Is this just local or throughout ASA?
 

So, to make a long story short; an extremely mouthy team had enough players ejected by me to result in a forfeit.

My schedule included a game involving this same team this week. I just received notification from my local UIC that instead I had been reassigned a different game. When I asked why, he said it best for me to avoid that field on that night of the week so "no more drama".

I feel no ill will towards this team and would not anticipate problems from them: last weeks game was last week!

I almost feel as if UIC is telling me that if teams have a hard time with me, they can just get a different ump.

This is an "adult" rec SP league.

Any thoughts whether this is what I should expect throughout ASA umpiring, or an unusual occurrence?

Its often the same around here - and I feel the same way you do about it.

Often people want to avoid drama and move the umps.

I'm not sure how widespread that it.. but its definitely not just your area.

There are two ways to approach this: reassign you for a week or two to let them cool off (but making sure to put you back on their games afterward), or put you behind the plate for this team's games for the next month. Personally, I think both methods have their merits, but it depends on the assignor and the "personality" of the league. You don't want to feed your umpire to the wolves if the league is known for aggressive confrontations, but you need to send a message to the teams that the umpire involved is impartial, professional, and to be respected.

Out of curiosity, how many did you eject that night?

Or you could look at it like the UIC knows there will be bad feelings held by the team against you (you cant control that)....sounds like good management on the UIC's part.
Don't take it personal go call your other game. a game is a game.

Why, did you do something to the Field that hurt it's feelings? Maybe kick too much dirt around :rolleyes:

I believe there are too many variables in multiple situations for there to be an absolute standard answer.

Personally, if I thought the umpire may be in danger, I may move an umpire, but not for a season or tournament. However, on many occasions, rather send the umpire stay the course and if the team shows up on the schedule, so be it. In some tournaments, I might even make a point of getting the same umpire on the field with that team (with a strong partner) just to get the point across that the team is not in control of the situation. I'm not suggesting umpires change their game, but just the opposite. Nor am I suggesting the umpire go out on the field with a vengance, but just the opposite.

I agree, last week's game was last week, yesterday's game was yesterday, and neither should have any bearing on today's game.

I think the key to getting past these incidents is to accept your assignor's decision and support him/her in it. Reiterate to your assignor that you harbor no ill-will towards the team, and that you have no passionate feelings towards what happened, one way or the other. We're professionals. We have no passion or prejudice for or against anything, other than making sure that we do our jobs well, day in, day out.

When you eventually meet this team again (and if you call long enough, you're guaranteed to do so), make zero mention of the events of the past. Don't bring it up, don't allude to it, don't even hint at it. Just walk into the dugout as a professional to do your bat and equipment inspections, keeping a positive (not cocky) and approachable attitude. Leave any chips on your shoulder in the car.

Teams are fickle. One day, they love you. Next day, they hate you. Next day, you're the best umpiring team in the entire crew. Life will go on. :)

Similar situation.
 

About nine years ago, I officiated in the AYBTour Boys' National Basketball Championships at Indiana University. During the double elimination portion of the tournament I had a boys' 16U game where a team was blown out by 35 points. I won't go into details but the HC received a TF from me in the first half. After the game he yelled at me that if I was scheduled to officiate his team's next game he would not play the game until I was removed. The tournament director (TD) was an idiot, but the HC didn't have the intestional fortitude to go to the TD with his threat.

Anyway, I looked at my schedule and sure enough later that day I was scheduled to officiate his team's next game. I took it upon myself to switch courts with another official so that I did not have to put up with the idiot HC. The HC never knew I was really supposed to officiate his team's second game that day. His team preceeded to get bounced out of the tournament by losing the game by 45 points. :D

Later that evening I saw him and his wife eating dinner in a local resturant. I know I behaved badly, but I couldn't help myself. I told him that I switched games because I didn't want to have to put him with his idiocy, and that if he had never made his threat about having me removed his team would have only lost by 35 points like in the first game instead of by 45 points. :D

MTD, Sr.

Thank you all for the reponses.

Four. All at around the same time. After 1st ejection, the rest of the team had trouble getting back into their dugout and resuming after "Play Ball".:D

If you eject 4 off a team, it probably is better from a mgmt point of view to let it cool off.


I agree it leaves a bad taste in your mouth because it feels a little like they "got you" off their games. As long as its not permenant thats probably
fine.

We have plenty of that to go around out here. There's a group of local players who all know each other and swap players between teams for different leagues and seasons. They can be some of the whiniest players around, because they think that because they grew up here that somehow, they're special. I've ejected a number of their players over the course of the last 9 years since I moved here. I know they don't like me much, but I don't really care. Every game, I get back in the saddle and call the best damn game I can.

They won't get me down. Period.

We have a field terrorist of a coach in CA that goes team to team causing trouble (hes presently in our area - hes been talked about a bit on hey bucket) and for awhile they were trying to keep umpires that had problems with him off of his games.. but when we ran out of said umpires, they had to start putting ones on him that could handle him and those usually had multiple run ins with him.

Now we are picking on him :rolleyes:

He once told me he was contacting the ASA head office and I would never work again (I was kinda hoping that would take effect this weekend since it will be 104, the fair is in town, and all.. but no luck.). :D
He can literally disrupt an entire tourney if allowed too.

I think you acted badly on both ends. OTOH, if you didn't the first time, the second wouldn't have occurred.

JMHO

We have one of those in these parts, as well. I tossed him one time after both coaches had been warned about arguing balls and strikes(partner was a newbie on the plate and was doing a decent job). He tried to keep arguing, and after I told him that there would be no more (a second time), he yelled, for all to hear, "yeah, but this guy sucks!" To show you how loved he was, when I tossed him, I actually got an ovation, from both bleachers!

In another tournament he charged my partner and did the old chest bump. Gone again. My partner also filed assault charges on him. The irony here? The guy is a cop.
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I have a whole league like that here. They all b***h and moan at just about every call they don't like, even the height of the pitches (slow-pitch using USSSA pitching rules, in an ASA league). They even flaunted the on-deck batter rule so bad, this year it became a point of emphasis for us to clean that up. Ended up ejecting one just as he was getting in the box for the first pitch of the season because he said it was a load of s**t that we were making up a new on-deck batter rule (while I was telling his teammates to get in the dugout) and that all the umpires in our town have been horrible for the past 20 years. :rolleyes:

I think he must've moved to NC, because we have one of those in the area as well. It's gotten to a point where his actions on the field could potentially cost him his badge.