Where to Draw the Line With Fans

[jkumpire]

Hello Folks,

I know it is really late in the East, but I am steaming mad. I've been injured for 3 months now, and just started calling games again. I really missed it. And usually I have no trouble with anyone at games. I'd like to think I am a quality umpire.

I'd like some opinions. I was working the plate in a college-level adult summer league, pretty good baseball. There are about 100 people in the stands.

Home team doesn't get a banger at 2B. The usual grumbling. Two pitches later I called a pitch a ball. Some guy yells from the stands: "We'll we're geting it both ****** ways now."

I really lost my temper. I went aboput 7-8 steps to the stands where I heard the comment from, and said: "If I hear something like that again I will find you and throw your sorry rear end out of here."

Two innings later, a player on t he home team (who is also a high school coach) decided to engage me in a discussion about my lack of professionalism and how I made an **** out of myself. I found out later it was his dad who said it. The guy also claimed his dad didn't use foul language (I guess obscene images are okay these days). I decided not to engage the person in any discussion, and the game went on. Game finished 2-1 home team lost.

Questions:

1. Was I unprofessional? In my opinion, no. I heard nothing else from the stands the whole night except for a snide remark or two as my partner and I left after the game. IMO just because I'm an umpire doesn't mean I have to put up with such abusive language from any stands. If there is 500 guys in the park, or it is a college game or HS game, I more than likely would have never head a thing. But 100 people is a different story.

2. Other than not saying anything, what other alternatives are there to what I did? Such crude language IMO can't be tolerated. Or is it simply I developed a momentary case of rabbit ears, and I'm just some old guy who has too thin a skin?

3. At this point in our rapidly eroding culture, is it time as umpires to just accept the fact that people are going to abuse us and say all kinds of garbage, and just ignore it, or get out?

Thanks for your answers and letting me let off some steam.