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

[BigUmp56]

A couple of years ago I allowed the parent in me to take over during one of my sons game's. I know it wasn't right for me to jump on the umpire working the bases on the game, but I did it anyway. The PU was a rook and the BU should have known better. Here's what happened.


My son was on second base with two outs. F1, for whatever reason, engaged the rubber in the windup. As he started to step back with his free foot my son took off for third. Without even a second thought the pitcher quickly turned and threw my son out at third. I was livid that this guy allowed the out to stand on such a huge balk, one that a second year umpire should be able to call in his sleep. So, I yelled to him that he wasn't worth the $55.00 they were paying him if he couldn't make that call.


Well, tonight I saw him for the first time since then working my middle sons tournament game. Before the game he walked straight up to me and told me that if I said one word about one of his calls tonight he'd eject me from the park. I told him he didn't have anything to say to me, but if he planned on ejecting me as a spectator watching my son play he'd better be ready for the $hit-storm to follow with the league.


I know I shouldn't have said anything two years ago, but for him to seek me out tonight and confront me like this was BS.



Tim.

[SanDiegoSteve]

You should have told him that he wouldn't hear anything from you as long as he doesn't f*** up calls the way he did two years ago. Did you ask him if he knows the balk rule now? Unbelievable, coming up to you two years later and saying something. What kind of bush league move was that, anyway? Since when do umpires address the fans with warnings before a game? BS I say!

[BigUmp56]

What was really bad, Steve, was that he allowed the opposing pitcher tonight to continually pitch from the set without even a hint of a stop or discernable pause. I alerted Matt's coach to it and he went out and asked him why between innings. This mope told my son's coach that he doesn't have to stop or pause as long as he changes direction. I didn't say anything more though.


Tim.

[bossman72]

You shouldn't yell at or criticize officials if you're a spectator at the game under ANY circumstances. He's your fellow blue out there and that isn't the way you should be conducting yourself. You know how tough it is out there.

In the future, talk to him after the game and give him some advice in a kind way if he's obvously ignorant of the pitching regulations as you've said.

But on a side note, what he did recently to you is crap- i agree.

[jxt127]

F1 tonight was doing that - stepping off with his free foot then throwing to 1st.

Of course that wasn't as good as the PU calling Batter Interference on the batter for not ducking (batter just froze like he was taught) when F2 tried to throw over him to third base. Was comical really cause the Batter was at least a foot taller than F2.

Silly of ump really, personally I can't remember who said what two nights ago let alone two years ago.

[HokieUmp]

Originally Posted by bossman72

You shouldn't yell at or criticize officials if you're a spectator at the game under ANY circumstances. He's your fellow blue out there and that isn't the way you should be conducting yourself. You know how tough it is out there.

In the future, talk to him after the game and give him some advice in a kind way if he's obvously ignorant of the pitching regulations as you've said.

But on a side note, what he did recently to you is crap- i agree.

It might BE crap, but Tim has to eat that second encounter completely. To reply to the thread title, yeah, you pretty much did deserve that. Whenever I've had any training, wherever I've been, when that subject comes up, the gist of it is, 'you don't throw fellow umpires under the bus, on or off field.' Once we've become umpires, we've sort of lost the ability to comment at a game - at least at the games we generally discuss here.

Yeah, the guy sounds terrible, but SOMEone at that game is going to know you're an umpire, so the original comment was a bad idea. He had the right to give a face full in return, even if the statute of limitations had run out.

[TussAgee11]

Agree with HokieUmp, he was out of line for bringing it back up, but if I were him, I'd be pretty pissed at you, even after 2 years. I can forget what parents say, but you are held to a much higher standard. What differentiates you from a rat coach? Not much in this situation.

When you're a spectator, you're a spectator. Watch the game, enjoy your son, and don't do anything but cheer. Because of what you said 2 years ago all other parents around you must think its okay for them to say the same to the next umpire in the next game because you acted that way. So now you not only caused problems for that original umpire, but potentially for every other umpire that has had to work your son's team.

Yes, it's crap that the umpire came up to you 2 years later, but frankly, you should have said said nothing (aloud during the game anyway) two years ago in the first place.

-Tuss

[briancurtin]

As an umpire, I couldn't tell you what fan said what if you gave me a 2 person lineup and one of them was Fran Drescher and one of them was a dad wearing a baseball hat. I don't know who said what and I usually couldn't care less what recycled lines the fans are spewing...mainly because I have things to do while on the baseball field.
It's odd to me that not only he knew you said what you said, but he also remembered the whole thing to act on it later.

