Missouri v. Washingington

[Bill Baker]

Mizzou at bat, 1st inning, 1 out. MU had just scored their 5th run of the inning. Batter pulls a dribbler towards 3B. The ball rolls into foul territory with defense hovering over ball. It starts back towards the line. Fielder reaches toward the ball and then pulls back. She does pick it up when the ball is smack in the middle of the foul line.

TeeVee announcer says the call was made BEFORE the ball was touched by defense. PU is out of view so I couldn't see when he made his call. He must of thought fielder touched at first reach. (Head coach was tossed after offering his take on the play.)

Anyone see it?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Bill Baker

Mizzou at bat, 1st inning, 1 out. MU had just scored their 5th run of the inning. Batter pulls a dribbler towards 3B. The ball rolls into foul territory with defense hovering over ball. It starts back towards the line. Fielder reaches toward the ball and then pulls back. She does pick it up when the ball is smack in the middle of the foul line.

TeeVee announcer says the call was made BEFORE the ball was touched by defense. PU is out of view so I couldn't see when he made his call. He must of thought fielder touched at first reach. (Head coach was tossed after offering his take on the play.)

Anyone see it?

A few times and I understand why the umpire called it foul.

F5 charged the ball, waited for it to go foul and reached for the ball and then, seemingly hesitating for the ball to go "farther" into foul territoy, pulled her hand back.

We all had a different angle, but when F5 reached down and placed her hand over the ball, from the RHBB, I can understand how that would seem to the PU that she touched the ball in foul territory.

And then you have the bell unrung issue.

[txump81]

One good reason you pause, read, react. Don't make a call too early and use every piece of information available.

I can see also how he came to his conclusion. The one good thing in that whole sequence was 3BU being rodeo clown.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by txump81

One good reason you pause, read, react. Don't make a call too early and use every piece of information available.

I can see also how he came to his conclusion. The one good thing in that whole sequence was 3BU being rodeo clown.

I agree. JS did a great job of putting himself between the coach and partner. Had he not, and with the way the coach likes to emphasize his points with vivid gestures, it may have gotten much uglier than it already was.

Of course, on other boards, JK is the egomaniacal umpire from hell who made the worst call in the world to show off and show them who is in control.

[tcannizzo]

When coach gestures with a swing/hammer, then it is auto-eject, even for the low-ego ump.

But I would like to know what Earlywine said. Being up 5-0 in top 1st with only one out and bases loaded, (or was it 1st and 3rd).

I mean why would he get so hot?

Could he have just said, "Toss me, like THIS!!!!" so he could let the assistants run the game?

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

I agree. JS did a great job of putting himself between the coach and partner. Had he not, and with the way the coach likes to emphasize his points with vivid gestures, it may have gotten much uglier than it already was.

Of course, on other boards, JK is the egomaniacal umpire from hell who made the worst call in the world to show off and show them who is in control.

I guess those kind of posters will just never 'get it'.
That ''egomaniacal umpire[s] from hell who make the worst call[s] in the world to show off and show them who is in control" don't get selected to work the top level games season after season in NCAA, ASA, or any other sanctioning body.

I did not see the game live, but did watch the ESPN video several times and agree with your earlier post on the call. What I didn't see was the obvious good work of JS in handling Mizzou coach after JK tossed him. Is there any video of that or was it just on the live telecast?

[Bill Baker]

They ran the replay 3 or 4 times shortly after the call. 3BU was like a blocking back - coach couldn't get close to PU. Probably the second best thing that happened to the coach that day!

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

When coach gestures with a swing/hammer, then it is auto-eject, even for the low-ego ump.

But I would like to know what Earlywine said. Being up 5-0 in top 1st with only one out and bases loaded, (or was it 1st and 3rd).

I mean why would he get so hot?

Could he have just said, "Toss me, like THIS!!!!" so he could let the assistants run the game?

From the game article in the Columbia Daily Tribune (5/29/11)......

"I objected with the call and was heated in the moment", Earlywine said. "He did what he had to do. He felt like he made the right call."
Later on in the same article, when asked about watching the game from the locker room....
"That was painful to watch in there", he said. "It was really, really hard but I guess I deserved it."

Notice there were no cheap shots directed toward the PU in his comments. PU (along with 3BU) took care of business quickly and professionally without a lot fuss...coach understands it. Textbook ejection.

Why would he get so hot up 5-0 with 1 out and runners on in the 1st???...he's a coach. As we all know they are all capable of 'going off' at anytime, in any situation, at any level.

[flipper]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

When coach gestures with a swing/hammer, then it is auto-eject, even for the low-ego ump.

But I would like to know what Earlywine said. Being up 5-0 in top 1st with only one out and bases loaded, (or was it 1st and 3rd).

I mean why would he get so hot?

Could he have just said, "Toss me, like THIS!!!!" so he could let the assistants run the game?

The last thing Earlywine said, while pointing emphatically, was "You missed it." The replays in the 1st inning allow you to read his lips.

