2013 Ejection Thread
 

First HS game of the season this past Friday night, first ejection of the season. Had to help a batter to the bench after he mouthed off a second time, after a warning, about a called third strike:

Me: "Strike three!", accompanied by standard punch out mechanic.
Player (after taking a couple of steps toward dugout, then turning around): "Are you kidding?!?"
Me: "No, it was strike three. Go back to the bench unless you want to sit the rest of the game."
Player: (after taking a couple more steps toward dugout, then turning around): "Are you serious?!?"
Me (after using standard ejection mechanic): "Yes, yes I am."

I thought I was more than equitable with the warning. YMMV.

Without taking my mask off my first response would be: "#22, that is enough."

If #22 decided to keep his mouth running without having his brain engaged, and I felt that he needed to spend the rest of the day on the bench, then my next move would be to take my mask off, walk in a non-confrontational manner to #22's HC and inform him that #22 had been ejected for (insert reason here) and that he will need to replace him the next time he comes up to bat or take the field on defense which ever comes first.

MTD, Sr.

Gentlemen, if you want to eject someone, it is not necessary to engage them in conversation that is barking out orders, which usually escalates the matter and can even be taking as Baiting someone.

Actually the best response here was "No response".

Don't answer this question. 95% of the time, the conversation ends here and the batter keeps walking. Should they stop and turn around - fine, deal with it... but imho you gave him too many words anyway.

If you are going to issue a warning, issue a warning using the word "warning" then take the time - as much as you need - to write it down. "That's enough" is not a warning. It is important to leave no doubt in the player/coach's mind that he has been officially (pun intended) warned.

Wasn't really looking for advice here...
 

I'm quite comfortable with how I handled the situation. Thanks.

I was really only trying to start a fun thread about ejections, and the fact I had one my first game of the year.. Now I remember that this forum no place for fun, and even though none of you were at my game, several have an opinion on a situation that none observed yet have the "right" answer in handling. A reminder of why this forum is slowly dying as opposed to a few years ago - there is still some good stuff here that can be gleaned though, and that's why I come back from time to time.

I'm sorry, when a mouthy 16-year-old takes the effort to turn around and say, loudly enough for the stands to hear "are you kidding," he will get a response from me, and then for him to basically do it again even after being told, in a non-threatening, politically-correct, with-my-mask-still-on manner to sit down, and then turns around AGAIN and says "are you serious", he's gone. You can ignore it if you want - I'm not. What level of back talk do you accept when the second, third, and fourth players spout off? Where do you draw the line. To quote Barney Fife, "Nip it! Nip it in the bud!"

As I said in the OP, YMMV.

Carry on.

ô!ô
 

When it is you against the world you should listen to the world.

Personally, I wouldn't hear the first one. At most, I'd turn and glare at the batter with my mask on.

And I'm not the kind of person who passes on things that need to be dealt with.

I don't have a problem with the ejection, I do not like the "Go back to the bench....." part. I usually get the coach involved at this point with something like "Coach, your batter seems to want to sit the rest of this game out, maybe you want to discuss the matter with him?".

Or it's a simple, "Coach, please take care of your player." I try to avoid anything that even resembles baiting.

This is where it's nice to have coaches who "get it."

Depending on how well you know him and assuming the game has been problem-free up to that point, a wordless look toward the third-base coach is sometimes all it takes to shut that kid up. Rare, but nice when it happens.

The good coaches appreciate being given an opportunity to save their player. Good umpires give them (within reason) that opportunity.

Without commenting on the other aspects, "that's enough" is absolutely a warning, and I'm pretty sure Jr. will respond accordingly next time he hears the phrase. Then again, I'm coming from the basketball side of things, where "that's enough" works pretty well.

Always good advice.

I am also quite comfortable handling the three ejections I have had in the past 200+ games and don't quite see the humor in bragging about them but, that is your choice.

But, you give us only half the story with no "smiley faces", and then we comment, and you decide to then tell the whole story...... What can I say!!!

Thank you for sharing.

Agreed. I have on multiple occasions explained an ejection with, "When I said 'Enough!' did you think I didn't mean it?"