A nightmare.. walkoff hs playoff IP..
 

HS Playoffs.. intense game .. Bottom of 7, tied, bases loaded, 2 outs .. the pitcher starts to pitch and stops.

WHAT!! Why did you do that girl?

One of the things the coach yelled (I kind of blocked him out after awhile) was that I allowed the "other team to initiate a balk"... my partner later confirmed the base coach was yelling to his batter "call time out" .. I never heard that (way too loud and way too many people being loud) and of course its not relevant since the batter never requested time out nor did I grant it.. but pitcher touched and began.. and stopped.. Ending her season in a terrible way.

Well I was completely mobbed.. 200 people lined up yelling at me.. the coach went crazy, the press, 3 or 4 reporters, followed me all the way to the changing area.. when they figured out I was not going to talk, they went to my partner, who was more than happy to say whatever he said to them.

Man am I shell shocked.. unreal.

I officially know what its like to be the bad guy wrestler.

I wish it didnt go that way.. but it did. And thats the way it is.

I had one like that last year - ended an extra-inning playoff game with an IP.
The defense held a conference and then the pitcher got back onto the PP, took several signals shaking off all but last, nodded, brought hands together & separated, then shook her head & stopped - then stepped off & said something to her coach. I had to replay that in my mind a time or 2 just to make sure none of my partners had called Time or anything like that. Then I called the IP, brought the winning run in & we left. The security team was great - they surrounded us and got us out of there quickly & smoothly. It was the game administrator who dealt with the mob. It wasn't how I wanted it to end, either - but I was not given a choice.

None of the people came down to the gate (except the reporters), so maybe someone was there keeping them back. I just wanted out of there. My heart sank when I got to the gate and stopped.. it was locked! Someone yelled "Guess you'll have to go this way".. but upon close inspection, the crew had just made it looked locked. Phew! Good luck today chess ref lol.

Yep, that's a tough way to end a game. As you mentioned in the OP "the batter never requested time out nor did I grant it." so the pitcher should have continued the delivery. If the first base wanted time out he should have requested it instead of having the batter do it.

Perhaps your partner could have called time out when he heard that the coach was requesting that play stop. Why didn't your partner kill the play?

Because if it was as loud as wade says it was, then no one heard the base coach's instructions to the batter, including the pitcher, batter, and wade.

Man if Friday night traffic didn't suck so bad i would have come down South , instead I stayed North. biggest drama was one of our umps wilted in the evening heat.

I hope mine ends a little "easier" then yours. :D

PS Give me some hints about what teams it was ?

I did get an all court booing last year in basketball, actually my partner did but I was with him.....

Good point and it would have been a nice piece of umpiring on your partner's behalf.

However, beyond that, if anyone asks you the age-old stupid coach/player/spectator question of, "how can you end the game like that?", simply respond that you didn't end the game, the pitcher did.

Umpires simply enforce the rules. I don't know an umpire which strives or even looks for something to bring about the end of a game under questionable circumstances.

Sue Enquist lost a NCAA championship game a couple years ago when there was a DMR by the player on third. If I remember correctly, the previous year THE championship game was ended by a DMR by a player on second. And last year, I'm pretty sure the umpire did not plan on ending the championship game of the World Cup of Softball with a LBR violation.

A non-existint LBR, IMO. But that's another story. Sure that was beat to death on this forume back then :D

Similar deal to OP I witnessed in HS Regional Finals a few years ago. Bottom of 21st (no typo) R1 on 3rd with two outs and power hitter up. Coach had called time out and talked to pitcher & catcher. In the middle of delivery, just before pitcher released ball, coach yells "wait, don't throw that". Pitcher stops, IP called, Game/Season/HS Career of pitcher over.

Hi,coach. Here's your sign!

I commend you! It takes a pair of brass ones to make a call like that in an hostile environment. Nice work!

As the OP says, Wadeintothem’s partner heard the base coach.

Likewise. Good job, wade!

Damn right it was the right thing to do.

In 2004 in the WA State 2A Playoffs, bottom 7, 2 outs, winning run at third. Pitcher did the same thing. Three umpires come together to discuss things. None of them had the brass ones to call the IP. Run doesn't score. Offended team protests, UIC says it was judgement call :eek: Teams go to ITB in 9th, offending team scores twice to win...and eventually won state championship.

Actually, I have been completely villified. The press has fried me, and completely lied in doing so. I'm awaiting a call from my top umpire guy (i"ve been working another tourney)... if he follows suit with everyone else (including every umpire I have talked too), I or my partner should have found a way not to make the call. According to the press I bumped chests with the coach then walked off the field laughing leaving the girls sprawled on the field crying.

I am livid that that was printed. Al queda not in the news so I get vilified like that? There was nothing funning about that situation. I did not so much as crack a smile, in fact, there was nothing to smile about. Me and the coach never touched chest. He didnt bump me, I didnt bump him. They might be getting me back for refusing to talk to them.

You guys may think I made the right call. I actually believe I made the ONLY call I could have made... but thats about it on the home front here. Other than that, I might as well have shot kennedy.

Libel, anyone?

Close enough!

"No way to end this game, not on a call like that," Willis said. "I've never seen Courtney called for an illegal pitch. She's a pro."

Then why is she playing HS ball? :D

Im sorry, Wade..I had to laugh when I read that line about you leaving the field

Youre just an evil bastid.....

from what you posted here, you made the right call.... and you know how much it pains me to say youre right....:D

It wasnt a chuckle it was more of a "muhahahahahaha" as I succumbed to the dark side of the force.

