Coach slaps Player...

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I'm glad I had my coffee before I saw this jaw dropper.

WHY WOULD YOU THINK EJECTING THE COACH IS YOUR CONCERN?

If you didn't hear or see what happened, you can't act on it. More importantly, this is a league discipline problem, not game management.

The kid swore (I'm not a big fan of it, but I've never melted from it either.)and his coach reacted poorly. You compund the issue and three wrongs are committed.

To put this in easier to understand terms, check out that Blue Jays game. The pitcher and manager punched each other out in the tunnel from the dugout to the locker room. Did you see the umpires get involved? How many ejections were there? I love the line in the paper from the team president. He says that no disciplinary actions will be taken against either guy because it was their problem and they worked it out. :0

[Tim C]

WWTB is correct.

Why would ANY umpires even consider involving himself in something in the dugout?

Cripes, work the game you are responsible for . . .

Regards,

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Tim C

WWTB is correct.

Why would ANY umpires even consider involving himself in something in the dugout?

Cripes, work the game you are responsible for . . .

Regards,

The problem is the inexperienced seem to think that everything needs to be ruled on by the umpires. Of course, when it comes to the game, they are so busy managing everything else that they miss what they are responsible for!

[ctblu40]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

The problem is the inexperienced seem to think that everything needs to be ruled on by the umpires. Of course, when it comes to the game, they are so busy managing everything else that they miss what they are responsible for!

I couldn't agree more!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

The problem is the inexperienced seem to think that everything needs to be ruled on by the umpires. Of course, when it comes to the game, they are so busy managing everything else that they miss what they are responsible for!

Yup.

The other night there was a GREAT block of the plate (that sent the runner to the hospital) and the next day a LL mailing list I'm a member of was talking about how it was probably obstruction because the catcher set up in the baseline. What everyone was missing was that the runner was NOWHERE NEAR the plate. To have obstruction you have to have, well, obstruction.

Umpiring is not as hard as it looks. Watch a game, report what happens. Problems happen when umpires get a "gotcha" syndrome and go looking for things they have no business being involved in.

[pdxblue]

I guess back to the question(s) at hand..........

I have never read anywhere, in any rule book where you can eject a "person" for striking at another "person" on the same team. So, even if this slap happened on the mound, I can't find a rule that says "eject the slapper".

Now, if I witnessed a coach slap a player who is a minor, I will be looking for ANY reason after that you eject that coach. Really. There is NO reason to slap a player, ESPECIALLY a 12 year old!!! The coach could have benched the kid, but he certainly didn't need to slap him! So, while I can't per se do anything about the slap incident, I can make sure this coach doesn't argue another ball/stike/safe/out call without having an early out!

I REALLY hate ostrich umpires when it comes to dugout behavior. I do not go for sniping from the dugout, and profanity that I can hear on the field from the dugout can usually be heard in the stands, which means it is something I SHOULD be dealing with. All the rule books I umpired under this year specifically say to deal with profanity that can be heard in the stands, EVEN in minor league baseball!

So, the kid yelling out the f-bomb is something I should be doing something about IF I hear it. I may not eject that first time, but there is going to be a warning that EVERYBODY can hear and you will find me staring at their bench after close calls after this warning. Yup, I AM looking for trouble over there, and THAT IS MY JOB!

I don't really want to hijack this thread and turn it into a bench sniping thread, because I believe there are other well-discussed bench sniping threads, but, umpires overall at the amature level should be working to make sure bench sniping does not continue once it starts. I have worked college games with guys that just ignore it, and that really irks me! Almost always, after warning a bench about conduct, somebody from that same team thanks me for doing so. This tells me that many players/coaches don't like bench sniping either, and appreciates an umpire with the balls to deal with it.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by pdxblue

I guess back to the question(s) at hand..........

I have never read anywhere, in any rule book where you can eject a "person" for striking at another "person" on the same team. So, even if this slap happened on the mound, I can't find a rule that says "eject the slapper".

Now, if I witnessed a coach slap a player who is a minor, I will be looking for ANY reason after that you eject that coach. Really. There is NO reason to slap a player, ESPECIALLY a 12 year old!!! The coach could have benched the kid, but he certainly didn't need to slap him! So, while I can't per se do anything about the slap incident, I can make sure this coach doesn't argue another ball/stike/safe/out call without having an early out!

I REALLY hate ostrich umpires when it comes to dugout behavior. I do not go for sniping from the dugout, and profanity that I can hear on the field from the dugout can usually be heard in the stands, which means it is something I SHOULD be dealing with. All the rule books I umpired under this year specifically say to deal with profanity that can be heard in the stands, EVEN in minor league baseball!

So, the kid yelling out the f-bomb is something I should be doing something about IF I hear it. I may not eject that first time, but there is going to be a warning that EVERYBODY can hear and you will find me staring at their bench after close calls after this warning. Yup, I AM looking for trouble over there, and THAT IS MY JOB!

I don't really want to hijack this thread and turn it into a bench sniping thread, because I believe there are other well-discussed bench sniping threads, but, umpires overall at the amature level should be working to make sure bench sniping does not continue once it starts. I have worked college games with guys that just ignore it, and that really irks me! Almost always, after warning a bench about conduct, somebody from that same team thanks me for doing so. This tells me that many players/coaches don't like bench sniping either, and appreciates an umpire with the balls to deal with it.

Since when do you need a specific rule to eject someone?

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Since when do you need a specific rule to eject someone?

Rich,

I would respectfully suggest that you DO need a rule; I would also suggest that you HAVE one:

9.01
...
(d) Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field.

Now, who is it that determines what qualifies as "unsportsmanlike conduct or language"? Seems to me that's a matter of umpire judgment.

JM

[pdxblue]

I won't even grace that question with an answer. It will dawn on you eventually.

[ctblu40]

I'm with Tee and WWTB on this as well.

When I work a game, my job is to umpire. I'm not the moral police, nor am I there to give a clinic on parenting skills.

My honest opinion, if kids weren't such strangers to the back of Mom and Dad's hand, they would be more cautious with the lingo they use.