Trash Talking Goes Too Far
 

This has been one of the most talked about news stories in Rochester, NY since Sunday.

I've been playing in a slowpitch league for 9 years now in the Henrietta league that is mentioned in the article. I've never seen anything like this.



A softball player died Monday after taking a blow to the head from a player on an opposing team over the weekend.




Click link to read entire article.
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This is just another incident in a long string of escalating tempers on "the ol' ball field." It's truly pathetic that some thug like Sanders would sucker punch a guy in the back of the head over a game.

A game.

I forget if I mentioned this, but a couple of weeks ago, we had a similar incident between teammates in the men's MP league. Except in this case, one player jabbed the knob of a bat against his teammate's head. The recipient of the jab ended up just fine, and decided not to press charges. Both players involved were known for being hot-heads, and the coach of the team told the league director, "kick 'em both out."

What is with these people? What the hell goes through their heads that makes them say, "I'm pissed, so I'm going to whack this guy in the head?"

I commend Yazwinski for backing the umps in this story, and I commend the quote from Sweetheimer.

My deepest condolences to all those who mourn the victim.

I hope the assailant rots.

If we should take anything from this story, it should be that we should do what we can to nip it in the bud. There is a fine line between "cutting up" with the other team and "cutting down" on the other team. If the line is crossed, don't do anyone any favors by not warning/ejecting a player who crosses the line. I'm not saying the umpires didn't do their jobs by any means, because you never know when someone decides to flip out. I'm only speaking in a forward-looking sense.

That is really unfortunate.:mad:

Had this happen to me just tonight, I do one man SP, had teams starting to go at each other with words and remarks. I tried to nip it in the bud as soon as I saw it happening. I was lucky because the game only lasted 3 innings. If the game had gone much further I'm not sure if I could have controlled things much longer. Luckily things ended without any further trouble.

It is getting bad all over. Three times this year in USSSA sanctioned boys' 12U baseball games I had to lecture the coaches of both teams about setting a good example of sportsmanship because they, the coaches, not the players were jawing at each. I don't know whether I should laugh or cry.

MTD, Sr.

My first year of umpiring, I was only 15 years old. The age group was 4th graders through 8th graders. I had two coaches who had to be separated by their own players, because they literally were about to fight.

It's sad to put your own kids in that position.

And "decided not to press charges" just adds to the problem, making it "allowable" to attack people if it's on a field.

This is the text of an email I recently sent to a State Attorney General' office.
USSF and NISOA are soccer sanctions, league and college.
.................................................. .................................................

I heard about this case:
"A few weeks ago a referee in [State] was assaulted by a player in a adult game. This assault was on the internet and eventually made its way to the national news. the assault was the referee was seriously bitten in the face by the adult player.
This referee is [ref name]. He is a member in good standing in USSF, NISOA and NFHS. He also is a member of [two local assoc.]."

I absolutely support your effort to prosecute this offender. No official, [ref name] or anyone else, should have to consider being assaulted during or after a game, let alone a player being close enough to bite him. No official in any sport should have assault as a concern. I used to officiate "adult" soccer in [local league] and dropped it because of players like this.

Sports official or not, assault is assault and if the Felony Assault Law protecting sports official is less severe than another law or requires a second offense, then please follow the more severe penalty. I frequently recommend police involvement in officiating threats and attacks and fully believe it is needed.

Thank you for your effort in this case.

Well, one of his teammates talked him down from doing so. It was clear that he was certainly not innocent in this whole thing, and a defense attorney could easily argue that the recipient (notice how I never say, "victim?") of the jab had instigated the attack. Granted, nothing can justify taking the knob of a bat to the back of someone's head over a softball game, but it was clear that both sides were guilty of something.

Furthermore, the wife of the attacker was present at the game, and she certainly gave him a good piece of her mind.

Both players were kicked out of the league.

Does anyone know which states have made separate laws regarding assaulting a sports official? I wonder if there's a chart somewhere...

I personally oppose specialty laws like this as a matter of political principle. Can anyone name an assault on a sports official that would NOT meet the definition of assault on an ordinary citizen? Use the normal assault laws to prosecute these idiots and justice will be served. We don't need the political feel-good solution.

I agree.

However, though I don't care for such laws, how many cases would be be cast aside by moronic judges who buy into the "heat of the game" bull$hit argument if a separate charge was not literally placed in front of them?

That type of attitude by the courts is what caused the separate laws to be enacted.

Not to mention DA's that decline to prosecute "in the interest of justice."

Correct. Assault is Assault.

