Rat trying to find the cheese (with some whine)

[TussAgee11]

Sr Babe DH.

I'm PUm Base hit, R2 trying to score. Throw comes high, catcher moves up the line to jump for it, it clears his head, the runner had to take one or two steps around the scrambling catcher in order to avoid the catcher and get to the plate. I determined no OBS based on the fact that a play was imminent and the catcher was simply trying to get the ball. Also (off the record), it really didn't matter because the ball ended up at the backstop and the runner could have stopped at that point to have a smoke before touching the plate.

Here comes 3rd base coach (who was the manager). I didn't even know what he wanted, didn't even realize he was coming to talk to me.

Coach (yelling): Blue, you have to call that!
Me: Just talk to me coach, I'll listen.
Coach (now talking): You have to call that!
Me: Call what?
Coach: Interference!
Me: Obstuction?
Coach: Yeah, my runner could have gotten hurt!
Me: Coach, by rule, that was not obstruction.
Coach: Yes, it was!
Me (realizing that there will be no reasoning with this guy: Coach, you're run scored. What are we arguing about here?
Coach (disgruntled): You have to protect my guy... (turns to go back to 3rd).

2nd game. R1. Tailor made double play ball. R1 goes into 2nd base, never slides, and puts his hands in the air. I, BU, come up with INT (because I had a very weak partner who would have never gotten it).

Here comes the mutant:

Coach: WHAT!
Me: Coach, just talk. (notice the absence of "I'm listening" because I wasn't going to listen anymore with this cretin.
Coach: How can you call that! (not yelling, but not conversational either)
Me: Coach, by rule, by not sliding and running right at the base with his hands up, your runner interfered. Batter is out.
Coach: That's wrong.
Me (interrupting): It's a rule. That is enough.
(I now turn away and start walking back to A).
Coach (as I'm walking back to A): That's twice you screwed us (and he too was walking back to the 3rd base box.

I almost turned and dumped him. If he had said boo the rest of the game I would have taken care of him for certain. And also, my partner said that the throw did get to 1st and got the guy by two steps anyways...

What a freaking idiot. Exactly how did I "screw" this guy the first time. And the second time, even if I did "screw" him (which I didn't), it didn't even matter. Neither time mattered. Arguments over nothing.

Confused soul that man, trying to make his way through the maze...

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Sr Babe DH.

I'm PUm Base hit, R2 trying to score. Throw comes high, catcher moves up the line to jump for it, it clears his head, the runner had to take one or two steps around the scrambling catcher in order to avoid the catcher and get to the plate. I determined no OBS based on the fact that a play was imminent and the catcher was simply trying to get the ball. Also (off the record), it really didn't matter because the ball ended up at the backstop and the runner could have stopped at that point to have a smoke before touching the plate.

Here comes 3rd base coach (who was the manager). I didn't even know what he wanted, didn't even realize he was coming to talk to me.

Coach (yelling): Blue, you have to call that!
Me: Just talk to me coach, I'll listen.
Coach (now talking): You have to call that!
Me: Call what?
Coach: Interference!
Me: Obstuction?
Coach: Yeah, my runner could have gotten hurt!
Me: Coach, by rule, that was not obstruction.
Coach: Yes, it was!
Me (realizing that there will be no reasoning with this guy: Coach, you're run scored. What are we arguing about here?
Coach (disgruntled): You have to protect my guy... (turns to go back to 3rd).

2nd game. R1. Tailor made double play ball. R1 goes into 2nd base, never slides, and puts his hands in the air. I, BU, come up with INT (because I had a very weak partner who would have never gotten it).

Here comes the mutant:

Coach: WHAT!
Me: Coach, just talk. (notice the absence of "I'm listening" because I wasn't going to listen anymore with this cretin.
Coach: How can you call that! (not yelling, but not conversational either)
Me: Coach, by rule, by not sliding and running right at the base with his hands up, your runner interfered. Batter is out.
Coach: That's wrong.
Me (interrupting): It's a rule. That is enough.
(I now turn away and start walking back to A).
Coach (as I'm walking back to A): That's twice you screwed us (and he too was walking back to the 3rd base box.

I almost turned and dumped him. If he had said boo the rest of the game I would have taken care of him for certain. And also, my partner said that the throw did get to 1st and got the guy by two steps anyways...

What a freaking idiot. Exactly how did I "screw" this guy the first time. And the second time, even if I did "screw" him (which I didn't), it didn't even matter. Neither time mattered. Arguments over nothing.

Confused soul that man, trying to make his way through the maze...

If Sr Babe means Babe Ruth then it's OBR so:

I determined no OBS based on the fact that a play was imminent and the catcher was simply trying to get the ball.

OK so far.

Also (off the record), it really didn't matter because the ball ended up at the backstop and the runner could have stopped at that point to have a smoke before touching the plate.

OOPS. As it was type A if there was obstruction you would call it immediately (time! you - home), not wait for a result.

Coach, by rule, by not sliding and running right at the base [snip - more to follow], your runner interfered.

A slide is not required. So far he's legal.

with his hands up

NOW, this part MAY be interference if you judge that it was done deliberately to break up a DP.

[archangel]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

..... That's twice you screwed us (and he too was walking back to the 3rd base box.I almost turned and dumped him.
Confused soul that man, trying to make his way through the maze...

Well, I guess I'll be the first. You probably know whats coming.....Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda....
If a coach said that to you and didnt get tossed, he's going to do it again, as he didnt learn a lesson. Thanks in advance to his next games crew, for doing what should be done....

[DG]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Sr Babe DH.

Coach (as I'm walking back to A): That's twice you screwed us (and he too was walking back to the 3rd base box.

