Interesting.......

[kufan1975]

Wheat Festival tournament ends in disaster

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By Tracy McCue
GateHouse News Service
Tue Jul 14, 2009, 11:14 AM CDT

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Wellington, Kan. -
Hundreds of baseball tournaments have been played at the hallowed compounds that is Hibbs-Hooten Field, aka Sellers Park.
But one would be hard pressed to find a tournament that ended as disappointingly as the one this weekend.
The 2009 Wellington Wheat Festival tournament for high school aged boys ended in shambles with one team pulling itself from the tournament after its opponent had eight players and coaches ejected and were in a shouting match with the event's umpires.
Yes, that sounds confusing. Let's explain.
"It was a shameful situation and I didn't want my players to see it," said Beau Welch, head coach of the Princeton team, which was the team that left the tournament early. "So we decided to get out and go home."
Princeton, located in northeast Kansas, was ahead by one run in the fourth and was having no problem with the umps. But Welch said the situation involving the other team, the Wichita Hustlers, and the umpires was so out of hand that he just wanted to leave.
The annual Wheat Festival baseball tournament involving boys teams ages 15-18 is a fund raiser for the Wellington Babe Ruth program and precursor to the post-season tournaments which starts next week.
The tournament included the Wellington 15-year-old all stars, the Wellington 16-18 year old all stars, and three non Babe Ruth teams: Princeton, Park City Gators and the Wichita Hustlers. It was an open tournament and any team could participate from another baseball affiliation.
The Hustlers is a Wichita Park League team which came to the tournament because there were two players from Wellington on the squad: Adam Bennett and Chris Torres.
"I thought it would be kind of a neat thing if we could play in the home town of these two boys," said Tim Dryden, Hustlers head baseball coach. "We had an open date and this worked out."
The Hustlers travel extensively, Dryden said Monday, and try to get as many as 60 to 70 games in during the summer. He said they travel anywhere they can and rarely if ever have problems in previous tournaments.
"Up until this tournament, we never had an ejection," Dryden said.
Wheat Festival tournament director Ron Metzen thought differently. He said he heard from a couple of sources that this team is known to cause trouble.
"That came from one of the parents," Metzen said. "I decided to let them play anyway. Usually teams come down here and have a good time. Everyone tries to behave themselves."
Wellington Babe Ruth umpire Bobby Wilson said he learned quickly, this was not going to be an easy weekend.
The Hustlers wasted little time getting in trouble with the umps, when one of the assistant coaches was ejected for disputing balls and strikes on their Friday night opener, Wilson said.
"It wasn't like this was a one-time thing," Wilson said. "This guy was arguing for three innings, so eventually I tossed him out."
He said after that things cooled off throughout Saturday although the team was verbal and loquacious with the profanity.
That led to Sunday in a semifinal game between Wellington 16-18 year olds and the Hustlers. Again, another player was ejected for calling the ump a derogatory term. Then a head coach was ejected for making a statement about the umps' ability.
By the championship game, things were at a boiling point, Wilson said.
"I did something I have never done in 26 years of umpiring, I designated a team captain for the teams," Wilson said. "I knew things were getting close to out of control so I told the representatives to try to keep their fellow teammates under control and exercise great sportsmanship. We are here to play baseball."
The situation simmered for three innings, but in the top of the fourth with the Hustlers batting, a player was thrown out after disputing a call on a strikeout.
"He had been warned before that you don't dispute a judgement call concerning balls and strikes," Wilson said.
Then in the bottom of the fourth, a Princeton runner stole first to second and was declared safe. The Hustler third baseman, who was not involved in the play, allegedly yelled at the ump what a bad call it was. He was thrown out.
The head coach came out to protest and was later thrown out for allegedly spitting at the direction of an umpire.
After that a war of words ensued. According to witnesses, the ejected player refused to leave the field.
Outfielders came in to get involved in the dispute and Hustler fans were yelling from the stands, witnesses said.
Finally, the Princeton team, innocent bystanders, forfeited the game, and the tournament ended.
"In all my years of coaching since I was a 15-year-old in Mayfield I never saw anything like it on a local level," Metzen said. "And I especially have never seen a team which was winning leave the game."
Dryden agreed the situation should have never occurred but puts the blame on the umpires.
"I've been an umpire and one thing you have to realize is you're going to make people mad," Dryden said. "My perception is that these umpires in Wellington are way too sensitive. Maybe it's a big city, small town kind of thing. I don't know. You definitely have to be thicker skinned if you are umpiring in Wichita."
Dryden said he felt his team was "homered", and thought, perhaps, his team was singled out because it eliminated a Wellington team that had a son of an umpire.
Metzen, on Monday, said that was a silly charge.
"I don't think that's unusual to have umpires from your home town who have kids playing," Metzen said. "In fact that's probably the norm in towns the size of Wellington."
Metzen said he will always defend the Wellington Babe Ruth umpiring squad that includes Ron Brown, who has won national awards as an umpire and is from Winfield. In fact, he said, he thought the umpires this weekend may have been too tolerant.
"I know if I was an umpire I would have thrown some of those kids out way before they did," Metzen said.
As for the spitting charge, Dryden denies doing it.
"I have a habit of spitting on the ground," Dryden said. "To say I was spitting at an umpire is a crazy thing to call."
Dryden also said his team doesn't use profanity any worse than any other team and that was a trumped up charge by the local officials.
Through all this both Wellington boys, Torres and Bennett, came out unscathed.
"Those two Wellington boys handled themselves very well," Metzen said. "They were never involved with the fighting. In fact, I thought they looked a little embarrassed by the way their team was acting."

[SanDiegoSteve]

The Hustlers wasted little time getting in trouble with the umps, when one of the assistant coaches was ejected for disputing balls and strikes on their Friday night opener, Wilson said.

