AAs
 

I thought the forum might enjoy the description of a scene I saw the other night in a men's SP game:

Two out, fourth inning, close game. Batter hits a popup halfway up the 1B line and starts to run, carrying the bat. When he sees F3 get under the ball about 6 feet foul, he stops running. However, the ball drifts back toward the line, and F3 catches it in foul territory, maybe a yard from where the BR is standing on the baseline, still holding the bat. Three outs.

No problem, right?

The right-center fielder screams, "Hey, you. Get out of his way!"

The BR replies, "I was in the baseline!"

RCF: "Hey, ump. He can't carry the bat. He has to drop it before he leaves the box."

BR: "I can do anything I want as long as I'm in the baseline."

RCF: "You gotta drop the bat, j*rk*ff. Learn the rules."

BR: "Learn the rules yourself, *ssh*le. The baseline belongs to the runner. It's right in the book."

This escalated, with players from both sides chipping in, until the umpire called the managers out and told them to shut their players up, which they did.

Soon, however, RCF came to bat and hit a hard grounder that BR, now F5, couldn't field. As RCF made it to 2B, he loudly commented on F5's lack of ability to field his grounder, and of course F5 commented back in disparaging terms. Then, as RCF rounded 3B on the next hit, F5 reiterated the word "p*ssy" several times.

So RCF complained to the ump, who said he heard the insults and ejected F5 from the game. F5 naturally began to argue with the ump, but his manager managed to get him off the field (temporarily).

RCF, however, couldn't shut up, and kept arguing with F5 and several other members of the opposing team. After warning RCF once more, the ump ejected him, too. Now RCF's team was one short from the ejection, so they forfeited.

As you might expect, the argument now grew in intensity, with the teams converging around home plate to give their opinions of various rules, offer their versions of what had happened, issue challenges of various kinds, and trade insults.

Finally, the woman who closes the park for the township ordered everyone to leave or she'd call the police. (I wondered how that one was going to fly, since some of the worst offenders in the brouhaha were police.) However, everyone soon left, and the ump and I spent some time in the parking lot discussing the situation.

The all too common, ugly side of slow pitch softball - this behavior and rhetoric from players and managers - and umpires that tolerate it instead of immediately, appropriately addressing it and subsequently, accordingly ejecting people - thereby making my job more difficult than it needs to be.

I agree, shut it down immediately and you avoid the whole ugly mess.

Is this the immediate point in time for ejection you mentioned ?
"RCF: "You gotta drop the bat, j*rk*ff. Learn the rules."

BR: "Learn the rules yourself, *ssh*le. The baseline belongs to the runner. It's right in the book.""


Or is this the immediate point in time for ejection you mentioned ?
"As RCF made it to 2B, he loudly commented on F5's lack of ability to field his grounder, and of course F5 commented back in disparaging terms. Then, as RCF rounded 3B on the next hit, F5 reiterated the word "p*ssy" several times."

I am offended by such language, but I've also been told not to be the language police, so ...



I can't imagine ejecting for this.
"The right-center fielder screams, "Hey, you. Get out of his way!"

The BR replies, "I was in the baseline!"

RCF: "Hey, ump. He can't carry the bat. He has to drop it before he leaves the box."

BR: "I can do anything I want as long as I'm in the baseline.""

CecilOne - I'm confused - immediate what? If you're asking how I'd address the situation, I suppose I could do a play by play. But to cut to the chase, neither of those words quoted above are appropriate in any sports environment I've ever officiated, let alone when going between opponents. Swearing at an opponent is about the clearest, easiest form of USC to call, in my opinion - no matter what the level or age.

That word has no place on any softball diamond I'm working, especially when uttered loud enough for anyone but me to hear, and/or directed at an opponent.

Allow this type of language to continue,and you're going to have a fightbefore long. Stop it immediately, and warn both teams that the next exchange will warrant ejections.

Bob

Yes, my post was confusing. I just edited it (in red) to try clarification.
As I said, it's not the language I'm questioning.
It's how quickly to eject and avoiding repercussions from being the language police and "nit picking" accusations.

Cecil, I don't care what words are used. As you said, it's not our job to be the language police.

But the time to stop this was when the players were yelling at each other, regardless of words. "That's enough" should be enough to convey your point quickly and early. And if it's not, then they get an early night. You have to head off ANY derogatory commentary from player to other team's player early.

We should not be the language police. There are other reasons for stopping the nonsense, but the word jerkoff SURELY isn't the reason this needed to be stopped.

Agreed................