Someone Please Remind Me Why I Umpire???

[derwil]

6A Area Finals today. 4 teams in area, some games played Thursday/Friday, first game today is the loser's final. 7-2 no problem - better team (and area regular season champ) won (team "A"). The winner faces the winner of the top side of the bracket in the Area Finals (team "B"), but both teams have qualified for the regional tournament next week. Both coaches happy, talking nice I'm thinking no stress game we'll be done quickly.

Team A gets a 3 run shot in the bottom of the first and goes on to win 7-2, which forces the dreaded IF game. I go back on the dish.

Well now more parents file in for the "IF" game, all apparently experts on the rules and application of them. Top of first Team B scores 1. Bottom of first runners @ 2nd, 3rd fly ball to right field drops but is fielded cleanly - runner goes; throw from OF and banger at the plate. Runner slides over the catcher's glove hand. Catcher shows me the ball and I punch the runner out. Catcher is hurt and as she pulls off her glove the ball comes out. This all happens withoin 2-3 seconds. Team "A" parents are SCREAMING "the ball is out". I kill the play as the catcher is screaming in pain. A coach asks me about the ball being out and I tell her that the catcher had control after the tag was applied and let go of the ball intentionally to take off her glove while in pain. Coach actually OK with it but a parent yells out "THAT'S BS BLUE!!" He didn't abbreviate it, he said the whole thing loud enough for the next zip code to hear it. Really cute. The coach immediately yelled at the moron, but the crap was out of the goose. Did I mention the two teams really don't like each other? Game on.

For 3 innings team "A" parents were on everything we called, every pitch every routine play. We had some great plays from the players and some great hustle from my partner and I to get in position. I truely think it was my best game of the year. Then on a 2-2 count with runners @ 1st and 2nd team A's SS swings at a pitch as it curves into her, hiting her in the shoulder - dead ball, strike (out). Out come the psycos...now I'm making up my own rules, I'm pitifull, worst called game ever in the history of softball. Finally I tell team A's coach to get a handle on her crowd (she is also the tournament organizer and game management). I don't usually do that but it was REALLY getting bad. Things settle down and some great ball was played. End of regulation tied @ 2 - goes 2 extra and team B wins 3-2.

On the way to the parking lot, some of the parents that were screaming at us previously start jeering at us again. When team B's parents tell them to shut up, they jeer the parents, calling them to come over to "Say it to my face!" Friggin losers. Great game, and I'll humbly submit pretty good friggin umpiring. Now the local blogs are only talking about the idiot fans..... AAARRGGGGGHH!!!!!!