However, in about the 3rd inning, they recap the incident from a different angle. You can clearly see Kurnat saying "You better get out of my face!" just before Earlywine's arm swing/point. Now, I'm not saying it was a bad ejection, but how would you expect a college coach, particularly one who played softball at as high a level as this one did, to react to this comment. I can tell you that if the SUP was aware of this type of comment made during the season, it could very well cost that umpire a post-season assignment.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by flipper

The last thing Earlywine said, while pointing emphatically, was "You missed it." The replays in the 1st inning allow you to read his lips.

However, in about the 3rd inning, they recap the incident from a different angle. You can clearly see Kurnat saying "You better get out of my face!" just before Earlywine's arm swing/point. Now, I'm not saying it was a bad ejection, but how would you expect a college coach, particularly one who played softball at as high a level as this one did, to react to this comment.

Really? Sorry, but to me that is a stupid question.

#1. Coach shouldn't be in anyone's face, at any point of any game. It is bush. People think Billy Martin, Gene Mauch, Earl Weaver, etc. were great coaches. Bull, they were clowns, pure and simple. People talk about the umpires being paid and acting professional? What about the coaches who are being paid much more money than the umpire?

#2. Any umpire who allows a coach within arm's distance should either back-off or dump the coach/player immediately.

#3. The response to your question of how would I expect ANYONE to react if told to get out of the umpire's face? I'd expect that person to GET OUT OF THE UMPIRE'S FACE. ESPECIALLY one who has experience you noted. The fact that this ex-player acted in the manner in which he did is an indication to me he has little to no respect for the game and he thinks it is okay to act like an *** on the field.

#4. JK's actions were quite appropriate for the manner in which this coach acted. The only thing I would have done differently is just tell the coach he was gone, turned and walked back to report the ejection and congratulate the assistant on her field promotion.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by flipper

The last thing Earlywine said, while pointing emphatically, was "You missed it." The replays in the 1st inning allow you to read his lips.

However, in about the 3rd inning, they recap the incident from a different angle. You can clearly see Kurnat saying "You better get out of my face!" just before Earlywine's arm swing/point. Now, I'm not saying it was a bad ejection, but how would you expect a college coach, particularly one who played softball at as high a level as this one did, to react to this comment. I can tell you that if the SUP was aware of this type of comment made during the season, it could very well cost that umpire a post-season assignment.

OK, you're the PU in the sitch, big game, big stage, big time programs and coaches, big crowd, national TV.....in that heated moment as Earlywine is going ballistic on you, what would you have said to him?

As to how I would expect him to react to the "get out of my face" comment?
He can react anyway he chooses, but if reacts inappropriately by "pointing emphatically" and doing and "arm swing/point" he's likely getting ejected by any good umpire with backbone and integrity.

This is a respected and highly regarded NCAA umpire who has "been here and done that" time and time again. I don't think the SUP will be taking any post-season assignments away from him.

But then again I'm probably wrong about that as I'm not privy to the inner workings of the SUP's post season selection process as you are.

[tcannizzo]

I still want to know why it go so heated, so fast in Top 1 with Earlywine already having a 5-run route and only 1 out.
It didn't take more than 3 seconds for the whole exchange.

PU could have cooled coach down on a difficult call sitch.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

I still want to know why it go so heated, so fast in Top 1 with Earlywine already having a 5-run route and only 1 out.
It didn't take more than 3 seconds for the whole exchange.

PU could have cooled coach down on a difficult call sitch.

If the coach wasn't so damn animated and confrontational, it probably would have lasted 15-20 seconds, coach voicing his opinion, umpire explaining what he saw and move on from there.

[flipper]

Originally Posted by KJUmp

OK, you're the PU in the sitch, big game, big stage, big time programs and coaches, big crowd, national TV.....in that heated moment as Earlywine is going ballistic on you, what would you have said to him?

It's unlikely I would have said what he appeared to say. It was escalating the situation at best, baiting the coach at worse.

Originally Posted by KJUmp

As to how I would expect him to react to the "get out of my face" comment?
He can react anyway he chooses, but if reacts inappropriately by "pointing emphatically" and doing and "arm swing/point" he's likely getting ejected by any good umpire with backbone and integrity.

Maybe a "chicken or the egg" situation.

Originally Posted by KJUmp

This is a respected and highly regarded NCAA umpire who has "been here and done that" time and time again. I don't think the SUP will be taking any post-season assignments away from him.

It depends on who you talk to on the first sentence, I guess we'll see on the second.

Originally Posted by KJUmp

But then again I'm probably wrong about that as I'm not privy to the inner workings of the SUP's post season selection process as you are.

Maybe, maybe not.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by flipper

It's unlikely I would have said what he appeared to say. It was escalating the situation at best, baiting the coach at worse.

Baiting a coach by warning him to back off to avoid physical contact, because that is exactly what would have happened next. For that matter, I am conviced that is exactly what would have happened had JS not covered his partner's back.