Partner question!
 

How would you handle a situation like this?

I had a partner this weekend who seemed to be baiting players and coaches so that he could toss them. First time it happened, he called a mid shin high strike that the batter apparently turned and looked incredulously at him. Next thing I know she is DQ'ed. After that inning was over, I asked what happened. He stated that she turned and looked at him, so he asked her if she had a problem with the strike zone. Apparently she replied, "with that one, yes." So...he benched her.

Trouble is, after one inning, he allowed her back into the game. I told him that there was nothing in the rules to support this, and that he was opening himself up to a protest from the offended team. He stated that he was his decision, so he was going to stand by it. He felt the player just needed a cooling off period.

Then in another game, he walked over to the dugout of the defensive team and gets into an argument with the coach, apparently over some comment he overheard him make to his assistant coaches. During this argument, as I am coming in the infield to make sure nothing gets out of hand, I over hear my partner keep saying things along the lines of, "if you want to stay in this ballgame just keep your mouth shut, " and " you do want to stay in this game, don't you?"

I just felt this behavior was unprofessional, and probably, under ordinary circumstances would have mentioned it to the UIC. So now you are probably wondering why I didn't mention it to the UIC. Well...that's because this partner was the UIC filling in a couple of missing spots where other umpires failed to show.

Federation?

ASA.......

Next, you're probably going to tell us it was a youth game. :eek:

There is obviously no rule that allows him to temporarily "bench" a player in ASA. And even in Fed, which allows restricting to the bench in certain circumstances, the "benching" of a player is for the entire game.

The second situation was just having rabbit ears and being stupid. It also sounded like his threats to eject were empty (since he said it at least twice and never ejected anyone?).

How would I handle this behavior by the UIC? I'd stay as far away as possible so as to not get drawn into his little confrontations and hope things don't get out of hand.

After the game??? BFOM.

Have you called with him before? Hopefully, this behavior is not typical ... was he letting his frustation with having to sub for an umpire who didn't show up overflow into the game?? Is there anyone to report this to, and would it matter?

Buy a farm outside Minneapolis????

No.

Who knows if he was letting his frustration show? That is still no excuse. The only person I know to report it to would be the president of the association. I don't know if it would do any good.

Yes. 16U. :(

When I first started working ASA ball in 91, we had someone like that. In fact, I was working a a game where just about the same stuff happened - baiting people so he could kick them out and go home early in a Sunday morning mens league...when I was done, I went home (about 20 miles), changed and went up to the local park where a FP tourney was going on. Our assignor, who also happened to be New York UIC, was there...and somehow in those pre-cell phone days, the first question out of his mouth was : "What happened down there?" :eek: We always said that Bernie knew all, but this was ridiculous! BTW, the ump in question never worked again....

Two options - 1) explain the situation to the district UIC, or whatever level you have locally that is higher than this bozo, and possibly to the league president if he is the one that hired this fool.

2) Bail. Surely you can find an organization to work in that is not run by this clown.

Partner issues have given me more trouble than anything else.

I was doing 3 games last week (NSA Men's Modified) that had 70 min time limits. My partner was the PU in the first game. F1 would be ready, F2 would be ready, B1 would be ready, BU (Me) would be ready, and partner was still in the dugout wiping down with a towel and drinking water. The guys on the field commented about it. But, he has that reputation. When he was walking up before the game, 4 other umpires were breathing a sigh of relief that they did not have to work with him and when I asked why, I was told that he was the slowest umpire in the land. The two games in which I was PU went significantly faster even though he wanted to call the third game when it started raining, "We can't let them play in this; the outfield is already slick."
It was not raining that hard and the season is winding down with few opportunities to make up games. In my judgement, it was not dangerous to play so we continued as it rained off and on through the rest of the game.

While I'm ranting There was one play in which a player attempted a bunt which went straight down and hit the batter on the leg as he was beginning to run so I killed the play by loudly calling "Foul ball." BU comes running in and yelling, "Was he in or out of the box?" I told him, "He was in the box." He said OK and walked back to his position in the field. I felt like he was showing me up and that he did not think that I knew the rules. To be honest, it peeved me. I am considering calling the UIC. Would you?

Thanks for letting me get that off my protector

:D

But, actually, BFOM is an acronym that contains an expletive :eek:. Loosly translated it means "I don't know."

Anyone else care to take a shot? (Just be careful out there!) ;)

TCBlue,
That is a tough one. I guess its a had to be there kind of thing, what was his attitude when he asked where the player was when they were hit. Maybe he was just trying to kill it as he thought you were blocked by the catcher, and then when you killed it he felt like a moron(maybe justified :) ) so he asked where it he was to cover for overly killing a play you saw. Just an alternative but I would have a word with him about it after that 1/2 inning, like "Hey, I have no problem with you yelling 'Dead ball' if you see it hit the batter. But let me call it fair or foul unless I come to you for help, ok?"

About the timing thing I would mention it to the UIC, after all any time you are waiting the clock is running and that is not fair to the players. It is touchy as if the guy needs water or a towling off it is hard to rush him as if he has heat exhaustion then it get ugly, but he could get water and wiped off and still be ready when the teams are. At least my fat butt is able to everyone should be able to.

JMO

BFOM
Beats the Farside Outta Me? Ok maybe you could put another word in there...

you just did

Yup! You got it (with a different "f" word... ;) )