These stupid Hate Crime Laws are insane. Somehow, a guy is a worse criminal if he slashes a guy's throat because he is gay than if he slashes a woman's throat to steal her purse?

Joe In Missouri

And just to demonstrate how well the courts work in this case, the same moron, Rannord Jones, was arrested again last night for stabbing a man in a fight at a Jamaican establishment.

Maybe this time they will up his bail a couple of bucks!

seriously bitten in the face

It used to be that anybody who bit during a fight was considered the lowest of the low. Same with using a bat knob or hitting someone from behind, or doing anything else not part of a "fair fight." Not any more. A couple of years ago, in the "shake-hand" line after a men's SP game (surprise, surprise!), one guy, after his opponent had passed him in the line, reached back, grabbed the guy by the back of the neck, and slammed his face down into home plate. The next day the police had the field cordoned off with tape as a "crime scene," but it was all show; no charges were brought.

We've had so many violent and quasi-violent incidents that it's only a matter of time before somebody gets brain damaged. Not long ago, we even had a military-style raid of the field by Crips seeking revenge for the supposed "dissing" of one of their members by players. The police brought dogs to the field the next night, but no arrests were ever made, even though there were many witnesses to the assault.

Last year, in a 40-and-over SP league, a player, for an attack on a teammate, got himself banned indefinitely from attending any games (by a judge, not some league official).

Actually, if I remember correctly, the Wisconsin law had harsher penalties for assault upon a sports official. I believe it was a 10 year felony sentence.

That does nothing to change my view. I oppose such class-, gender-, position-based laws. Doesn't equal protection under the law mean anything anymore?

Never has, and never will.

I agree that there are laws that create disparity among the people based off of class, gender, etc. Most of the time, these laws are merely political stunts to appear to be "taking a stand."

I oppose such class-, gender-, position-based laws.

So do I. Take a look at Europe and Canada to see where such laws, as well as laws governing "hate speech" (i.e., any stated disagreement with someone in a protected group) lead.

I wish that everyone lived under equal protection under the law, but there are some Americans who don't. I agree that some of the laws are silly but others are a step in the right direction.

Some people may consider the drug sentencing laws around cocaine to be "race" influenced. We do seem to go a bit easier on the mommy's from the suburbs then the people who use cocaine in it's non powered form.

Some people may consider stealing people's investments/pensions the same as robbing a bank,without a weapon, to be the same but we seem to go a wee bit easier on the suit and tie thieves.

We have seen rich private citizens get to take the property of not so rich private citizens-all for the greater good, of course and with the force and might of the Gov't...so the losers of their property may not feel equally protected....

Some people have gooten kicked out of the military because of who they sleep with....And if one is concerned about someone else's sexual habits those that make you a sex addict ?....They might not feel equally protected.

In a perfect country we all would have the same equal protection but alas we're not perfect......

Nice screed, but how does that justify continued political padering through boutique "there oughta be a law" laws?

Equal protection under the law is a political principle stated in the constitution. Because it is not perfectly applied (or because some people invent unequal protection when none exists to forward their agenda) does not mean it should be tossed into the dust bin through class-based laws whose real purpose is to pander for votes, not address any actual criminal problem.

This thread is going down a dangerous path. Bringing it back here...

The players are certainly escalating their behavior, year after year. I'm very fortunate that one of the municipalities where I call games deals with this issue swiftly and appropriately. The other municipality does not, so I've asked my assignor to not assign me to those locations until the problem is fixed. More and more of our crew is following suit, so it's only a matter of time before the problem is fixed.

We refuse to be punching bags.

This thread is going down a dangerous path.

I agree. I'm going to delete my last post.

In terms of the violence and the abuse of officials, the townships around here always start the year spouting something about zero tolerance, but the problems don't go away. This is why so many umps will not do the "men," SP or even modified. Back around 2004, after several years of umpiring a modified league without particular incident, I had a guy physically threaten me and, after I tossed him, promise to be in the parking lot when I got there. (He didn't show up.) In the game that followed, a batter threw his bat violently (immediate ejection, of course) after he looked at a third strike, and then screamed obscenities at me until his vocabulary ran out.

The league gave each player the standard 2-week suspension for an ejection, but I refused to return, arguing that for their over-the-top behavior, those players should have been suspended for at least the rest of the season. I don't miss doing that league.

Well, I'm a firm believer in giving someone a second chance. Sometimes, these guys don't realize how bad they are until the consequences catch up with them. Other times, these guys never learn.

