BOZO

[chiquita]

Last night I worked 5 games in a Men's Power League. USSSA Rules, 12th week of the season. Unlike the other two ump's at the other fields, I call a "by the book" strike zone, where it crosses the plate, not where it lands, etc. I tell the managers the strike zone definition before each game, even though they should be know by now. Well anyway....

Bottom of 7th
Game is tied, no outs.
B1 (the pitcher) takes a called strike. He steps out of the box and says that pitch was "deep". I told him the pitch crossed the plate at his belly button, right down the middle and it was a strike.
B1 swings at the next pitch which is waaaaay outside, he hits a pop up and is out. He grumbles all the way to the dugout, but nothing that would merit a boot.
Outs 2 and 3 are easy plays.

Top of the 8th, the visiting teaming scores 6 runs.
Bottom of the 8th, 3 up, 3 down.

Ballgame. I leave the field and walk toward the parking lot.

Remember my B1 from the bottom of the 7th? He starts screaming at me about the strike that was called against him in the 7th. He follows me toward the parking lot, pretty far cuz' you have to pass 4 other diamonds. His team is coming after him, but he will not give up. I get to my car, and he is blocking my door.

His team finally comes and drags this bozo away from my car so i can get in. I flashed him a quick smile as I drove away so he knew I wasnt intimidated by him.

I called the Athletic Director today. He says since it happened after we had left the field, he couldn't do anything about it.....

Is the Athletic Director correct, or do I need to ump in another league next year?

[SRW]

Situations like that, I turn around and smile while I'm dialing 911. I make sure him and any other witnesses can hear what I'm doing and why, and that I'm "worried that he might assault me because he's standing here screaming at me now, and he's blocking me from getting into my vehicle." I'll then hang around to get his license plate number, and talk to the "Uniformed Blue" when they arrive.

Might think about walking away from your car at that point, and going to an area where more people are. Hot-heads can be controlled by others pretty effectively.

[TexBlue]

Originally posted by chiquita
Is the Athletic Director correct, or do I need to ump in another league next year?

Call in another league and call the cops on this guy. He blocks your way to you car door with witness, tha's a criminal offense. If he even touches you, in any manner or fashion, in Texas, that's assault. The judges down here sentence rather harshly on acts like this.

[bkbjones]

Chiquita,
IMHO, the athletic director is FOS. If the athletic director has any, er, guts at all, action can and should be taken.

I would still call the appropriate law enforcement authority and file a report. More umpires should do likewise. While the law in WA State is, unfortunately, not quite as strong as it is in TX and in some other states, law enforcement officials generally take a very stern view towards acts like this.

Even if no violence was threatened, the simple fact that he was both verbally abusive and blocking your door (even if he didn't threaten you or touch you) would be enough to warrant a warrant for, as you so aptly put it, this bozo.

It would be even more helpful if you have any law enforcement officials in your umpire chapter. We have one who is a lieutenant in one of our local constabularies. Even though it wasn't in his jurisdiction, his networking abilities helped with a situation we had a couple years ago.

[Rattlehead]

WOW!

"I called the Athletic Director today. He says since it happened after we had left the field, he couldn't do anything about it....."

I have to dissagree... The parking lot is also owned/leased by the parks dept, you or someone from your association should be on the phone with the AD or his/her boss and I would be dicussing that the BOZO should be banned from playing ball for at least a year, if not the rest of his life.

This is one of the biggest reason's I don't work pitch and ***** anymore. I would rather deal with parents as they will usually calm down when you point out that are a great example to be followed.

[Dakota]

assault
Law: an unlawful threat or unsuccessful attempt to do physical harm to another, causing a present fear of immediate harm

The threat where you had a present fear of immediate harm is legally assualt. Actually hitting you is battery. Both are crimes.