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The fact that KF believes ejections are ego-driven indicates that he does not understand the role of an umpire or the proper process by which baseball umpires are to handle certain situations. Baseball is unique among the major sports when it comes to doling out specific penalties to violators of rules or conduct.
We can't issue yellow cards. We can't penalize 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. We can't call a technical. If someone personally insults us, if someone swears at us, we have two choices: leave said person in the game or remove them from the game. To choose the former results in our losing control of the game and letting said violators get away with actions they are not supposed to do. It also sends a poor message to the opposition: go ahead and demean me as an official, because I lack the fortitude to deal with it. |
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Oh and when a coach swears at me, as far as I am concerned, he just made it personal ------ GONE! |
I'm not going to judge Kevin because I've never seen him umpire. With that said, basketball is much the same way with technical fouls. I know guys who just will not T a coach because they think it will piss said coach off, they want to "keep him in the game", or some other excuse to justify not having to take care of business. It's just a foul, just like any other foul. It's also frustrating as the partner of the guy who won't take care of business because the coach thinks he can walk all over you as well, then you pop him and all of a sudden you're the bad guy because you had to do what your partner wouldn't.
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The basketball technical came when a player fouled out and the coach refused to give me a sub. I started the clock, told the coach he couldn't have a time out until the player was replaced, and waited. He kept insisting he wanted a time out and refused to give me a sub. After waiting 20 seconds, I asked one more time and then issued the technical. The baseball ejection came after I called a runner out for missing first base. It was the third out of the inning and took a run off the board. I headed to the outfield and the coach was yelling at me "you need to open your freaking eyes and watch the game." The first time I ignored the comment and walked a bit deeper into the outfield. The second time (louder), I decided I needed to put a stop to it, so I told the coach I heard him and I had heard enough (long distance, but I had actually closed the distance in a non-threatening way). The third time, he ejected himself. You can't fix stupid. I do not understand how anyone who works a significant number of games does not have an ejection. Ejections find you -- it may only be one or two a year or it may be 2-3 years between them....or it may be three in a game like I had last year, but when a coach crosses that line I fail to do my job if I don't eject. And then others see me not doing my job and I get a reputation as someone who doesn't do his job and so on and so on.... |
A small rule of thumb; usually if saying it makes me feel good, I probably shouldn't say it.
Example, Coach comes out on a close one and says, " you missed that!" I reply, your team has 4 erros in 3 innings and I didn't see you run out here to tell them that they missed those." Sarcasim is usually bad on the field, but that doesn't mean I sometimes don't use it. |
I think subtle sarcasm, if that, is one thing, but heavy sarcasm like the example you give is unacceptable. I'm sure all of us at some time in our careers has always wanted to pop off at a coach and remind him of his team's collapse, but we don't. We just smile or laugh inside ourselves when they blame us for costing them a run or the game, even though it was their 4 errors in one inning that resulted in the opposition scoring 8 runs.
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Work on controlling your personality (that you freely and proudly admit you fail to control) in your work and maybe you won't get sworn at so much. And if you lack courage, don't automatically ascribe that to others, either. |
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:rolleyes: And as far as my personality, there is nothing wrong with it. It has served me well in umpiring and has earned me much respect over my 32-year career. Your allusion to it is rather bizarre, as is your excusing head coaches barreling out of dugouts swearing at umpires over balls and strikes. If I were a head coach, I'd eat you alive on the ball field. |
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B) In Los Angeles, if you eject the coach, the game is over---so try not to apply your standards to everyone's work. They may not apply. I refuse to deny everyone the opportunity to see a ballgame because of a single jerk. C) If you want to act like a cop or a sergeant (or lieutenant) go ahead. I am a manager and that's what is needed on a diamond---not a cop or a sergeant. I choose to manage games for the greater good, and not police them. I am authoritative and respectful. I have always thought it was something to be proud of to keep my cool in public settings. Apparently, there are those who lack that skill or willingness or patience or thick skin in their role as umpire. I have it, and I use it. I also don't prejudge all coaches. That helps a lot. Some of them are respectable, and when they're respected, they show respect in return. And you don't even need a gun to get respect like a cop does. |
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And you choose not to control your personality when you work (like you freely admitted in starting this topic). It is your choice. It is unprofessional, but it's your choice. It results in outcomes that are unfavorable to the participants when you fail to control your personality, but it's your choice. You would eat me alive? Stay in your little haven and play your little ego games. The big city is probably not for you. |
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If ejecting someone is "losing your cool," then I feel sorry for you as an umpire, because your lack of reality is shocking. |
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Don't get me wrong, I get what you're saying, but there's no logic there...in comparing defensive sucess to whether or not your call was correct. |
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Shocking lack of reality ... You are a very amusing small-town veteran. Keep up with the baiting and the sarcasm; I'll keep up with the decorum and control. I like my results better. |
Small town??? Son, the fact that you believe the Chicago Metropolitan area is a small-town environment only serves to prove your lack of understanding reality.
Oh, and simply asking a head coach when I should call a balk is not being verbose. He told me I couldn't call a balk. I asked him under which situations it is acceptable to call one. He then swore at me. I appropriately ejected him. You just can't accept the fact that I am still successful as a college umpire, despite having a few ejections per year. |
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(And isn't more swearing allowed the older/higher level it goes? Or is the NCAA like high school about it?) And my original point is: if one of us, that haven't been accepted into the Internet Forum Umpire Inner Sanctum, told that same story as posted, we'd be ripped 7 ways to Sunday for it, because we baited the HC. And we'd get told how we'll never work above middle school, or some other d@mn thing, and how we needed to work on our game management. So maybe as a successful college umpire, you'd consider taking that on board. |
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