Coaches have virtually no pull with the assignor in Southern California, either. That coach rating input and coach preference stuff is a thing of the past. My main assignor couldn't care less about what any coach or AD thinks.

And if they did, I would still stand up the same way I do all the time, because I think respecting the game is paramount, and respecting oneself is up there pretty high.

I've had to run a few players from the 18-U and 25-U wood bat leagues, and one came in a game with my assignor (who's also my high school assignor). Another came in a battle-for-first-place game, in which I was lightly assaulted (bumped, beaked, mildly butted, shoved) and the president and assignor immediately agreed to kick the guy out of the league. He was suspended before I got home, and banned before I finished my report.

The result of standing up and respecting The Game and demanding respect for it: The assignor gave me two championship games with his own crew. That's how that guy backs his umpires, and that's why I drive farther to work for him. Every now and then, you get to drive to some stadium for a championship game.

I stood up to a bully HS football coach 5 years ago and I haven't gotten a game in that conference (football or basketball) since. I do work baseball since another guy assigns that for the conference.

While I regret that the assignor is a small minded man who has no clue what makes a good official, I'll simply have to make do not working his conference. There are plenty others.

Funny thing - I work non-conference games football/basketball games at those conference schools since those area assigned by the ADs and schools themselves. I'm good enough for them, I guess.

Same as drawing in the dirt?
 

Would you guys consider motioning with the hand below the knee the same as drawing in the dirt with your bat?

I was getting ready to toss a kid for doing it but his 3rd base coach came running, screaming at me before I had a chance so I tossed the coach.

Yep.

1. Yes.

2. Sounds like you were too slow running the batter. Did you have to wind up, or maybe stretch first?

3. Was there some reason that they both did not deserve to go?

No doubt about it
 

I'm a long-time coach, and if one of my kids did either of those things and didn't get tossed, the PU wouldn't be backing up what I try to teach, which is show up, shut up, and play. If there's any beef with an umpire, it'll be mine, but I guarantee there wouldn't be one on something like this.

There is actually a funny story about just that involving Johnny Bench. I forget who the two umps supposedly were, but Bench was catching and the P was asking where the called balls were, and Bench wasn't saying anything - like he should. After the half inning, the 1B ump comes in and tells the PU that Bench was using his hands to tell the P if he thought the pitches the PU was calling were either wrong high or wrong low. So Bench comes up and the first pitch to him almost bounces in the dirt and PU calls it a strike - loudly, so Bench asks where it was and the PU just holds his hand about waist high....:D

It should also be mentioned belatedly that Ichiro's ejection was also the first one for ANY Mariner player all season....

Impressive. I don't know the answer, but has an MLB team ever gone an entire season w/o an ejection?

If news article is correct:

"The Mariners came within seven games of becoming the first Major League team since 1994 to go through an entire season without having someone ejected.

The Twins had perfect deportment during the strike-shortened '94 season."

That's nice to hear from a coach.

The Twins won't have a chance at enjoying that record again as long as Gardenshire is managing.

That's for sure!!!

Around here, that's called a "two-for-one special". No way is that coach coming running going to save his kid.

What was he screaming?