Scary Moment... and a Rat

[TussAgee11]

Kid squares to bunt fully around, and gets drilled directly in the chest. I thought it hit right on his heart and was pretty much ready to get on my knees immediately and start CPR.

Kid just shook it off and jogged immediately to first, and the Rat defensive coach started whining about how the player didn't pull the bat back. I walked a ball out to the mound slowly to give the kid some time, slowly walked back and brushed off the plate, still hearing it from the manager. Exchange was something like this.

Coach: (repeatedly) That should be a strike. He never pulled the bat back. Blah blah blah blah. I'm a rat. I smell. Blah.

Me: Coach, he did not make a strike at the ball. There was no attempt to hit the ball, he gets first base. (now putting my mask on and walking behind the plate.

Coach: That should be a strike

Me: (taking mask off and now taking a couple steps towards the dugout and giving him the stop sign). Do you want to argue balls and strikes?

Coach: I'm argueing your interpretation of the rule.

Me: There's no interpretation, that's the rule. Now lets play (and ignored everything else and put the ball back into play).

Didn't hear anything more after I put the ball back into play.

Thoughts on how I handled this?

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Thoughts on how I handled this?

I would have gone to my partner, and asked if the batter attempted to strike at the ball. You're gonna have a bad angle on it from the behind the dish. You're (hopefully) tracking the ball, and not the bat. I'd find it hard to believe that the batter didn't try to defend himself with the bat.

If you were driving solo, just tell the manager what you did/didn't see.

But don't take off the mask and walk toward the dugout. Yes, we see the showboaters on TV do it all the time, but that still doesn't make it right. We aren't in the entertainment business like they are.

[JRutledge]

First of all a batter never has to pull the bat back. If the bat never moves then by rule it is not an attempt. I might have said that to the coach but it would depend on the proximity of where the coach is and how angry that coach is. Other than that I have no problem with the way you handled the situation.

Peace

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by kylejt

But don't take off the mask and walk toward the dugout. Yes, we see the showboaters on TV do it all the time, but that still doesn't make it right. We aren't in the entertainment business like they are.

This is a serious question, how do you handle coaches in the dugout that are continually complaining about balls and strikes or a judgment call?

[DG]

Originally Posted by Welpe

This is a serious question, how do you handle coaches in the dugout that are continually complaining about balls and strikes or a judgment call?

I can't tell what age group you are talking about, but when you say "kid" I think small bases. So, if you are getting complaints from the dugout about balls and strikes warn the coach, get your notebook out and write it down, then if he does it again toss him.

[Welpe]

It wasn't my sitch so I don't know what age group either, I was asking a more general game management question.

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by Welpe

This is a serious question, how do you handle coaches in the dugout that are continually complaining about balls and strikes or a judgment call?

Easy.

The hand goes up, then "That's enough".

Anything else gets an ejection. Quite simple, actually. It's only happened to me once in eight years that someone didn't get it.

What I won't do is go looking for it. I won't take my mask off and walk over to the dugout. No need. I can make my point without it. I'm with Garth though. When the mask comes off someone's going home. Someone has just run the stop sign.

[waltjp]

Excellent. You warned as necessary and the chirping stopped.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by Welpe

This is a serious question, how do you handle coaches in the dugout that are continually complaining about balls and strikes or a judgment call?

Don't let it become "continually".
Ignore, Warn, Eject.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

Don't let it become "continually".
Ignore, Warn, Eject.

Well that's usually what I do, but the warning involves the mask coming off, me walking part of the way over to the dug out and telling them to knock it off. Should this warning be issued from the plate while the mask stays on?

[mick]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Well that's usually what I do, but the warning involves the mask coming off, me walking part of the way over to the dug out and telling them to knock it off. Should this warning be issued from the plate while the mask stays on?

Do that which is comfortable.
Personally, I try not to be dramatic, ...or loud, although it has happened from time to time.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by kylejt

I would have gone to my partner, and asked if the batter attempted to strike at the ball. You're gonna have a bad angle on it from the behind the dish. You're (hopefully) tracking the ball, and not the bat. I'd find it hard to believe that the batter didn't try to defend himself with the bat.

If you were driving solo, just tell the manager what you did/didn't see.

But don't take off the mask and walk toward the dugout. Yes, we see the showboaters on TV do it all the time, but that still doesn't make it right. We aren't in the entertainment business like they are.

Nothing showboating about it. When it's serious enough, the mask comes off and when the mask comes off, somebody is leaving.

[mick]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Coach: (repeatedly) That should be a strike. He never pulled the bat back. Blah blah blah blah. I'm a rat. I smell. Blah.

Me: Coach, he did not make a strike at the ball. There was no attempt to hit the ball, he gets first base. (now putting my mask on and walking behind the plate.

TussAgee11,
You did just fine.

Try this next chance:

"Coach, he never offered."

[RPatrino]

Tuss, remember, 5 words or less does the trick everytime. Anymore than that and you are having a discussion and that is not what you want to do.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

Tuss, remember, 5 words or less does the trick everytime. Anymore than that and you are having a discussion and that is not what you want to do.

And following this 5 words rule, perhaps: "No attempt. He gets first."

And then maybe expand to 6 words for: "Are you arguing balls and strikes?"

I don't ask them if they want to argue balls and strikes, because this gives an opportunity to say "yes," and continue arguing, since they were asked if they wanted to argue. If you ask "Are you arguing balls and strikes," they have only three possible choices. 1) Say no, and shut their pie holes, 2) Say nothing and slink back into their rat holes, or 3) Say yes and get run for arguing balls and strikes.