What to say to a coach...

[tribefan1952]

I had a one-sided Freshman game a few days ago. After about 4 innings the score was about 18-0 and the losing (home team) coach was getting very frustrated. They couldn't seem to get anyone out. You know the routine... dropped 3rd strikes, dropped pop-ups, dropped throws to 1st base, hits, walks, hits, walks, etc... Finally, after about the 8th hit of the inning, this wild-eyed moron comes charging out of the dugout like it was the 7th game of the world series and points to a footprint in the dirt. He kept screaming, "she stepped out of the batters box!"... "she stepped out!"..."she stepped out!" He must have figured that it was the only way this poor team was ever going to get another out, so he was relentless. I didn't see her step out, and I was about to tell him that I was sorry I hadn't seen it and I couldn't call anyone out based on a footprint. I was trying to think of a good way to say this when I took a look at the smoking-gun footprint. Much to my relief It was smack in the middle of the front line of the batter's box. I calmly told him that if any part of her foot hit any part of the line, she's IN the box, (like a fair ball hitting the baseline). I didn't make a scene and I didn't go out of my way to make him look like a jerk. (He was.) He quietly walked away shaking his head and mumbling. The rest of the game was relatively uneventful.

[3afan]

sounds like you handled it perfectly ...

[wadeintothem]

a foot print (even if it was all the way out) is never proof of anything, because her foot must be on the ground when contact is made.

like anything else, you cant guess an out, even with a footprint.

Coach just needed to frontload his "look girls, you played pretty hard, had some tough breaks, a few bad calls...." speech.

[SRW]

"Coach, I did not see her foot on the ground when her bat made contact with the ball."

[NCASAUmp]

That's a little more patience than I would've given him. I've seen some serious spankings on the field, but that's no excuse for a coach popping his lid. At the minimum, I would've said (in a calm manner), "coach, I realize you're upset, but if you want to talk to me, you'd better do it calmly." Depending on his attitude leading up to that point, I'd even go so far as ejecting him.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't stand a coach showing up an ump just for the sake of showing him up.

[NCASAUmp]

And speaking of someone trying to show up the ump, I dinged my first player of the season tonight. While batting, his lead foot stepped completely out of the box when he swung, so I "dead ball" the play and call him out. He thought I needed to learn the rules better.

I let him meditate on this thought in the parking lot.

Hasn't been 2 weeks, and I've already got one.