Sounds personal to me. He is accusing you of cheating to benefit the other team.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by DG

Sounds personal to me. He is accusing you of cheating to benefit the other team.

Walking away or not, this is an ejection. What if he would said "you f---ed us?" Same thing.

[TussAgee11]

Rich: The hands up resulted in the fielder having to double clutch his throw in order to get an extra half step for a throwing angle. I will agree that I could have explained that part to him, but looking back on it, it probably wouldn't have made a difference. Still, something to take in with me to the next conversation on this play.

Regarding your "type A OBS", I am aware that a Type A would result in a immediate dead ball. However, because I didn't judge OBS, there was no call to be made. My "off the record" comment was meant to simply paint more of a picture and show the absurdity of the offensive manager's complaint.

DG: I do not believe the comment "That is twice you have screwed us" is accusing me of cheating in any way, or that he meant it that way. It is a typical coach response to a feeling that several calls have been made against them, and it is hurting their chances to win. Coaches don't like it when their chances to win are being hurt, and I think we, as officials, need to understand this emotion from participants. I truely believe that this comment does not attack my character, it is a voice of displeasure over a call or two.

If I am guilty of anything, it is letting the personal comment of "you" slip by my radar. If I had known this character's shenanigans going into the day, I guarantee you I would have dumped him (I mentioned this to my partner in the parking lot). I guess I was caught a bit by surprise by his diatribe, and somewhere inside of me assumed he was the type of coach that wouldn't really cause problems with umpires (small guy, rich town, relaxed league, had the grill going between games for both teams, etc...)

Next time I have this clown, my Doppler is going to be focused in on his every move (and I doubt he'll even be aware of it).

Live and learn

[DG]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

DG: I do not believe the comment "That is twice you have screwed us" is accusing me of cheating in any way, or that he meant it that way. It is a typical coach response to a feeling that several calls have been made against them, and it is hurting their chances to win. Coaches don't like it when their chances to win are being hurt, and I think we, as officials, need to understand this emotion from participants. I truly believe that this comment does not attack my character, it is a voice of displeasure over a call or two.

You don't get it then. "That's two bad calls blue" is a comment and an opinion. "You are screwing us" might be an opinion also but it is worded in a way that attacks your character. "You are screwing us" is an active phrase. May as well have said "You suck". Most coaches I deal with would never dare say such a thing because they know better. Only in summer ball do you have to "train" the ones that don't get it.

You called him a "mutant" and a "freaking idiot". Why you defending him now? I had one say this to me while turning his back after an argument last year - "You are making all this money you should learn the rules". It is a typical coach response, as you put it. Now what would you do with this comment?

[DG]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Walking away or not, this is an ejection. What if he would said "you f---ed us?" Same thing.

You talking to me? I have not disagreed that this is an ejection.

[SanDiegoSteve]

The coach put it on a tee for you. You didn't swing and miss, you looked at strike 3 called. You almost turned and dumped him, when you should have turned and dumped him.

Looking for a "next time" isn't the way to do it. You should have ejected today, started fresh next time. Now your "radar" is going to be on, which can possibly distract you in some small way from the job at hand. If you had ejected him in this game, he would be the one who would be watching himself next time. JMO.

[canadaump6]

This statement:

I truely believe that this comment does not attack my character, it is a voice of displeasure over a call or two.

Conflicts with this statement:

If I am guilty of anything, it is letting the personal comment of "you" slip by my radar.

I guess I was caught a bit by surprise by his diatribe, and somewhere inside of me assumed he was the type of coach that wouldn't really cause problems with umpires (small guy, rich town, relaxed league, had the grill going between games for both teams, etc...)

I try not to let a coach's off the field personality influence the way I deal with a confrontation. I have umpired countless people who appear to be class acts off the field, but once the game starts they are not their to be nice guys and buddy buddy with the umpire. That is the reality of this profession.

DG: I do not believe the comment "That is twice you have screwed us" is accusing me of cheating in any way, or that he meant it that way. It is a typical coach response to a feeling that several calls have been made against them, and it is hurting their chances to win. Coaches don't like it when their chances to win are being hurt, and I think we, as officials, need to understand this emotion from participants.

Game participants have to do better at controlling their emotions. Everybody knows that a personal comment is not acceptable, especially at the kiddieball level.

I hope you don't shoot me down for this post like you did the other time.

[DG]

Originally Posted by Lawrence.Dorsey

I'd agree that if someone accuses me of cheating them or something of the sort that I am going to send them home. I just think we have to be careful about inferring something because had I dumped him for what he said, I can't guarantee my assignor would've agreed on that basis alone.

In the heat of the battle I can't be thinking about what my assigner might think.

[DG]

Originally Posted by Lawrence.Dorsey

We spent about 15-20 minutes in our annual pre-season AL meeting discussing some ejections from last year. The assignor felt that some weren't defensible and gave examples. He emphasized game management. That put me on notice that we'd better have the right reason to dump somebody.

Please provide examples of ejections he did not think were defensible.

[bobbybanaduck]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

OOPS. As it was type A if there was obstruction you would call it immediately (time! you - home), not wait for a result.

in the spirit of hollywood squares, i disagree. yes, this would be type a obstruction which, normally, makes the ball dead immediately. however, this ball was thrown away, so we must allow the play to continue to afford other runners the opportunity to advance, and/or the ball to go out of play...which would result in an even more harsh penalty against the offending team. circle gets a square.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Coach (as I'm walking back to A): That's twice you screwed us........

There is no doubt that this is personal, an attack on your character and your integrity! This is where you dump the rat, not let him stay in the game chewing his cheese!

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

That's twice you screwed us

He could only have personalized this better if he included your name.