Umpires accosted off the field following Midwest Collegiate League Game

[MD Longhorn]

I would hope that if I were in the same situation, I would not respond with "You're going to put 15 runs on me" ... but fully admit that it would have been mighty difficult to not say a word given that much provocation.

Most games around here have off-duty personnel that likely would have gotten involved much earlier in this situation, which might have diffused it.

[UMP25]

Considering Mike asked it in the form of a rhetorical question, it was really a very minor thing, if that. After all, human instincts can sometimes cause us to say something we really shouldn't have said.

Because of the manner in which it happened, there really was no way anyone could have prevented this or even have foreseen it. Hasty's blow-up was totally unexpected and without provocation.

[JJ]

After the physical assault, I would have called the police and had him arrested (in Illinois physical contact with a sports official is illegal). Then I would have resigned immediately from the league.
Nobody needs that kind of abuse.

JJ

[Rich]

It amazes me how baseball people run the gamut -- from gentlemen to knuckle-draggers. You've encountered the latter. I would've called the police, too. Appears you had witnesses to the battery, as well.

[Toadman15241]

I agree with calling the police. I think you guys know the comment probably wasn't the wisest decision, but most people would have said a lot worse than that.

Other thoughts:

-I think that after the first bump your partner should have turned around. He left himself very vulnerable to serious injury by not doing so.
- Why did you allow "You're lazy" to go without some kind of warning/ejection? Especially if it is being yelled across the field. That is a personal attack that deserves an early shower from LL to MLB.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Toadman15241

Why did you allow "You're lazy" to go without some kind of warning/ejection?

How idiotic would an umpire look trying to eject someone in the parking lot? Don't you think that's only going to incite the guy to get worse? This stuff going on in the parking lot, you just want to get out of there. Ejecting him in the parking lot is just going to make things worse.

[LilLeaguer]

Quoting from the write-up:

However, the “You’re ****ing lazy!” comment came, I believe, as a result of a home run hit by a visiting team batter earlier in the game. There was nobody on base. Consequently, I was in my traditional “A” position down the first base line when the batter hit a deep fly ball to left field. The ball landed in the bullpen on the fly, resulting in a solo home run. Because the ball was hit to left field with no one on base, the home run decision is the plate umpire’s, who was the person who did, in fact, make the initial call. However, home team's Manager asked Plate Umpire to check with me and ask what I saw (it was twilight and visibility was admittedly terrible; however, I did see it easily clear the fence). I told Plate Umpire that I saw a clear home run. Plate Umpire explained this to home team Manager, who didn’t complain. Plate Umpire and I returned to our starting positions when visiting team Manager suddenly and inexplicably walked out of his first base dugout toward me and yelled to me, “Get in position out there! You’re lazy!” I completely ignored him, especially since such calls to left with no one on base are never the base umpire’s call to make. Quite honestly, I had no idea why he was yelling this to me.

So the coach had yelled "You're lazy!" to the umpire during the game as well.

[UMP25]

In all fairness, I wasn't 100% sure he was talking directly to ME for two reasons:

1. He didn't come that close to me and it was difficult to discern exactly what he was doing
2. The call was so clearly NOT mine that I honestly felt no one with any brain cells could be yelling at a base ump in the "A" position about a fly ball hit to direct left field

Because of this, I didn't pay much attention to his comment and therefore didn't eject him. I surely would have had I known with absolute certainty he was hurtling such invective toward me.

[d26]

(Composed my original reply while the OP was posting #10. The only ODD part of one of you pursuing the issue is how odd your "partner" will look. If neither of you make a report, you are doing all officials and participants a disservice - no battery should go unreported.)

Even after the fact, call the local authorities. Please!

Even if there is no action taken by the authorities, the event is recorded for future reference. Even if you do/did not want to take any action, think about the next person who the miscreant may act out upon. Maybe just having a face to face with a uniformed officer will be the cure. Maybe the miscreant already has had some police contact...

---
Based on experience, I always program my cell to call the local police dispatch as a speed dial. I prefer the local dispatch as they will usually be "very" quick to respond to something at a sporting event... 911 or similar can work, but can take longer to get to a person who can help you (some 911 calls are answered by a call center, then routed to a local office).

If you are going somewhere new and are not sure whom to call in an emergency, use a search engine to find the dispatch center number, call, and ask their advice on how to contact them if the need arises (the most direct line to call).

The authorities would much rather you call when there "may" be an issue, than to arrive with an ambulance.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by LilLeaguer

Quoting from the write-up:


So the coach had yelled "You're lazy!" to the umpire during the game as well.

My bad. Sorry bout that.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by JJ

After the physical assault, I would have called the police and had him arrested (in Illinois physical contact with a sports official is illegal). Then I would have resigned immediately from the league.
Nobody needs that kind of abuse.

JJ

In fairness to the league, John, my colleagues and I are waiting to see what the league is going to do. I'd rather my decision be based on reason, logic, and common sense and not emotion alone.

As far as the police report goes, tomorrow or Thursday I will head over to Sycamore and file the report. The more I think about this, the more I believe I just can't let this go. This guy really needs to be out of the game and off the field. I cannot cause that to happen, but if having him arrested gets him a little closer to the exit door, the game will be the better for it. Regardless, I wouldn't file a report for the good of the game or for my fellow umpires. I'd file it because he broke the law, and that is what's important here.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I would file charges for sure. This guy belongs nowhere near a baseball field.

Are you sure they're not the Will County Crackheads? They sound pretty much like they're smoking something!

[UMP25]

In a league game tonight (Tuesday), I had Monday's home team (DeKalb Liners) as the visitors. In the plate meeting the Liners manager brought up the previous night's incident. Before I said anything, when referring to Vern Hasty of Will County, the Liners manager said, "That guy's nuts. He's absolutely nuts. He definitely has some screws loose."

It's not often a manager rips one of his peers like that.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Not to be cruel, but just sayin', the name 'Vern Hasty' sounds like somebody that may have fallen off his combine a few times. I think the Liners manager was trying to distance himself from ol Vern right away!

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by UMP25

In fairness to the league, John, my colleagues and I are waiting to see what the league is going to do. I'd rather my decision be based on reason, logic, and common sense and not emotion alone.

As far as the police report goes, tomorrow or Thursday I will head over to Sycamore and file the report. The more I think about this, the more I believe I just can't let this go. This guy really needs to be out of the game and off the field. I cannot cause that to happen, but if having him arrested gets him a little closer to the exit door, the game will be the better for it. Regardless, I wouldn't file a report for the good of the game or for my fellow umpires. I'd file it because he broke the law, and that is what's important here.

Next time, don't wait a few days. Call the police right then and there. The longer you wait the better a lawyer can get this guy off. He'll point out that "you had to think about the issue and you were probably steered into filing a complaint against this upstanding citizen.".

Also, you are not acting emotionally by calling the police right away, you are acting as you should. The jerk broke the law! If he robbed you, would you wait a couple of days to think about it? Of course not!