What would you do??
 

This is a situation that I observed last night as a spectator at my son's baseball game. But I do know it is something that could happen on a softball field in any kind of age bracket.......so

One umpire (already not the best scenario right?)

One set of coaches do not like any of the calls being made. (I would like to say that the ball/strike zone was consistent for both teams.) There were two times that the ump called a runner out at first because the throw beat them there. Both times the head coach told the umpire out loud that he "had a vision problem", the second time the head coach pointed a bat at the umpire, yelled, "that is the 2nd time - you are so blind" -- and then he slammed the bat on the ground. He was within six feet of the ump when that took place. No curse words were spoken.

My thought was - as an umpire - I'm not tolerating getting yelled out like that. Several fans from both teams did say that should be something to warrant "getting thrown off the field."

How tolerant are ya'll? I am pretty tolerant but there are some things that I think should not go unchecked....

Oh yeah, and that same coach had the pitcher and first base have a little conference and slip the ball to the first base to try to pick the runner off. How legal is that??

Don't know legality of the hidden ball trick...

As far as the coach, HTBT, but I am on the WHOOSH side. He points the bat at me and his comments are about me directly. And he is "keeping score".

I used to be pretty tolerant of that kind of behavior...and it often resulted in more of the same. I shut it down early now and the games are usually smoother as a result. That coach needed to be run...probably after the first outburst.

Sounds like it is nothing. The pitcher needs to have the ball on the rubber for it to be made live. If he doesn't, then the ball is still dead, even if the umpire declares "Play".

Now if they try this when the ball is still live...such as an infielder pretending to throw the ball to the pitcher but keeping it, then the play is legal. This is assuming the pitcher does not stand on or astride the rubber (pro rules) or in the dirt circle (Fed rules) without the ball. If he does, it is a balk.

The first probably gets an abrupt "Coach, that's enough" from me... the other two would have been ejections.

Note that I can't even conceive of an occasion where a coach or player could throw equipment in anger and not get ejected.

My thought was -- "throw him outta there!!"

The umpire just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. I prefer that the "officials" set good examples too.

I am so tired of seeing coaches, parents, kids, ADULTS - throwing temper tantrums at the fields.

On a personal note....I know this "coach"-- he plays softball and he is even worse as a player.

What age level and type of league was this?

It was boys baseball. Age 14U.......

But, as I said, it is something that could happen at any level I think.

Why does that not surprise me.

haha.......wasn't trying to surprise anyone......just kinda giving a "go figure" comment.

I know this is a softball rules forum, but I also work baseball. I believe you might have those two sitches reversed. On the dirt circle w/out ball is a no-no in pro, astride the rubber w/out the ball is a no-no in NFHS.

As for this "coach," I'm running him. And I am in no way a trigger-happy kind of a guy. I haven't had a coach ditch himself/herself in one of my games in five or six years. This guy needed to go.

Check our OBR 8.05(i). I don't have the Fed reference handy right now.

So......honestly........it doesn't matter if they cuss you out or not---this kind of behavior is just not g2g? It isn't for me. I just wondered if any of you would be even quicker on the draw if the coach used curse words during his temper tantrum...????

Me---at the point he pointed the bat at me I'd of sent him on his way.

If players or coaches want to grumble about a call, that's fine. It happens. I let it slide (within reason).

But the coach said the magic word that would've made me toss him in a heartbeat without thinking twice: "you."

I have a long fuse. Make it personal or imply that I'm somehow biased? That's a free one-way ticket to the parking lot. That will instantly trip my trigger.

Yep, that's the extent of the limit; the difference between "That was a terrible call, Blue" and "You're terrible, Blue".

Some may disagree with me on this one, but I once had a close play at 3B where the runner got tagged just a few inches shy of the base. He didn't like the call, and I had no problem with that.

But when I was returning to the plate, he loudly said to me from across the field, "I don't know why it is you've got it in for our team!"

I tossed him. Don't ever, EVER insinuate I'm biased. I had to defend my integrity.

The kicker of it all? I actually like his team. A GREAT bunch of guys who play hard and have fun. Not to mention the fact that I like this particular player as a pitcher, because he's got a GREAT delivery. Such a shame he thinks that I have some sort of grudge against them.

The next week, I spoke with their captain briefly about it. He completely understood.

Abso-freaking-lutely. The you comments above are spot on as well ... but implying that an umpire is INTENTIONALLY making bad calls for one team or good for the other cannot be tolerated.

Karen,
At the 2nd time a coach questions my zone, (s)he get a warning (ISF Rule 10, judgement call). At the moment my vision problem is brought up, (s)he's gone. No matter what, even with or without that warning I about judgement call's! No-one questions my neutrality, nor is a coach yelling at me. Slamming equipment on the ground is also reason for have the best view at the field from the lockerroom or (as you all say) from the parkinglot...

However it starts with preventing umpiring; If I'm alone, my plate-conf. is a long one. I explane that I'm alone, can't see it all. If they wanna play, with only one ump. the consequense is: Don't argue with me... Mostly coaches tend after that to be rexaled. If not, not my problem anymore:rolleyes:

If I'm working alone, my plate conference is exactly the same as any other (well, with the obvious exception that I'm not going to be introducing my partner to the coaches).

I really believe that going into long-winded explanations about how you're by yourself today and might not see some things because of it can backfire.

First off, if these coaches have been around the game at all, for any length of time, they should already understand the limitations of the one-umpire system. No need to explain that to them.

But even worse, it can come off as an umpire "making excuses" for bad calls before the bad calls even happen. It can plant the seed in the coach's minds that you are not up to the task of handling a one-umpire game and that you will be making questionable calls. I prefer to not give them one single tiny bit of ammunition to make them even begin to think that I'm not in control of this game- the same as any other game.

In short, if you start the game off by making excuses for why you might make some bad calls, what the coaches might get from that is, "This guy's going to make bad calls". Right off the bat- before the first pitch is even thrown- you've just given the coaches a reason to doubt you and to question your ability to handle this game.

Just give your usual pre-game, then call the game to the best of your ability. If someone argues, handle it the same as if there were two, three or four umpires on the field.

I have a coach that is leaving for the night with a criminal trespass warning. In the event that he returns, he will receive a free trip to the county...Goodnight Coach.