The peril of officiating

[TussAgee11]

Being a college student, I can only really work real baseball on the weekends. During the week, I officiate intramurals for our school. Its softball time of year, but the sport is not important. Last night there was a pretty serious altercation that involved the police and potentially my safety.

My point of posting on the Baseball thread here is because I am a baseball umpire. I'm thinking of not doing this intramural stuff because it probably isn't worth it to get paid by the hour minimum wage to potentially get seriously hurt by a participant. I've heard war stories.

Now, on the point of BASEBALL: do you think it appropriate to, especially when working by yourself or on a field where there isn't a site supervisor/tournament director, to carry a cell phone for safety purposes? Thank god we were able to use one last night. Made me think about whether I should put one in my pocket for real baseball, just in case. It may be years until I need to use it, but it may be worth it.

Thoughts?

[bob jenkins]

I wouldn't carry one.

[Skahtboi]

Never dream of it.

[rookieblue]

I wear two ball bags so I can keep the cell phone, OC spray and the Kel-Tec P3AT in the left one.





sheesh, just kidding.


I'd never carry OC spray on the field.

[TussAgee11]

Well, let me add in another question.

Have you ever had to get somebody to the field (police) to get control of a situation and if so how did you go about doing it? What other measures of control can be used if you have people waiting for you in the parking lot, quite literally, not just saying that they'll be there, but actually waiting?

thanks

[mcrowder]

Don't forget where this guy is coming from.

Most of the quick, "I would never carry one"'s are coming from guys who have some sort of facility presence on hand, and possibly a rather short walk to the car and even possibly locker rooms.

I also would never carry one to my NORMAL games. I bring it with me and leave it in the car (although if there's a locker room - it's in my bag in the locker room).

I do, however, remember the intramural setting. Literally hundreds of yards between you and any sort of facility presence (if that even exists) and just as far to your car - and likely any proximity to a phone is iffy as well. I think that in this setting, it would not be unheard of for me to put a cellphone in my bag (if I had my bag with me at the field) or possibly even in my pocket. Turned off, of course, during the game... but nothing wrong with having one at hand.

[etn_ump]

Originally Posted by rookieblue

I wear two ball bags so I can keep the cell phone, OC spray and the Kel-Tec P3AT in the left one.





sheesh, just kidding.


I'd never carry OC spray on the field.

A Kel-Tec? Oh, I understand, a disposable gun.

Get a Glock.

[TussAgee11]

In reponse to Mcrowder - I'll always have access to something in the intramural setting. However, since this is a baseball board, I was interested in hearing reponses regarding the AAU games that are at schools, with no sort of administrative presence, and other baseball situations like this. Didn't want to turn this into an intramural thing, cause this is a baseball board.

Just wanted to clarify

[Referee]

Cell phones???

Just when you think you've seen it all?

During a semi pro game last Sunday... The first baseman is on the phone while holding a runner on the base...

I empathized with the personal issues but had to relieve him of his duties in favor of someone else on the bench... not before he uttered many expletive deleteds in English & Spanish at me...

Am I missing something in all of this nonsense???

[Welpe]

Tuss, do you have supervisors on site? The reason I ask is that I used to be an intramural official and am now a supervisor for the same intramural program. One of our main roles as a supervisor is to help maintain order throughout the games. Now granted, there's only so much we can do but having a presence outside of the on-field officials most certainly helps.

Our intramural teams are kept on a pretty tight leash and for the most part, they know we don't have any problem removing a team from the league if there are major problems. If things go south on-site, we have the ability to contact the University Police department and their response times are usually pretty quick.

If you do not feel there is an adequate supervisor presence, that is a concern you need to share with the manager(s) of your intramural program. If you don't have the upper level support, I'd strongly consider no longer working intramural games.

As a side note, it's amazing how worked up some people get over a lousy t-shirt.

[LMan]

..when enough umpires (or at least reasonably-competent umpires) quit taking these high-risk games, then something gets done. But not before then.

Umpires who have close calls, near-death experiences and yet still continue to take games in those situations for the piddly fees they pay, well..... *shrug*

[TussAgee11]

we have a "supervisor" on site, but it is a student who just keeps the score and lineups. Sometimes there will be an adult presence out on the field, but not often.

I spoke with the head of our intramurals department about this (he is a very good basketball official and is the scorekeeper for varsity games). He told me some stories about his brothers and uncles, and even himself that shocked me, from minor to serious assult. He reminded me of the 2 idiots that attacked the umpire in Kansas City several years back. His overall response: there will always be idiots, be ready to get the hell out of there at any point, especially at the intramural level. You don't think an NBA ref is worried about someone slugging him over the head from behind when he walks the baseline?

While not being too supportive, he has handed these individulals over to the judicial board for action, and supports our game decisions.