Leaving Partner in the Parking Lot
 

Yesterday, as I was getting ready for my game I heard the spectators yelling at the umpiring crew as they left the field. Apparently the PU called a batter out for hitting the catcher with the bat (small diamond game). The BU told the plate umpire, "I'm leaving and I encourage you to as well!" BU leaves and PU is surrounded by mothers (ugly) at first than a few fathers start to yell and make their way over.

I walked over and told the guy we have to do our pre-game (wasn't my partner) to try to get the PU out of the situation. He walks over to my truck. With that, the coaches walk over and start up a heated conversation, which this time includes a threat. Finally, one of the other coaches came over and got the coach out there.

After that long-winded scenario, should the BU have stayed with the PU? Should the PU have left with his gear on? Would you intervene in a mess which you have nothing to do with?

me...
 

Yes the BU should have stayed with the PU. You never leave your partner.
PU should have left with gear on if things were out of control: HTBT.
Yes I would have tried to help if I saw things escalating to the point someone was going to be out of control. I'd want someone to help me if I were so inexperienced I didn't know what to do in that sitch.

FWIW

I would never leave a partner on the field - we carry our dead out with us! I would never leave a partner in the parking lot unless everything was frosty cool and he waved me off ("thanks, Bob, I'm fine; head on home").

And you done good riding to the rescue of the plate man. Thumbs way up!

Wow!

Echo, echo, echo ...

Never have I, nor will I leave a partner on the field. The coward who did that is essentially not a real umpire. I don't need to know anything else about the coward as a person or an umpire to make those conclusions.

I will always enter the fray in defense of any human being in peril who is being wrongly treated in any setting. I have done so more times than i can count, so I would unhesitatingly do so for any umpire. And in the above situation, after order was restored, I would verbally consume the coward non-umpire who left his partner on the field.

NJ, you're the man for standing up for a brother.

I had an old smitty leave me in the parking lot once after a called third strike by me (dandy curveball at the knees) with the tying run at 3rd, ended a PONY 14U tournament final. The visitors (a team from Tustin) won, leaving the local people angry. A lynch mob escorted us to the parking lot. Ol' Smitty got in his car and said, "I'll see ya, Steve!" and drove off in a hurry. There I was left to face the angry crowd.

I had no problem driving off in full gear!

Never do something like that to your partner, I don't care what happened on the field, you stick together. Nobody else will come to your rescue.

Amen Rookie Blue. To me there is an unwritten code amongst men in uniform. I usually try to coordinate parking next to my partner in the furthest reaches of the parking lot should this situation arise.

Again, the coward who did that is essentially not a real umpire.

At least he's a genuine coward. If you're going to be something be genuine.

I too try to coordinate parking, in a less traveled area of the parking lot. But remember, the farther away you park, the farther you might have to run with your gear on. :D

that's a keeper
 

Mr. Finnerty, I hope you won't mind if I steal this one! :D

:D I second that big grin ... that was a good joke.

NJ, the strategy is a sound one for a number of reasons, but there is a strong advantage to being able to see people coming. And if it's a remote corner, the only reason for anyone to come over there is to confront you; they would be parked elsewhere.

Now, if someone is angry at me (once a year, there's a problem), and follows me to the car (only happened once), they get to deal with both me and Thunderstick, which goes with me everywhere:

https://www.wishfulthinking.biz/dire...understick.jpg

I'm a batting instructor, and I have found this tool helpful to many young batters. But it can teach a valuable lesson to virtually anyone who has something important to learn.

Theft of this nature is always encouraged ... and appreciated.

Sounds like all here in agreement about the cowardly partner. The only thing to add is make sure a report is done and forwarded to the assignor regarding the incident(s). The behavior of the fans needs to be addressed by the TD and the actions of the BU needs to be addressed by the assignor/evaluator.

I encouraged the BU to report the incident to the assigner for two reasons:

A. The partner issue needs to be addressed.

B. More often than not the assigner will hear about controversial calls via the tournament director or coaches. I would much rather my assigner have the facts from me.

YOU NEVER LEAVE YOUR WINGMAN!!!!!

A code we went by in the Air Force & a code I use in Umpiring also!!! ;)