Aiding the runner

[mcrowder]

12U, tight game.

3B Coach/Manager has an annoying habit of putting his hands on the shoulders of runners on 3rd base, but up until the following had not done anything illegal.

R1 on 2nd makes it to 3rd on a hit, and the ball get away a bit. She starts to run, coach puts his arm up as if to restrain her but doesn't actually make contact. I consider calling the out right there, but decided at that moment to warn instead (I think based on other actions during this game, I must have been the only umpire that knew ANY rules, and was feeling perceived as an OOO - and I wrongly let that feeling keep me from making the call right then). R1 doesn't contact the coach but stops herself and heads 1 step back to 3rd. Coach now has his hands on her shoulder/back, as the ball gets away again. He literally shoves her down the line, yelling "GO!" Of course I call the out right then.

And now I'm the OOO from He!! for the rest of the game.

Coach talks to our director during the game (yes, director was at the fence letting him do this). After the game, director mentions that coach expected a warning, and that he'd been doing this all year (this, of course, after swearing to me that he didn't touch his runner at all!). I merely ask the director, "Next time his girl is thrown out at first, should I warn them - 'Coach ... You need to remind your runners to run faster. The next time your runner doesn't beat the throw, I'm going to have to call her out.'" Director at least laughed at that.

Fun game. This one was the tip of the iceberg. 90 minute timed game, final score 17-17. Haven't been close to an ejection this year yet, but I was close 4 different times with 4 different people.