavior. I thanked him. Maybe the coaches should attend some of the schools classes.

[big]

Once again I say that just because they coach/attend a Christian school doesn't make them a Chrsitian. Going to church doesn't make you a Chrsitian any more then going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger. The Bible says you can tell a TRUE Christian by their deeds!

[nickrego]

Originally Posted by big

The Bible says you can tell a TRUE Christian by their deeds!

I would have to agree with you 1000 % on that.

But if your going to choose a coach for a Christian HS, I think you should choose a Christian coach. Every one of them. They not only coach the team, they represent the school, and everything it stands for. Knowing the sport is not enough. They need to have the same beliefs the school was founded on, and believes in.

Just my humble opinion (HMO).

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by nickrego

Christian teams *** (3 letter abbrev. for Assistant) coach on first goes crazy, arguing it is fair because it rested in fair territory, and F1 was standing in fair territory when he made contact. I got him calmed down, told him what I saw, informed him of the rule, and got him to go back to his spot, without ejecting him.

Again, I think that you are giving FAR FAR FAR too much leeway to ASSistant coaches. Assistant coaches have 1 job - coaching their players. Their job is NOT to give any lip to the umpires. If it requires ANY effort more than 4 words and a stop sign to "calm down" as ASSistant coach, he's gone. The manager gets more leeway, but HE is the only one who should be disputing/discussing calls with you.

And as an aside, interestingly I've never had problems with a Christian school in baseball, but I would agree with all of the above comments regarding the poor behavior/demeanor of the Christian school FOOTBALL coaches I've worked with, as compared to their public school brethren.

[Rich]

I have to throw in a counter-story, just to show they aren't ALL like this.

I work a D3 college conference where one school is a Bible College. This school's coach only EVER gets upset when kids on the other team throw an F-bomb that he can hear at which point I just ask the other team's head coach to help me out.

In 3 seasons of working this school, I can't remember any other comments or arguments coming from this school.

[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.

[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.