As a fan, I keep to myself.

[DG]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

I was livid that this guy allowed the out to stand on such a huge balk, one that a second year umpire should be able to call in his sleep. So, I yelled to him that he wasn't worth the $55.00 they were paying him if he couldn't make that call.


Well, tonight I saw him for the first time since then working my middle sons tournament game. Before the game he walked straight up to me and told me that if I said one word about one of his calls tonight he'd eject me from the park.

I know I shouldn't have said anything two years ago, but for him to seek me out tonight and confront me like this was BS.

What a paradox. On the one hand we have comments that should not have been made. You were wrong to make them. I ALWAYS consider comments about money personal and eject accordingly if a coach says, but from fans I ignore.

On the other hand if I had been approached in the parking lot by anybody with anything negative to say I would tell them to kiss my 8ss.

You caused the confrontation in the parking lot. Get over it. For him to remember 2 years later and confront you in the parking lot is weak. Tell him you are sorry you made the comments and you would like to erase the memory, start over, and just enjoy the game, and you will not have anything to say during the game except to encourage your team.

If he can't accept that then...

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

I alerted Matt's coach to it and he went out and asked him why between innings. This mope told my son's coach that he doesn't have to stop or pause as long as he changes direction. I didn't say anything more though.

That's about as unprofessional as any sports official can get.

What's worse? A mope or a backstabber?

Unbelievable.....

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

A couple of years ago I allowed the parent in me to take over during one of my sons game's. I know it wasn't right for me to jump on the umpire working the bases on the game, but I did it anyway. The PU was a rook and the BU should have known better. Here's what happened.


My son was on second base with two outs. F1, for whatever reason, engaged the rubber in the windup. As he started to step back with his free foot my son took off for third. Without even a second thought the pitcher quickly turned and threw my son out at third. I was livid that this guy allowed the out to stand on such a huge balk, one that a second year umpire should be able to call in his sleep. So, I yelled to him that he wasn't worth the $55.00 they were paying him if he couldn't make that call.


Well, tonight I saw him for the first time since then working my middle sons tournament game. Before the game he walked straight up to me and told me that if I said one word about one of his calls tonight he'd eject me from the park. I told him he didn't have anything to say to me, but if he planned on ejecting me as a spectator watching my son play he'd better be ready for the $hit-storm to follow with the league.


I know I shouldn't have said anything two years ago, but for him to seek me out tonight and confront me like this was BS.



Tim.

Well, at least he gave you warning.

If you pulled some horsecra p like that on me, next time I saw you, first word out of your mouth would mean you are gone.

If I knew you were an ump, I would have been calling the commissioner/assignor of your association after the first incident and letting him know what is up.

You broke what is in my opinion a MAJOR no-no between umpires! Under NO circumstances do you EVER criticize another umpire in front of other people!

And then to come here bragging about it.

[MrUmpire]

Yes, you deserved it.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by rei

Well, at least he gave you warning.

If you pulled some horsecra p like that on me, next time I saw you, first word out of your mouth would mean you are gone.

If I knew you were an ump, I would have been calling the commissioner/assignor of your association after the first incident and letting him know what is up.

You broke what is in my opinion a MAJOR no-no between umpires! Under NO circumstances do you EVER criticize another umpire in front of other people!

And then to come here bragging about it.

So, you eject spectators?

Look, I already said I should have never made the comment. It was stupid of me. Sometimes things happen that we're not proud of. Like I said, the parent in me took over the umpire in me, which truth be told is a heck of a lot more dominant.



Tim.

Yes, I have ejected spectators. Never an umpire spectator taking jabs at me, but ones who have used profanity towards people on the field, or threats towards people on the field, or taunting players.

In a case like this, I would make sure you were gone if you made comments again. That is big time bush league.

Coming here and talking smack about him is almost as low. He is not here of course to defend himself, and tell HIS version of events. So, we have to take the word of a fellow umpire who yells crappy things to other umpires during games they do then comes on a BBS to talk more smack about them.

Sorry, I lost ANY respect for you I might have had before. You certainly deserve what you have got out of all of this.

[Rich]

It's easy to dump on Tim. How about the lack of respect the umpire involved clearly gives the game?