Umpiring Politics
 

Well fellas, I just found out that I have been pulled from the championship game of a local upcoming, important tournament because I had to enforce the rules of baseball the way they're supposed to be enforced. Due to local politics, the team that might get to the championship might make the tournament and they didn't want to ruffle any feathers by having me work the game. My question to you is that have you ever felt that you did the right thing when umpiring and then either not receive or get pulled from a future big game due to ejecting participants/coaches rather than simply taking the BS from participants? As I look back on it, had I not ejected and simply took the BS, I'd still be working the game.

What are your stories?

...but could you have looked at yourself in the mirror the next morning knowing you took the BS????
I know you're bummed out, and ump politics do suck....but you had the balls to be a stand-up ump and run the rat *******.
You're my kind of umpire.
Keep your head high....all you lost was an assignment but you kept your integrity.

What he said ...

I used to get worked up about such nonsense. but no longer. Life's too short to get twisted up about something so trivial as youth baseball. Go work another game somewhere else, and let it go.

Several years ago I was working a 13-14 league and on two separate occasions I made a 15 year old "coach" (HC other son) wear a mask to warmup a pitcher a) behind the plate, and b) in the bullpen. On both occasions the HC and other adult assts threw a fit, said he was a coach, they had approval from the league, he is on the roster, yadayadayada, and on both occassions I told them it was fine for him to be a coach but minors can't warmup pitchers without a mask. Finally I said "are you going to make him wear a mask or not?" The answer was going to determine whether HC stayed in the game or not. Finally, I had to make all the coaches on this team stay in the dugout because they were all standing outside the fence during play, including the 15 year old, who was outside the dugout taking practice swings with a bat. This was 3 different games, you would think they would learn.

Well the team complained, the league said they would make all umpires enforce these rules, but, they did not want me to umpire anymore. This was about a week before legion ball started, so no skin off my back. I did not lose any sleep about it and will do it again if needed.

The only ejection you regret is the one you did'nt make!

Let's see...I was in the same boat, but based on mutual agreement between the assignor, the TD, and I, I was assigned to every game of the problem coach.

When I was young and stupid and did softball as well, I tossed the same coach in the regional finals two years in a row.

So, who's got an issue with you?

I would need more of the story, because that does not sound like politics that sounds like someone was not happy with something you did (right or wrong). That being said, I do not get worked up about these things. I have learned you do the best you can and if someone does not like it, so what. You can only control the things you control.

Peace

What about the one you made but think you shouldn't have made?

What about unicorns?

What about them? If an ejection you fail to make does exist, then surely an ejection you shouldn't have made but made also happens from time to time.

I'll let you know when the first one of these has happened.

Perhaps on other days I would be slower to eject someone, but the one thing in common with ALL my ejections is if the coach hadn't come out of the dugout and acted like a jackass they wouldn't have happened.

Of course, I have a grad total of one ejection the entire season.

For me...
 

Ditto

Thank you, Epictetus.

Not so far, after 18 seasons. They actually all eject themselves. I have had many a time when I kicked myself all day for not giving a coach or player the early exit they were trying for.