"It wasn't like this was a one-time thing," Wilson said. "This guy was arguing for three innings, so eventually I tossed him out."

This is exactly why you don't allow assistants to argue at all. They need to keep their big yaps shut! I would have put this dog down the second he started arguing. One brief warning to the head coach, and then all bets are off.

Dryden agreed the situation should have never occurred but puts the blame on the umpires.
"I've been an umpire and one thing you have to realize is you're going to make people mad," Dryden said. "My perception is that these umpires in Wellington are way too sensitive. Maybe it's a big city, small town kind of thing. I don't know. You definitely have to be thicker skinned if you are umpiring in Wichita."

This guy sounds like real turd. Typical travel ball coach, thinks he's something special.

Dryden also said his team doesn't use profanity any worse than any other team and that was a trumped up charge by the local officials.

That is just absurd. "Any worse than any other team." As if other people's bad behavior excuses yours. A great example of what's wrong with society today.

[jdmara]

What an example for the youth...

-Josh

[johnnyg08]

Man, i dumped three (HC, AC, and F2) in a lower level game earlier this year, got challenged to a fight in the parking lot, and had a "mom" tell the catcher to intentionally miss the ball after dumping F2 and I thought I had a rough one for my journal.

My thought was who's been umpiring this team all season for them to think they could play like that all year. On another note, many, many people heard the parent challenge me to a fight and the tournament staff didn't remove him. I didn't get involved w/ the fans, tried to find a tournament official to dump the guy, but simply continued the game when it appeared that wasn't going to happend.

If anything, it was a good reminder to me why I don't do lower level ball anymore...esp at what they were paying. (Took the games to help a friend out)

[umpjong]

Smartest man there was probably the Princeton coach. Saw the danger and removed his team. He probably had no beef with the umpires, but realized the ignorance of the other teams coaching staff and probable danger they posed to his team.
Unfortunate situation...... Some just dont get it......... Tournament management should have given the team an early exit. They even admitted that they had heard of their reputation!!!!! I guess their entry fee was most important.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

Man, i dumped three (HC, AC, and F2) in a lower level game earlier this year, got challenged to a fight in the parking lot, and had a "mom" tell the catcher to intentionally miss the ball after dumping F2 and I thought I had a rough one for my journal.

My thought was who's been umpiring this team all season for them to think they could play like that all year. On another note, many, many people heard the parent challenge me to a fight and the tournament staff didn't remove him. I didn't get involved w/ the fans, tried to find a tournament official to dump the guy, but simply continued the game when it appeared that wasn't going to happend.

If anything, it was a good reminder to me why I don't do lower level ball anymore...esp at what they were paying. (Took the games to help a friend out)

I had a woman tell me as I was heading for the parking lot after my call "lost the game" for her team (it was the right call, but nobody seemed to think so besides me ) that she "hopes that I drop dead." Over a children's baseball game (a Pinto Memorial Day Tournament Championship game). Unbelievable.

[cheese65]

The sad thing about this coach and team is that they just don't get it. They played in a tournament in Oklahoma and the police had to be called before they ever played a game. Lack of respect, they act just like the head coach. It was amazing that there was no problems on saturday, the head coach was gone. I like the part where the head coach talks about getting homered. I thought that was the excuse when you lose. They won. They beat the host team twice despite the umpires.

The best quote I heard from a great baseball coach was your going to get three calls a game and have three go against you. Adapt life aint fair.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by cheese65

The sad thing about this coach and team is that they just don't get it. They played in a tournament in Oklahoma and the police had to be called before they ever played a game. Lack of respect, they act just like the head coach. It was amazing that there was no problems on saturday, the head coach was gone. I like the part where the head coach talks about getting homered. I thought that was the excuse when you lose. They won. They beat the host team twice despite the umpires.

On top of that, this d*ckhead says he umpires. Yeah, umpire my butt.

[biggravy]

As far as the Kansas State High School Activities Association:

Tim Dryden, ejected coach who claims to umpire; not registered as an umpire in 2009.

Bobby Wilson, the quoted umpire in the story, is registered with the KSHSAA for baseball and is in his third year. Ironically, he lives in (drumroll please...) nope not Wellington, the site of the tournament, but in WICHITA! The home of the whiny *** coach's team! Oh yep, I'm sure they got homered. What a tool.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

On top of that, this d*ckhead says he umpires. Yeah, umpire my butt.

That's usually the first sign of trouble.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I had a woman tell me as I was heading for the parking lot after my call "lost the game" for her team (it was the right call, but nobody seemed to think so besides me ) that she "hopes that I drop dead." Over a children's baseball game (a Pinto Memorial Day Tournament Championship game). Unbelievable.

When she said that your call lost them the game, you should have said: "Glad to be of service!"
That would have really pi$$ed her off!

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

When she said that your call lost them the game, you should have said: "Glad to be of service!"
That would have really pi$$ed her off!

How about: "See you next Tuesday!"

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

When she said that your call lost them the game, you should have said: "Glad to be of service!"
That would have really pi$$ed her off!

She didn't say that my call lost the game, she just glared at me and said in a very hateful tone, "I hope you drop dead!" I was pretty upset after this game, mostly because of what this lady said, but also because my call (according to the angry mob) cost them the game.

[jkumpire]

I would wear that as a badge of honor.

[Rcichon]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

She didn't say that my call lost the game, she just glared at me and said in a very hateful tone, "I hope you drop dead!" I was pretty upset after this game, mostly because of what this lady said, but also because my call (according to the angry mob) cost them the game.

Petty hatred Steve but I know how you feel. Takes an extra effort to slough those off sometimes.