Was I being a B!tch?

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

[COLOR=black][FONT='Times New Roman']Get to a JV game and home team is taking infield. Visitors are in outfield throwing warm up. I inform they that while the home team is taking infield they need to be in the dugout for safety. The head coach goes on his rant that the kids need to warm up, I promise him that his kids will get their time to warm up.

First and Foremost the coaches should be well aware of these rules. Just like when FED changed the bat restrictions from -5 to -3.

I do not know if this is the case in your area but from my experience this is what I have found to be a MAJOR problem. Some umpires especially those that fall in the category "I am in it for the money only" couldn't care less what the teams are doing. They show up start the game and go home and that's it.

I have umpired games (towards the end of the season mind you) in which I have checked the bats/ hats and had to throw out at least 2 bats and 1 helmet was cracked.

The response from the coaches:

We have been using those all year long.

Therefore, the main problem you might be encountering is that the majority of umpires who umpired this coaches game did not make him conform to the rules as evidenced by the phone call.

The aforementioned should be brought up in the association meetings.

In addition, your thread falls under the category of such phrases as:

1. Blue you are the only one who called a balk on us all year long.
etc. etc.

If the coach as in your thread is really giving you a hard time, then it's See ya coach you can warm up all day long in the "other" parking lot.

Pete Booth

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

I have umpired games (towards the end of the season mind you) in which I have checked the bats/ hats and had to throw out at least 2 bats and 1 helmet was cracked.

The response from the coaches:

We have been using those all year long.

I wouldn't put any stock into that statement. I got that once after disqualifying 4 cracked helmets and replyed, "Coach, I threw out 3 helmets when I had you two weeks ago."

[David B]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

Get to a JV game and home team is taking infield. Visitors are in outfield throwing warm up. I inform they that while the home team is taking infield they need to be in the dugout for safety. The head coach goes on his rant that the kids need to warm up, I promise him that his kids will get their time to warm up. He continues to rant (I've been doing this for 16 years, etc.) but leaves the field asking for my name and assignors name, I give it to him and even offer to spell my last name as it isn't a common spelling. He declines my offer. I ask his kids to have their bats and helmets ready for me to check and he tells me that they don’t have time for that right now they have to warm-up. “Is that the way it’s going to be coach, was my response. When they finally do get their things together he just tosses the stuff out on the field for me to pick up and look at. He then hops on his cell phone to call one of the members of the association that he has on speed dial. That member informs him that as a courtesy they can warm-up in the outfield as long as they are out of the way, the coach then informs him of the situation described above and hands me the phone and this person tells me the same thing, but then goes on to say that by the book I am right. I made a point to say out loud while the coach was standing there, that it was fine as long as he knew that by the book I was right. I felt like my fellow official hung me out to dry and I called him the next day and told him as much. I have always enforced it this way because it was the way I was taught when I worked in Illinois, Indiana and hand not been informed to enforce it any differently here in California. They will bring it up in the meeting on Monday, I’ll be out of town on business, and hopefully we can get some sort of consistency.

We have game administrators at each contest that regulate pre-game stuff.
We don't have jurisdiction until we enter the field, and especially for a JV game - its just not that big a deal.

Now once I enter the field, then I'll tell a coach to clear the field etc., I have noticed a team in violation before as I was getting dressed in the dressing room (several of our fields have dressing areas for the umpires)

I found a runner to inform the coach that they needed to fix the situation and let them handle it.

I'm sorry, but I'm never letting a coach run over me once I'm on the field.
If he doesn't like it tough, see you later.

Thanks
David