Tough game...couple of questions

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by scarolinablue

I say it was my worst game of the season because I felt my strike zone tonight was a tad on the inconsistent side, mainly on the low strike. Probably had 6-8 pitches that I muffed...maybe that's not too bad in this length of game, but I hate missing that many, or even feeling like I did.

It happens. Why do you think you missed that many pitches? Do you think your timing was off?

He, of course, has nothing, as you can't/don't make that call from C. However, as I walked out to him, I begin to replay the sitch in my mind and am now convinced there probably was interference. My question is: should I have overturned this call. I'm pretty sure this isn't something the BU can't overturn, and I decided to eat the foul tip strike and play ball. Two pitches later, kid hits a double, all was forgotten, but should I have overturned this?

I think you made the right choice. You were still not SURE that there was interference. If you're not sure, you shouldn't call it.

Question #2: Other team's coach didn't like one of my low strikes, but by now, it was the fourth inning or so and I had called it there all game (in hindsight, again, I was calling it just about a ball below the knees...lower than I normally would call it, but I had established it there and kept it there). In this case, I probably missed it and it was mid-shin, and this probably influenced my lack of ejection that followed. He approached calmly, asked how I could call that a strike, and I told him it was the same place I'd been calling them all game, we're not discussing this any further, let's play ball.

I would've ended it there and returned to my position. If he follows me still wanting to argue about it, he's done.

Instead I give him a loud warning (which they stress in these parts, warn first, then restrict, then eject - ejections are stressed, by the SC High School League, as a means of last resort, so maybe that's why I didn't dump him).

It seems you've already warned him by saying you're not going to discuss balls and strikes any further. Alternatively, if you want to be a smart @$$, ask him what the rule book says about arguing balls and strikes. I don't really recommend this method though.

Sorry for the rant...I think I just needed to vent. I feel better already. Guess I have some frustration over the SCHSL really wanting us to avoid ejections...I feel like warnings and restrictions are really wimpy alternatives. I think I'll just need to start keeping the league office busy.

That is rather unfortunate. It's a tough situation to be in but I think you should do what needs to be done during a game and then let the administrators deal with it. That is preferable, to being a doormat IMO.