Actually, the reality is the call kept me awake that night, and too this very moment there has not been a bright side to it or a funny thing I can think of about it. I think if I had laughed on that field, there would have been a riot. The moment was surreal.

I believe the lack of sleep thing..and its only funny because I wasnt there. The ONLY alternative that I could think of was for your partner to step up and say he heard a time out, if he did. YOU didnt, so you did the right thing.

just a thought
 

first lets be clear...sounds like a great call and i'll echo everyone else and say brass brass brass...thought that comes to mind are you sure that the coach didnt yell that to make F1 stop and get the IP call ? Could you have gotten together with your partner and go with a no pitch...

Thats been the consensus of every umpire I've talked to thus far....

At the time I didnt consider it because it wasnt a no-pitch, it was an illegal pitch. I didnt know about the "time" thing until post game. I remember the coach said it, but he a 100 things, including there was no illegal pitch, calling me every name in the book.. and at the time it was not something I considered.

Maybe if the coach had been calm and just talked to me before ranting, I could have calmly got together with my partner.. but that is not what happened.. it was instant chaos and he went crazy, and I tuned him out and decided I was getting out of there before it got worse. It was not like the coach came out and said "blue, the other coach was yelling time, can you get with your partner and see..." .. When I called IP, he ran out of the dugout into my face going "Are you f'n kidding me and you f'n kidding me. That is the worst. You are terrible.. and on and on and on..

Wade, I am disheartened to read this written about you. I used to have a quote in my signature that read "What is right, isn't always popular and what is popular, isn't always right." You, the umpire who was good enough to make it to this playoff game, made a good, gutsy call. Hold your head high in knowing you did the right thing.

#1. Base coach was addressing batter, not the umpire.
#2. Coach can only make request and did so of the wrong party.
#3. DC apparently has a few shortcomings when it comes to an expanded vocabulary.
#4. A properly coached pitcher would know to NEVER stop a delivery once started.
#5. Even if you did have an ear-to-ear grin or laughed, so what? The umpire is there to officiate a game for BOTH teams, not to commisserate over either team's issues, failures or lack of fortune. Anyone who doesn't understand that hasn't the authority to provide comment or opinion on sporting events.

JMO

I've had this instance..

I've had a team literally sit down on the field and refuse to play for 15 mins until a TD got to the field (she was at another field and had to drive there). The weak sauce irritating PU did not forfeit them, which I would have done.. and in fact asked me if I would just leave so the team would play. That of course, wasnt happening. (FTR: I was BU, Pitcher was stepping back, coach believed it was legal and would not correct the pitcher, after the 2nd or 3rd IP call.. she sat em down right on the field "because I was picking on the girls")

I've had a coach push me and it was so bad it went to hearing with our commish. (FTR: Coach did not believe runners advanced on an IP)

All 3... over illegal pitches.

It cracks me up when I see people at ezteams pretend they want more called.

At least this article didnt demonize me
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.d...ORTS/805170331

The only glaring error in that one I see in that one is the "umpires" didnt explain anything, an umpire did... .not me.

The other thing, on the HBP, the discussion was also as to whether the batter went (she was slapping when she got hit).

Not being much of a lawsuit guy myself, I would actually say that here you might want to consider legal action. They cannot print what isn't the truth.

Nice call.....
 

Wade,

I concur with everyone on this board. You made the right call!! To the spectators and coaches (and the press): Have the coach explain the rules to them. :eek: :eek: Oh wait, that's how the Recordnet.com reporter got his information (..after a controversial balk call…) :rolleyes:

'You guys may think I made the right call. I actually believe I made the ONLY call I could have made... but thats about it on the home front here. Other than that, I might as well have shot kennedy."

Wade,
Yeah, you made the right call - and it was the only one you could have made.
It's not the way you'd choose to see a game end, but I don't think you were given a vote. I've got no problem with the way you said you handled it.

An umpire's credibility is all he has, and this article thumbs its nose at a fine umpire who made the correct call. Libel would be appropriate, but the news org would simply retract the statement and issue a half-a$$ed apology on page 28, next to the obits.

Jacka$$es, all of them.

You did the right thing, wade. Thank you for sticking to your guns. If you hadn't, you'd have just opened a floodgate for the rest of us.

Happens every day in newspapers around the world.

From the Modesto Bee: "The third-base coach yelled, 'Timeout! Timeout!' " said Willis, noting an umpire was beside the coach. "Courtney kept hearing a timeout call, so she backed off."

Willis asked the base umpire to rule Ramos was intentionally deceived, a violation of prep softball rules, but the home-plate umpire refused to hear his protest.

I'm still wondering why U3 or U4 (not sure if it was 3 or 4 man mechanics) that was standing nearest the third base coach did not call time upon hearing the coach wanting a time out.

I want to know when you started calling balks in fastpitch...

:D

We all know it happens, but when it can be proven it can be very costly to the publication that allows it.

Let us know how the 'protest' comes out...I can't really see that being a protestable call, but whatever...

Good job on the call.

Wow, 35 posts and nobody mentions that a partner is talking to the press, and obviously not with the PU, as PU doesnt know what was said.....plus if BU was near the 3rd base coach, actually heard the "time" request and didnt grant it....sounds like under the bus time....

Not saying I wasn't thinking it.

Theres NO DOUBT that there are issues there..... but the point is that Wade did the right thing with the information he had at the time....

Yup, absolutely.