I Guess I Deserved it, or Maybe Not.....

[BigUmp56]

I knew when I started the thread there would be many of you that would jump my arse. Truth is I'm glad you did because I deserved it. I already knew there was no excuse for what I did, and believe me, I'm not asking any of you to excuse it. I was wrong...wrong...wrong for saying a word to the guy. I did it though and that cannot be changed. The point of the thread, if there is just one point, is to find out what my brothers in blue think about this guy seeking me out before a game two years after I gave him a hard time in order to issue a threat to me. We talk all the time about starting a game involving a coach we've recently dumped with a new slate. It just didn't seem right to me for him to seek me out and issue issue a pre-game warning to a parent.


Tim.

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

We talk all the time about starting a game involving a coach we've recently dumped with a new slate. It just didn't seem right to me for him to seek me out and issue issue a pre-game warning to a parent.


Tim.

You are NOT a coach on the field to extend that kind of courtesy to. You are a sports official. Again, I probably would have done worse!

I am glad that you at least realize HOW wrong it was to do.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by rei

You are NOT a coach on the field to extend that kind of courtesy to. You are a sports official. Again, I probably would have done worse!

I am glad that you at least realize HOW wrong it was to do.

Yes, I'm a sports official, but first and foremost I'm a parent. Before you once again puff out your chest and tell me how much you would have done, let me ask you a simple question. Do you have any of your own sons that play the game of baseball? If so, have you ever seen them called out on a manifestly wrong call in a game that was very important to them?



Tim.

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Yes, I'm a sports official, but first and foremost I'm a parent. Before you once again puff out your chest and tell me how much you would have done, let me ask you a simple question. Do you have any of your own sons that play the game of baseball? If so, have you ever seen them called out on a manifestly wrong call in a game that was very important to them?



Tim.

Nope, no kids of my own. But I have coached girlfriends kids, and have had a vested interest in their success.

What bugs me is that YOU have the responsibility to handle this situation correctly, you didn't, you admit it, but you are still trying to justify it. What that tells me is that you don't really have any sincerity in your admission that you did anything wrong. That fact that you even question where you deserved his response or not tells me the same thing.

You should really think that all through. Your one little comment that you made to make yourself feel better for a brief amount of time caused a LOT of grief to a fellow official, and possibly made his job harder to perform because of it's slanderous nature from an "expert" (which is what bias parents of teammates of you son believe you to be, even though they should know better than to think you can have ANY kind of unbiased outlook on the situation while your son is playing... ).

Then you come on here blasting him some more. What is next? You gonna post his name so we can all seek him out to heckle him during a game?

You are in NO position to defend yourself. You crack open ANY Code of Ethics for ANY of the rule books you ump games under, and I am sure there will be something about your publicly criticizing and/or making disparaging comments about a fellow official.

Trying to defend it on an internet BBS more or less convinces me that you might be just a TAD bit crazy!

[BigUmp56]

No, I wasn't trying to defend what I said. I was attempting to see if you in any way could relate to what it's like to see this happen to your own son. You can't, so think about that before you jump back on your pedestal and tell me what you would have done.


Tim.

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

No, I wasn't trying to defend what I said. I was attempting to see if you in any way could relate to what it's like to see this happen to your own son. You can't, so think about that before you jump back on your pedestal and tell me what you would have done.


Tim.

I like the view from my pedestal.

I used to coach adult teams many years ago. I pulled this same kind of crap. Guess what? EVERY ump that did one of my games was ready to eject me, and would after the first comment of any kind questioning their calls.

I deserved it. I will not sit here and try defend my behavior. Yes, some of these guys made HORRENDOUS calls, and worse than against my son, they were against ME!!!

I know far too well where you are coming from, and I am telling your with certainty that if you cannot restrain yourself from making disparaging comments towards umpires, or any sports official while you are at games, you should either:

1 - Quit attending games.
2 - Quit umpiring while your son plays.

I know umpires who could handle it gracefully, and would never think to conduct themselves like you did.

Again, there is no way you can defend your actions.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by rei

I like the view from my pedestal.

I used to coach adult teams many years ago. I pulled this same kind of crap. Guess what? EVERY ump that did one of my games was ready to eject me, and would after the first comment of any kind questioning their calls.

I deserved it. I will not sit here and try defend my behavior. Yes, some of these guys made HORRENDOUS calls, and worse than against my son, they were against ME!!!

I know far too well where you are coming from, and I am telling your with certainty that if you cannot restrain yourself from making disparaging comments towards umpires, or any sports official while you are at games, you should either:

1 - Quit attending games.
2 - Quit umpiring while your son plays.

I know umpires who could handle it gracefully, and would never think to conduct themselves like you did.

Again, there is no way you can defend your actions.

I guess you're going to make me out to be a monster no matter how much contrician I show. Not that it really matters as you've already formed your opinion that I'm some heinous individual that seeks out umpires working my sons games to prey on them, but I think you should know something. The game in question where the comment was made involved my oldest son. The game last night involved my middle son. I have had three sons playing baseball at levels from tee-ball to HS for 12 years, and this was the only, I repeat only time I was foolish enough to let my emotions as a parent overwhelm me. I'd say all told I've attended over 2,000 games involving my sons over the years. One bad decision out of two thousand chances isn't all that bad.


You were a coach and as such had an understanding that there would be umpires that would hold a grudge against you because of a prior incident. It's not right for them to do so, but to me it's more understandable than for an umpire to hold a similar grudge against a parent.


Tim.

[UmpJM]

I would guess that it is well known in his community that Tim is an umpire. So, when he made his disparaging comment to the umpire who made the incorrect call during his son's game, I would guess that to many who heard it at the time, his comment was that of an experienced official (rather than just the mindless drivel of a clueless parent, frequently and regularly heard at youth baseball games).

As such, as Tim obviously knows and has freely admitted, his comments were certainly inappropriate.

However, for the umpire to hold a grudge for over TWO YEARS over a comment made during a youth baseball game and to accost a fan and threaten him before a game is obscenely unprofessional, most certainly conduct unbecoming an umpire, and an infantile response to the situation.

Umpires should conduct themselves like umpires when they arrive at a game site and completely ignore fans unless their conduct affects the progress of the game - even if their feelings were hurt during a game two years ago.

JM

Originally Posted by CoachJM

I would guess that it is well known in his community that Tim is an umpire. So, when he made his disparaging comment to the umpire who made the incorrect call during his son's game, I would guess that to many who heard it at the time, his comment was that of an experienced official (rather than just the mindless drivel of a clueless parent, frequently and regularly heard at youth baseball games).

As such, as Tim obviously knows and has freely admitted, his comments were certainly inappropriate.

However, for the umpire to hold a grudge for over TWO YEARS over a comment made during a youth baseball game and to accost a fan and threaten him before a game is obscenely unprofessional, most certainly conduct unbecoming an umpire, and an infantile response to the situation.

Umpires should conduct themselves like umpires when they arrive at a game site and completely ignore fans unless their conduct affects the progress of the game - even if their feelings were hurt during a game two years ago.

JM

I can only hope that one day you can truly join the ranks of sports officials.