Thoughts...
 

Jake Cave: Appeal denied, Kecoughtan's Jake Cave will miss Monday's Eastern Region tournament game against Great Bridge - dailypress.com

This was my old association, same commish who took me off championship game for tossing the HC, at his request.

My main thought was "man, that's old," since I'd already seen this article last year in the DP, and even participated in the forums. (I lived in W'burg last year, and umpired on the Southside.)

The real problem is there's too much disparity in the stories from all sides. Cave was allegedly (or never) warned, depending on who you believe. And there are a lot of locals there that definitely feel stars should be treated differently than other players.

But between Cave copping attitude, and getting warned previously during the game, then I would think he needed to go.

In over 30 years, I have never tossed a player for jewelry. I tell them that when they go back in the dugout, make the necklace (or whatever) gone so I do not see it again. Only once, I had to refer to a coach to take care of the problem.

Yes, I know that it is a safety issue but I am not ejecting a player for it. I will just make sure that the offending material is either gone or invisible.

Ozzy,

But that's the thing: from what I can remember of the story and some of the other commentary, this player was told more than once about the necklace, and yet came back out on the field. (And from some accounts, the player in question is one of those who feels his excrement does not smell, in a manner of speaking.)

So the ump in question dumped him. From what you wrote, that's the point where the coach would have been called into it. Don't know if his coach would have done the right thing, or decided to "fight for his player," or what.

This was a game from where I lived, but not where I umpired, so I can't anything from personal experience about the player or the umpires in question. But it certainly caused a stir.

I quietly tell them to take it off and they do. If I see it between innings as they come off the field I tell the coach to take care of it.

If the field ump told the player and did not make it official by telling the coach then I don't see how this could be ruled a correct ejection, since rules procedures were not followed.

I have never seen an ejection for jewelry, by anyone. I also don't see the safety issue.

Maybe not, but I sure as heck don't want to work games with players wearing a Mr. T starter kit.

A ring caught between a fastball and the bat can be pretty ugly. And we all know getting hit in the "jewels" really hurts.;)

Do a Google Image search for "degloving."

That is exactly right, this is where the coach would come in. When coaches have to come in to handle piddly a$$ crap like this, they usually rip into their player like no tomorrow.

Over the last couple of days, I've talked to members of my association (all of which have 20 years plus on the board). None of them have ever ejected a player for jewelry and usually use the quiet method to get the players to comply.

First game of DH today, catcher is wearing a phiten, I tell him to take it off, he does and puts in his back pocket. No big deal, he says he is sorry.

Second game of DH today, F5 is wearing a tiny gold chain, I see it from C. I tell him to take it off, he does and asst coach runs out from 1b dugout to get it. I wish he would have just stuck it in back pocket, but still, no big deal. Must have been real gold.

No more issues, either game, with jewelry.

And this happens with a phiten or Livestrong how?

With a Livestrong it's probably hard to deglove, but defiantly possible to constrict, tourniquet style. I've seen some crazy stuff on ambulances...

Plus, do you really want to get into large lists of what kinds of jewelry's are legal and aren't. It'll be like the bat lists. If it's plastic and 1" it's okay, 2" it's not, get out your ruler. Just say none, makes life SO much easier.

No, I would rather just forget about jewelry as a rule to enforce.

If reducing injury is the ultimate goal, then all players must wear cups, face masks are required on batting helmets, bats would be wood, no sliding is allowed, metal spikes are borbidden, and pitchers who hit a batter must be removed. These "rules" would provide infinitely more safety to players than banning jewelry.

I don't know too many players that don't wear cups.:confused:

Visible chains can reflect sunlight directly into a batter or fielder's eyes and can lead to not seeing a ball heading directly at their noggin.

I don't do cup check so I have no idea who is or is not wearing, but I have my suspicions. I never wore a cup when playing and I was a middle infielder, all the more incentive to get glove on the ball. My sons always did but they were catchers and if not catching they could be soon.

I give up on the jewelry discussion. I don't think phiten, Livestrong or little gold chains are the least bit hazardous, but I can certainly see Mr. T attire blinding the batter when sun reflects off of it, as can the sun.

