Leaving Partner in the Parking Lot

[njdevs00cup]

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?

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

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?

• Always leave the field as a team.
• Try to get your partner out of situations and get out even if one of you has to drive with the gear on. Pick a safe place to stop and get the gear off.
• Yes, in my opinion, you did the right thing in getting that PU out of the situation. It sounds like someone should have gotten the Police there too.

[Rcichon]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

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?

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

[rookieblue]

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!

[Kevin Finnerty]

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.

[SanDiegoSteve]

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.

[Kevin Finnerty]

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.

[njdevs00cup]

Originally Posted by rookieblue

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!

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.

[Ump Rube]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

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.

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.

[rookieblue]

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

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

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by Ump Rube

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.

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:



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.

[LadyBlue]

YOU NEVER LEAVE YOUR WINGMAN!!!!!

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

[aschramm]

I had a situation earlier this week where none of the pitchers after the 3rd inning could hit the strike zone. I was hearing things, from both sides I believe, including "I think he needs a refresher course" and "Wake up Blue". After the second one my partner came to one of the dugouts to inform the coaches that they needed to keep that person in check. Well, after the brutally long game, I am giving the game balls back to the home team coach. He gives me the wonderful "advice" of saying I should stick to being a base umpire. Not wanting to make a scene, I am politely disagreeing with everything he is saying (opening the zone, etc.). Well, after that exchange I'm looking around and my partner is no where in sight. So I start walking and find him about 50 ft from the field already, leaving me to walk through all the upset fans.

Funny thing though, they had no problem yelling when my back was to them behind the plate, but I didn't hear a thing as I walked back to the parking lot.

[alex7]

aschramm,

were these comments coming only from the fans, or the coaches? If it's just the fans, good job ignoring them as best as you could, and move on to my next paragraph. But if it was fans and coaches, why didn't you put an early stop to the coach chirping with a stern warning, following it up with an ejection if necessary? Sounds like you let things go unchecked for the whole game, and the coaches kept it up even after the game, never fearing any action on your part.

Also, I think it's better to just toss the balls towards the home coach's dugout after the game and get out of there, instead of going and actually giving the balls to the coach (at least that's what it sounds like you did).