Worthy of Ejection?
 

Men's league: Batter takes a called strike two. He steps out, gives me a stare and steps back in. Batter swings at a fastball for strike three. While in the batter's box, he looks at me and says for all to hear, "That F***ing pitch was inside!"

I tossed him from the game and was later told I shouldn't have by my assigner! Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

njdevs00cup,

To me, that's a HTBT sitch.

I can imagine, replying "You're entitled to your opinion, but you're still out" or, dumping him as you did.

The "F" word in that context doesn't really bother me very much (whereas, "F@#k you" would be no doubt about it, automatic). A lot would depend on tone, body language, etc. If he were "lingering" in the box, I might be more inclined to eject.

JM

I thought this was normal behavior in men's leagues?

I probably would have just asked him why he swung at it.

Mens LG ?
 

Anyone who has played the game at the HS level or above knows that directing the F bomb at you is an automatic ejection. The problem is that people like your assignor and other Umpires allow that to happen. You did the right thing, and you showed both teams you won't put up with that kind of behavior.

I actually enjoy the men's league games most of the time! I'm a high school official, so I appreciate the fact that many of the players were ex-college or minor league players. I have quickly understood that one questionable pitch, in their mind, is the cause of all negative actions following the pitch!

You don't say where the 3rd strike was, or the 2nd called strike. If the 3rd was inside then he is right and his comment was about himself swinging at an inside pitch. For that he is not complaining about calls. If it was not, and the 2nd called strike was inside then he is retroactively complaining about a call and using the F word to do it and deserves to be tossed.

If the 3rd strike he swung at was inside, I would say "yep", in an adult game.

The comment the batter made was about the strike two pitch, looking. It was a cutter or slider from a right handed pitcher to a left handed batter. Strike three swinging was on a fat fastball. Of course my call on strike two caused the batter to swing and miss strike three!

As several wise posters have already noted: Welcome to men's league baseball.
After the batter makes his comment you have several choices in men's league:
1) Dump him
2) Ignore him
3) Agree with him
4) Apologize to him for missing the pitch
5) Laugh at him
6) Get him next time
7) Walk off the field

Needless to say you have fewer choices on more "organized" levels of baseball.

JJ

BTW, other posters, how many of these 7 choices have you used in men's league?

It's clear now, your assigner is a jerk. Did he give a reason that you were wrong to eject?

Not really, but I'll let you think that.

"That fing pitch was inside"

The "f word" here is simply an adjective used to describe the pitch and is not ejectable on it's own, unless you are in a non-swearing league. Color me a jerk if you will, but, if I were the assignor and that is the story you gave me, I would agree that the EJ was not a good one.

You'd have empty benches in a hurry in pro ball.

Tell him he needs 2 things. A "tee" so he can put it where he wants it, and a "pacifier" for when he still makes an out.

I believe I read a story once about a batter who asked, "where was that pitch". The umpire said, right down the f---ing middle. The player said f--- you and was ejected. In his defense the player said he had never heard the f word before nor did he know what it meant, and just said it because the umpire did. The ump was fined $25 and the player nothing.