Fireworks!

[Tim C]

You could do a "Bill Miller":

++++++++

"Do you want to get into my business?"

(PAUSE)

"DO YOU WANT TO GET INTO MY BUSINESS?"

(PAUSE)

"Do you want to argue balls and strikes?"

(PAUSE)

"JOHNNY, DO YOU WANT TO ARGUE BALLS AND STRIKES?"

"Mumble, mumble" from off camera.

KAPOW!!! Damon's gone.

Well, you cudda done it that way . . .

Regards,

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Tim C

You could do a "Bill Miller":

++++++++

"Do you want to get into my business?"

(PAUSE)

"DO YOU WANT TO GET INTO MY BUSINESS?"

(PAUSE)

"Do you want to argue balls and strikes?"

(PAUSE)

"JOHNNY, DO YOU WANT TO ARGUE BALLS AND STRIKES?"

"Mumble, mumble" from off camera.

KAPOW!!! Damon's gone.

Well, you cudda done it that way . . .

Regards,

Heh, heh, heh! Love that ejection!

Regards back!

[lawump]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Heh, heh, heh! Love that ejection!

Regards back!

Agreed, that was F'n funny.

[DG]

"Are you arguing balls and strikes?" is a question I have used on a number of occassions. Some will shut up and some will open their mouth and admit they are, which get's them tossed. Call it baiting if you want, but if the dummy is stupid enough to answer yes he deserves the toss.

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by ctblu40

You overhear his plans of being ejected. I hope you informed your partner of this rat's plans. I'm sure I'm in the minority on this, but if I were to hear that... No way is he going anywhere! Short of a bump or really losing his mind, he's staying. He'll cross the line and you can bet his players will follow, they start going... he stays, the whole long game!

I don't care for this approach. If he buys his ticket out of the game, let him take his ride. What about going to the coach, leting him know what the player said and explaining that the trip will be for two if it comes?

[aceholleran]

Funny, Garth, but out of bounds.

Ridiculing fellow umpires--which happens on all boards--is babbling I don't brook.

Tuss, I do agree with most of the others on the "are you going to argue?" sitch. Simply put: Don't ask a coach a question like that.

I will usually give a terse explanation on a call like your balk. No conference, no time out. A civil rodent might get a more throrough explanation between innings.

If I hear someone say he wants to get tossed. I will quietly go over to him and grant him his EJ as quietly as possible, sparing him the "motivation" he wants to give his team.

IMHO: Too many ump-coach conversations. Try to be more curt, crisp, concise.

Relax, take a deep breath and let the rats make the mistakes. Then react.

[Jim Porter]

Well, I'll be doggone -- Ace Holleran. There's a name I haven't seen in a dog's age. They still let you umpire in Connecticut? Good to see you.

[RPatrino]

Ace Holleran, from board's past?

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by aceholleran

Funny, Garth,

You're right, and in this case, applicable.

but out of bounds.

Oops, there goes your perfect record.

[JJ]

[QUOTE=TussAgee11] I took my mask off and approached him, walking swiftly. I asked, perhaps from 10 feet away, as we were converging on each other "Are you going to argue balls and strikes?". QUOTE]

I would have taken my mask off and from right where I was standing I would have said, "That's it - no more on balls and strikes". Then, ANY comment he made after that that even HINTED at balls and strikes, I would have dumped him.

That's just the balls-and-strikes part of all this. I may have dumped him a lot sooner. I would NEVER have "approached him, walking swiftly". That makes me the aggressor. In reality, all I do is REACT to what he's saying. I may have more comments after I finish reading the posts, but this balls-and-strikes part needed immediate comment!

JJ

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by JJ

I would have taken my mask off and from right where I was standing I would have said, "That's it - no more on balls and strikes". Then, ANY comment he made after that that even HINTED at balls and strikes, I would have dumped him.

JJ

If this is the first verbal warning, my mask stays on. When the mask comes off, somebody is leaving.

[Publius]

Unless it's really out of hand, I listen to the chirping the rest of the half inning.

When the head coach of that team walks by on his way back from, or on his way to, the 3rd base box, I simply say "I've listened to all I'm going to about balls and strikes." I don't stop him to confront him. I just say it as he's walking by.

No "Is that clear?"

No "Do you understand me?"

No "one more word and..."

Just a simple declarative statement. The next time someone does it, he goes.

That's almost always followed by "When I said I'd heard enough, did you think I didn't mean it?"

[Don Mueller]

Originally Posted by Publius

When the head coach of that team walks by on his way back from, or on his way to, the 3rd base box, I simply say "I've listened to all I'm going to about balls and strikes." I don't stop him to confront him. I just say it as he's walking by.

I like it, but you more than doubled the 5 word rule.

I've got it effectively down to 6

"No more ball and strike conversation"

[RPatrino]

How about one....ENOUGH!! (With the hand held up like a stop sign).

[tiger49]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

1st inning, Visiting F1 balks. I call and award. Visiting manager comes out of the dugout, wanting an explanation. I motion with my left leg to indicate to him the reason for the balk. He then yells "Can I appeal that to him?" I responded "appeal what?". "The balk". PU simply yells lets play and we go about our buisness. No more problems as they win by run rule.

I probably wouldn't have acted out what the pitcher did wrong on a balk, however if asked I will tell the manager what he did. By showing the skip what was done you open it up for the skip to act out what he felt his pitcher did as well which is not something I would want to do. Also you may know in your mind what was done, but as I have witnessed in the past what is acted out is not always what was seen as a balk.

Also if by chance I ask a skip if he is arguing balls and strikes and he has to ask his assistant for help to answer I would probably dump him right there as there is no doubt that he is doing it to show me up.