"'Scuse me while I whip this out..."
 

Highly contentious game last night, ended up going an extra frame.

Yes, it's LL softbawl and Mgr. Sh&tferbrains has his tool in a minor uproar the whole game over opposing pitcher's general motion. I am BU; 2-gentleman crew. Pard and I agree after SFB's first complaint that F1's delivery is fine and dandy. She doesn't change it for the remainder of the game. I won't bore you with the skinny.

Per usual, I hightail it out to RF between innings. I see SFB and pard have another couple of conversations during the game.

In top of extra frame, SFB is 3B coacher. He's making a big canzad of watching F1 on every pitch. After one pitch, he starts waving his arms, making gesticulations that, IMHO, are showing up me 'n' pard. So I saunter over.

"That's an illegal pitch," says SFB, in none-too-sibilant tones.

"You are incorrect. Now let's get off this whole thing. Just drop it," I admonish.

Then he reaches into the back pocket of his TrashMart 18-pocket cargo shorts. I see the turquoise cover of the LL rule book begin to emerge.

"DON'T DO IT," keens SFB's assistant. "What he said," I add. Cooler heads then prevailed.

What do you guys have on using the book?

I understand a guy leafing through it in the dugout, but displaying it on the field in such a fashion is babbling I shall not brook.

Your thoughts welcomed.

Ace Holleran

I would issue the same warning to not whip out a rulebook on me, and if he persisted, I would eject him for failing to heed my warning.

I would not be able to come close to doing it as colorfully as you, though, Ace. :)

Ace, I interpret whipping out a rulebook on the field as telling me I'm a moron and an idiot. He doesn't want to go there.

By the way, glad you're back.

There are very few thing that will warrent an early gate from me... flashing the rule book on the field during a discussion is one of them. Nice job.

BTW- SFB's assistant deserves credit for keeping skip in the game.

I refer to the whipping out of the rule book as the "unforgiveable sin" that a coach can commit.

Had one try it this year, he wanted to argue, started to pull it out, I pointed at him and warned him against it. He heeded the warning and after the game catches me by the concession stand and asks if we can discuss it. Whips out the book, rifles through it for a minuted and can't find what he wanted to argue. I had to show him where the rule was and that he was wrong. Loved every minute of it.

"'Scuse me while I whip this out..."

PERVERT!!!

Bob

But a fine, fine movie it was.

Best story I heard about a rule book on the field comes from a friend in the Seattle area.

BU still in A at the end of the inning. Before he can go out to RF a coach comes out with rule book in hand.

Coach: "Look, right here, this is what I'm talking about."

Ump: "Which page?"

Coach: "This one." (He points)

Ump: Takes the book from the coaches hand, rips out the page indicated, folds it and places it in his pocket, while saying: " I'll read it after the game." He then trots out to RF leaving coach with the rulebook minus a page and a baffled look on his face.

Perfect!

I can only remember 1 time when a manager tried to pull out the rule book on me. He came out of the dugout with it in his hand.

"Coach, put the book away and we'll talk."
"But I just..."
"Coach, I won't ask you again. Return to your dugout and put the book away."
"But...", still waving the book.
"Done. You're gone."

Beauty!

"Mongo only pawn in game of life."

Ace

Don't tell me you didn't see the film?!?

Ace

Is it twue what they say? It's twue, it's twue!!

"If you shoot him, you'll just make him mad."

Telegram for Mongo, Telegram for Mongo!
 

Perhaps we should carry yellow and red cards for these sort of coaches who seem to need to 'whip this out'.....