Not to belabor the point...okay, to belabor the point :), the sun is fairly stationary, and doesn't suddenly flash into anybody's eyes. Seriously, Mr. T would be proud of some of the stuff that some players try to wear in games. I've never ejected anyone for jewelry, or even issued a team warning. "Take that off" has always been enough. I guess my reputation of not desiring to repeat myself precedes me wherever I go.

Well said. Pretty cut and dry - and the players will do what you ask them to.

Thanks
David

You guess? You are legendary. I'm surprised players attempt to skirt the rules when you are on the job. :eek:

Might I suggest that you ask each and every player, out loud, in your authoratative voice, if they are gonad protected. If, by chance, they were to receive a testicular blow that caused them to have children with flippers for arms, you would be exposed to great liability.

I was properly officiating a game whee a player with a tiny gold cross on a tiny gold necklace slid into the base and upon popping up, hooked the nose of the defensive player slicing open a nasty gash. Blood spewed everywhere.

Since this was Latin ball, I could not require the player to remove his religious ornamentation. Nor could I use my empowers to reason firmly with him that, perhaps, Jesus wasn't happy at this juncture. :o

Make a rule that forbids metal spikes, an injury possibility much more possible than a tiny gold cross, which I am still trying to visualize.

I have a tough time understanding umpires who pick and choose which rules they will enforce. Around here, we are rated by partners and coaches for the job we do on the field. Sure, I will probably receive a worse rating for having coaches stay inside the dugout (when not in a coaching box), enforcing the batter's box and jewelry rules, making sure bullpen catchers wear helmets and ignoring certain balks. I have been told as much - "Blue, no one calls that stuff around here." I bet they will when the playoffs roll around. I'm fairly certain that the HC won't want to see his scholarship bound catcher dumped for wearing jewelry during a late round playoff contest.

This story has been related prior. Last season, first round off playoffs: my partner ejects the starting catcher for wearing a LiveStrong type bracelet. He insisted that he warned him and 3-3-1d states that a warning shall be issued to the HC of the offending team and the next player dumped. That is pretty cut and dry. The responsibility for ensuring that his players are properly equipped is entirely the HC's. Warn, record and play. If another infraction occurs, sometimes you just have to umpire. It may appear trivial but most rules are. They only apply to those who seek ways around them.

Mike, well spoken!

We are arbiters not rule makers unless, of course, we are on the Rules Making Committee. :D

The rule makers disagree with you most obviously. Think it has anything to do with who manufactures gold crosses and who manufactures spikes? :eek:

Metal spikes serve a playing purpose. A gold cross does nothing.

Me too.

Yeah, that happened.:rolleyes:

No, I don't. I think it has do with some law suit where someone's pierced nose or ear ring got caught up somehow and removed someone's nose or ear. So FED and most youth leagues have adopted a jewelry rule and it has applied to a host of stuff that I find difficult to fathom causing injury, like phiten necklaces and Livestrong bracelets.

Would you not expect that there would have been more lawsuits regarding the use of metal spike injuries than the wearing of jewelery (before there was a jewelry rule, of course.)?

I would.

Which is why I continue to believe that metal spike mfgs rule the day when it comes to their use on the field.

Imagine stopping a game because a player lost his diamond earring and his buddies are scouring the infield for it. I saw that happen in a summer semi-pro game a few years back.

If it is a rule in HS, there's probably a reason for it. Enforce it.

As one who has seen a cleat yank out an earring, I certainly do.

I have a substantial problem with WWJD plastic bracelets, especially the pink ones.


But I digress...:p

Has anyone else been getting PMs from BestUmp recently?

Peace

No, but he's clearly the same troll that Brad has banned over and over again. He could be gone now, but he'll be back. With another name, of course.

Just a stalker being himself.

Yes, one about a week ago. He has been reported to Brad again and again.

Global moderating is hard work.

Mobal globerating is even harder!!!

I was wondering because I do not normally come to this site and comment and I did not know who he was. I was trying to figure out why he sent me anything.

Oh well, thanks for the information.

Peace

That's why they make Global Moderating Secret Decoding Rings.