Dumb Athletic Directors.

[MikeStrybel]

Andrew,
There is a fine line between what you perceive as sarcasm and the reality of antagonism. Some of you seem to think that the AD has no right to ask anything of the official. Apparently, their association code allows him/her to do so. Some of you think that the AD is trying to intimidate or bait the official. Having been in enough heated discussions on baseball fields in my life, the ADs question is hardly controversial. "Mr. AD, your player was ejected because he used profanity in a manner that wasn't considered minor in nature. You can find that violation of the rules and penalty in 3-3-1 of our rule book." End of story.

I have read your posts and know you to be a knowledgeable umpire. How many times have you had a coach confront you on a FPSR? Could you defend it? How many times have you had a coach claim that the runner should be out because the ball beat him by four steps? I'm sure you handled that well. Being baited is something many umpires learn to confront without causing more drama. Mark handled it as he saw fit. Not knowing Mark or the AD, I still believe that he could have answered the question as above and soothed the wound. The AD would have no retort.

Enjoy your weekend. Looks like rain is on the way here.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

There is a fine line between what you perceive as sarcasm and the reality of antagonism.

How about this: I wasn't directly answering your question. I was being funny, in that I was "answering" for Mark by giving the same answer he gave the coach. The "answer" wasn't meant to be taken as what I would say, what Mark would say, or what any umpire would say.

It was a failed attempt at humor.

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

I have read your posts and know you to be a knowledgeable umpire.

It's good to know I'm fooling one person. My experience is nothing close to most who frequent here, but I pride myself in knowing the craft and doing it to the best of my ability. Due to other obligations, I don't get nearly the number of games I'd like, but I don't dwell on that fact -- I just do the games I can get.

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

How many times have you had a coach confront you on a FPSR? Could you defend it?

Zero. I could definitely defend it if needed.

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

How many times have you had a coach claim that the runner should be out because the ball beat him by four steps? I'm sure you handled that well.

Twice I can think of quickly. Both times R1 was stealing 2B; the throw from F2 was off the bag and toward 1B side, causing F4 or F6 to come down the line and attempt a tag; both times the runner got around it.

In the first (last year), the coach didn't say anything. In the second (this year, between two Varsity divisional rivals), the coach came out and asked what I had. He specifically said, "The ball beat the runner, Andrew." I explained what he had, he calmly said, "I think you missed it, Andrew." I replied that the tag missed the runner. He walked away without any other discussion.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I was doing a search over the weekend end I discovered this old thread; I had forgotten about it even though I am the one that started it, but since Mark, Jr., had player ejection in a JV baseball game about two weeks ago, I decided to post an update so to speak to this thread.


Setting the stage:

The Saturday (April 07th, to be exact) before Easter, Mark was the PU for a JV game between Team A (Home) and Team B (Visitor). During the game Mark ejected a player from Team B for Malicious Contact. That evening he completed the OhioHSAA Game Report and emailed it to the OhioHSAA and the Principal of Team B. In his email to the Principal, he said that since Team B would not be back in school until Monday, April 16th, he would call him then per OhioHSAA Rules and Regulations. Easter night Mark received an email from Team B's Principal telling him that he need not call because he had read the Game Report and it told him all he needed to know concerning the event. Don't we wish all school administrators were like that.


Flash forward to Tuesday, May 10th:

Our assigner in his infinate wisdom assigned us to different JV baseball games as sites only three miles apart. Mark's game was between Team A (Home), yes, that Team A in the April 07th game, and Team C (Visitor). Team A losing by one run with one out and a runner on 1B in the bottom of the 7th inning when a Pinch Hitter comes to the Plate. First pitch is a called strike. PH starts to complain so much that before another pitch is thrown, Team A's HC has to find a PH for his PH, .

Mark files his Game Report that night. The next morning Mark will have to call the Team A Principal to report the ejection. Mark has never had to make such a phone call because in five years of officiating H.S. basketball and umpiring H.S. baseball, these are his first two ejections. Like the great father that I am, I sit him down and advise him as to how to conduct his conversation with the Principal. I told him to keep it simple, short, to the point, and do not let the Principal try to change the subject.

I was not present for the telephone conversation, but Mark told me that he did his best to follow my advice but the Principal threw him a change-up and he took the bait. He asked Mark how many players he had ejected this year, and Mark told him two. Mark and I talked about it later and he realized that he should have told the Principal that the question was not germaine to the situation, and if he was going to answer it he should have brought up the April 07th game.

Mark's inexperience in these situations is something that we have all experienced as young officials. The only reason for asking such a quesiton was to attempt to label Mark as an official who is out of control and ejects players for no good reason. Mark really has nothing to worry about because he as established himself as a good young umpire, but there are Rats out there and sometimes they look like cute little bunny rabbits.

MTD, Sr.