The Last Bastion of Incivility

[harmbu]

Over the years, baseball players have not been know at the most civil of citizens, but there are still things that they can get away with that some people cannot in everyday life.

After working for a basketball team in college, I went on to become a teacher and coach. One day when I returned to my alma matter to watch a basketball game and I was visiting with one of the radio announcers in the hallway. He asked if I was coaching basketball and I told him that I had become a baseball coach. His exact quote was, "Baseball is the better sport. You get to spit and stuff."

My guess it that this guy would not have liked playing in a game with one umpire I heard a story on last night. The PU took off his mask and said something to the batter. After the batter looked down at his coach, the coach came down to see what had been said. The PU said, "I told him to tell his teammates that if one more of them spit near my plate, I would throw them out of the game." The coach said he assumed he was joking and said, "Maybe they are just helping clean it off." At this point, the PU said, "I don't need any more of you lip tonight."

I know both the coach and the umpire and I was very surprised to hear about this. Is there anyone on this board who would have ever made a comment like that to a high school player and then to a coach?