Rule Books at the Diamond

[David Emerling]

Originally posted by ballsandstrikes
I totaly disagree with you but you are entitled to your opinion. If I want to pull the rulebook out on the field that is up to me as the umpire. I have had coaches ask me to check a rule and I have. For high school I keep the thing in my ball bag and for college it is in my field bag. I will not tolerate a coach running onto the field waving a book in front of the crowd.

If a coach runs toward you in a threatening manner, I could understand ejecting him for that reason.

If a coach screams at you, I could understand ejecting him for that reason.

But just because he has a rulebook in his hand? Give me a break!

What if the coach has a rulebook in his hand and he calmly approaches you without "waving" it and without screaming? Are you going to eject im soley on the basis that there is a rulebook in his hand as he entered the field? Is that what your ejection report is going to say?

You need to eject people for STANDARD reasons ... not PERSONAL pet peeves.

If you don't like rulebooks on the field then you should tell the coach to take it away. If he refuses, then eject him just as you would eject any coach for failing to comply with an instruction from an umpire. And the ejection report wouldn't read, "I ejected him because he had a rulebook on the field," it would say, "I ejected him because he failed to exit the field when instructed."

David Emerling
Memphis, TN