Was I Trigger Happy?

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Mark, Jr. (MTD, Jr.) and I umpired a USSSA boys' 12U travel league game (NFHS rules) this afternoon and fun was had by all, .

Let me set the stage. Team H(ome) had played host to Team V(isitor) the day before on the very same diamond on which today's game was played. The umpires for that game were assigned by the same H.S. umpires association that assigned MTD, Jr. and I to today's game. And the umpires in yesterday's game ejected Team V's HC in their game. And today's temperature was in the mid-80's by the time the game started.

MTD, Jr., called a long fly ball down the third base line by a Team V batter foul in the first inning that upset HC-V; later in the second inning V's pitcher made a very funky move, which was a balk, and I took a second or two longer than I normally would to call the balk because I had to run a replay of it in my mind a second before I called the balk. He said he knew it was a balk but I needed to call it quicker and that this was the second time in the game that MTD, Jr., and I had screwed up. I told him to keep his comments to himself if he wanted to remain in the game.

Now for the fun part. Top of the fifth, with runners on 2B and 3B with one out. B5 rips a double in the gap to right-center and both runners score and enter the dugout immediately after scoring. Team H's HC then requests timeout from MTD, Jr., to appeal the runner on 2B missing HP. MTD, Jr., knew that the runner had missed HP and called him out. Immediately the HC-V and one of his assistants charge MTD, Jr., from the dugout screaming that HC-H cannot make a DB appeal and that the runner is safe. As I head to the HP area, because I am not going to let my partner get doubled teamed by two coaches, Team V's 3B Coach decides to join the party. When I got to the party, HC-V got in my face and started yelling at me about the DB appeal: Ejection #1. Then dugout AC-V got in my face telling me that I couldn't eject HC-V because we screwed up: Ejection #2. Order was restored but before we could get the ball back AC-V started yelling at us while he was walking to the parking lot, and the 3B Coach for Team V started laughing and yelling to him that he was really funny: Ejection #3.

As one can see, fun was had by all, .

MTD, Sr.

I guess that the great, know it all, travel ball coaches never read the NHFS rule book, did they? This is one of the reasons I do not officiate travel ball any longer. Dealing with these morons is not worth the meager remittance in my pocket.