I had tossed one guy after arguing a judgment call too much, then making it a personal issue (I don't remember what was said, but it wasn't pleasant). After getting tossed, he unleashed a flurry of profanities in my direction, and he continued to do so all the way to the parking lot. The league organizer gave him a one-game suspension.

It was at that point that I told my assignor that I wouldn't do any league games for that municipality anymore. I continued to do the church league games for a year, but decided I'd had enough of that, too.

The remarkable thing is that the other municipality shares a large border with the first municipality, yet the atmosphere is completely different. There, the players know that the town will not tolerate any crap, period. The tone of those games has improved dramatically since then.

I didn't see the post that greymule deleted, but apart from that, I don't understand how discussing politics, the constitution, and the law, especially as it relates to assault and assault of an official, is a "dangerous path." Unless you are posting from Zimbabwe.

Nah. Yemen. ;)

I was thinking the same thing, except for the Zimbabwe part.

I stopped doing the “testosterone” leagues about 3 years ago. Even though I’m in an area with the highest per game fees in the country I am fortune enough to umpire as a hobby. I do it because I enjoy it. But I stopped enjoying men’s slow pitch.

Going out to do a doubleheader at 8 PM and getting home close to midnight. Hearing asinine arguments on EVERY call from players who have no clue what the rules are. That’s just not fun to me.

If these leagues don’t get their acts together soon they won’t have any umpires, or at least one’s with experience. Here we are at the point where most of the games are officiated by rookie umpires because no one else will do them.

Now the teams get umpires with little experience, reducing the quality of officiating, and our umpire association has a lot more turnover of new umpires then we should. No one wins.

I feel fortunate the the teams in our 30-over co-ed leaue are mostly civil with each other. We did have some issues with the #1 team trash talking and whining a bit, but we know the best way to handle that is to beat them should we get a chance to face them again in the playoffs :D

I'll also go on record to say I don't like the feel good laws either (regarding hate crimes and other similar offenses). If someone decided to premeditate violence, the act itself should be what gets the severe punishment and not who or why. JMO, though.

These days, the average umpire only calls games for 3 years. A lot of rookies come and go, and it's a strange feeling when I'm only 30, yet I have more seniority than most of our crew.

Some of the problems we're facing have a lot to do with the turnover, but I think that's partially due to the lack of training most new umpires receive. I've seen rookie umpires calling higher-level games, mostly due to the fact that it's becoming increasingly harder for us to find willing participants. There are some areas that do a wonderful job of training their umpires, and I commend them for recognizing that training is a worthy investment. I encourage all organizers to spend as much training time as possible with everyone in their crew, newer and older umpires alike. The more training we offer our crews, the better-equipped they will be in order to handle complicated situations.

Found this (2 yrs old but probably not much has changed):

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2006/rpt/2006-R-0747.htm

EDITED: I do like the included civil provisions of Oregon, however price should be higher. That is probably a bigger deterent than the criminal penalty. Hitting someone in the pocketbook is the best!

California's law is lip service and same as any other assault. Means nothing. Unfortunately too many umps think they have a "special law" floating out there.

Reading through other state, some really do have decent laws on the books.

CA does not.

Lovely. NC classifies it as a Class 1 misdemeanor, with only 45 days maximum of jail time.

After the spring HS baseball season, I will do some summer baseball, but I switch to mens SP for 2 reasons: it gets too hot to wear the baseball plate gear vs the cooler ASA shorts/shirt, and I figure I played over 1800 SP games anyway, so maybe understand the "mentality?" of players(not that it means much).
I understand the stigma of mens SP, with 22 yr old superstar wannabees to 40 yr old beer belly crybaby types, but all in all, my games go fairly smoothly just a few problems ea season--maybe 150 games, avg 3-4 ejections. The LD includes us umpires in any suspension length conversations.
I believe the key is control and hustle( and certainly rule knowledge). I refuse to hear any trashtalking between players, will cut off extended complaints on a call, will toss(within the rules) anyone that crosses the line(my line, of course). My rep at the SP complexes is as a friendly harda$$. But it pays off as both teams of a game will thank me after, or even be glad to see me prior (trying to butter up maybe).
Occasionally (depending on the sitch) I will admit a mistake, which tends to diffuse things....Anticipating where a throw will go and moving closer, eliminates many potential complaints on a call.
Some officials just invite the grief. Not moving from behind the plate, making a close call at 2nd, watch out- here it comes...
I look forward to my SP games as being outside, getting exercise, and making good vacation $... guess I'm lucky in the team types we have here...