Worst thing you've seen an umpire do

[bkbjones]

Saw this on the baseball board, where mcrowder has been given the title of the best, er, worst scenario. Thought we might throw it up against the wall and see what sticks...

[whiskers_ump]

Worked with an *umpire* last year, that every time he was required to
remove his mask to make a call or whatever, he would thrown it like
the catcher's do. He would also point upward on every fly ball, as though
it was an infield fly. His mask throwing got him in trouble in one
situation. He tripped over it while going back to cover a foul ball to see
if it was a catch or trap on the screen. He had to get help from his
partner. Me.

Pitch was hit about a foot in front of home plate. Umpire called foul ball. Catcher didn't hear him and jumping out making the throw to first (over throwing first base) Ump then said "never mind". Thank goodness I was not on the field with him.

[rhsc]

I was watching a game, where my 12 yr old daughter was playing, and the PU was 'selling' the stike-outs soo hard the kids were crying as they were leaving the box. Some of his buddies were egging it on until one of the moms sqirted him with a squeeze bottle of power-aide. I was rollin' along with half the other parents. I never saw him again, but I was lookin for him.

[WestMichBlue]

I was in "C" with R1 on 3B. Ground ball to F6, I start moving inside watching her; when she lets R1 go and turns to first I start to sprint and I was in pretty good position inside for a close play at 1B. Saw it, thought about it, and sold a big out call. As I was heading towards "A", the 1B coach came unglued and went running to home, yelling "Blue, we gotta have help here!"

I turned just in time to see my partner spread his arms and yell "SAFE - she pulled her foot!"


WMB

[rhsc]

[ - she pulled her foot!"
WMB [/B]

Betchya asked him/her to have a beer afterwards.

[Dukat]

One of the blues at my daughter's games (I have worked with him also many times)lost the count and one of the parents behind the fence told him to "keep your head in the game" and I guess he was embarrased or something and that got under his skin more than it should of. He took off his mask and came to the fence and told the dad to "Kiss my a$$"

[Little Jimmy]

I'm doing a rec level tourney game. I'm in the field. Partner has plate. He apparently has had a pay problem with tourney director in the past and during the game he keeps asking one of the coaches if he's seen the director because he needs to speak to him. This is annoying enough but during one inning he holds up play, tells the batter to step out of the box, and pulls out his cell phone. He then proceeds to call the director and quite loudly tells him that he'd better get his pay this time. This goes on for a good 2-3 minutes while the girls are sitting down on the field. Finally he finishes and continues the game. In between innings he tells me how he was looking out for both of us. Embarrasing to say the least.

[BuggBob]

My very good friend and mentor was behind the plate. With a runner on third base I was out in the "C" position. Right handed batter up, catcher asks for the appeal on a check swing. PU points to the first base coach and asks , "Did she go!" First base coach points to me, I point back to the PU, who now walks half way to first and shouts at the first base coach, " Did she GO!" First base coach very weakly makes a safe sign. Happy my friend tell the catcher, "Ball." Defensive coach goes nuts starts on to the field yelling at me, the first base coach, and finally at the PU. After the game we disused what when on. He told me that in my position I could not make a call on a check swing. He also told me the HE had a strike but wanted to make the point about there should be three umpires for games. My friend was a very good umpire and his mentoring was the main reason I made it though my first season so many years ago, sadly that was his last game as he passed two days latter from a stroke.

[Rattlehead]

During was my second year doing Adult SP. I did a slow pitch rec tourney with a UIC who should have never been assigned a UIC position.

I had a player on the loosing team that started taunting the opposite team. I warned the coach that this needed to stop as the conduct was USC.

The offending player came up to bat in the 4th after the warning and hit a triple, but upon coming into three with no play (F6 was 2 steps off the base line) he threw an elbow and nailed the fielder across the upper torso with clothes line move.

I killed the play and ejected the player, at that time the coach started to argue with me that the fielder was in the way of the runner and the contact was not intentional.

At this time the coach called the UIC over, who knew this team from league games, and said that this in no way could have happened. After a few minutes delay and a short discussion with the UIC he reversed the ejection ruling. I told the UIC him that he could complete the game as I was not going to be held liable for any other conduct on the field and in my opinion the game ended right there with a forfeit.

Not 2 outs later with me out by my car I witnessed a bench clearing brawl between both teams, started by the same player I had ejected.

From what I hear that was the one of the last games this umpire ever did.

[argodad]

NCAA D-II Lead Off Classic in Dallas, 2002. $20 each for a tournament pass.

Fan from Louisiana (where they can be rather loud and boisterous) gets "warned" by the PU between innings to keep it down. Next inning the Cajun yells, "Move aroun' Blue. You killin' de grass!" PU tells him to leave the park.

[mcrowder]

argo - this is the worst thing you saw an UMPIRE do? What did UMPIRE do wrong here?

Or are you just relating the story for the humor?

After reading these, I still think I have you all beat, but I'll wait another page before posting it.

[Dakota]

Maybe the Cajun was ejected for apparent use of a controlled substance if he was seeing grass on a skinned infield.

[rhsc]

Originally posted by mcrowder
argo - this is the worst thing you saw an UMPIRE do? What did UMPIRE do wrong here?

Or are you just relating the story for the humor?

After reading these, I still think I have you all beat, but I'll wait another page before posting it.

OK, lets have it.

[wadeintothem]

Havent seen much terrible stuff but 1 or 2 varsity games ago I had the plate in FED. I am so accustomed to working ASA alone.. that I forgot my partner in 3 existed and called a BR opposite of his call at 1b.

Of course a few smart guys in the stands and bench start talking - I immediately said its his call and it stood and didnt discuss it anymore. It was a brain fart, not intentional and I apologized to the BU between innings. I thought about all the times I've seen this mentioned as one of the worst things that can happen and wondered how many times it is because you just mess up from being so used to working alone - not intentionally stomping on your partner.