we should have a place to keep track of our own ejections.....it would be interesting to hear the circumstances that led to the EJ, the same way we read about the events leading up to the ones in the majors....just a thought!Discussion point: So until we get a membership ejection page set up, let's start here, with this post. Just as Josh asked, what are your tales of ejections from your very own games? How did it happen? Who got dumped...and by whom? Why? What was the argument over... and what would your (or your partner's) Quality of Correctness have been?
But before we begin the discussion... let's recall the world in which we live. Technology has been used time and time again to discredit just about anyone for just about anything. Sports officials simply don't need that. So before you say "I'm John Doe of the ABC-18U League in Citytown, Statesville, and I ejected Coach Q Public because I didn't like his tone," take an extra second to remove some personally identifiable information. You never know who is watching, and it's always safer to be vague. Make no mistake, we still want to hear about the Type B Obstruction call you totally nailed that the coach completely didn't understand, but maybe leave out the coach's name, and yours, as well. Team A works just fine. It's okay, over half of our commenters refer to themselves as "Anonymous." That said, how do you rate in the members' UEFL?
18 comments :
I kicked out a player once for making it personal. Player is second guessing every single call of the game, I call safe (even if it's for player's team), "that's a clear out! Come on!," I call out, "was safe by a mile, get in the game! What are you doing out there?" Finally, I made an easy out call (by about 5 feet), and it's "Out? Did you actually call it an out? You made the right call? Wow, I guess even the blind get it right sometimes."
That's it, kid, you're out.
I've seen it all, and it's always the personal stuff that gets the toss. That and the little league profanity... from the parents!
Seriously, Little League parents should be forced to watch on closed circuit TV in that vacant building across the street... maybe even across the state. You think coaches or players don't know the finer points of the rules, how about parents not knowing what a "strike" is?
I had two ejections tonight in travel baseball games, the first in an 18s game; the second, in a 15s.
Early in the first game, I covered third (I was PU) on a potential triple. The throw reached the third baseman, who applied the tag to the B1's knee approximately one foot in front of the bag. I call the runner out. Team B's Assistant Coach (AC), who was standing in the first base coach's box 130 feet away, seemed displeased with the easy call.
In a later inning, Team A delay steals home plate. Team B's pitcher throws the ball to the catcher, who drops his glove to the ground in the middle of home plate. A1 slides in, contacting the front side of the plate prior to touching the catcher's glove. I call the runner safe on a relatively easy call.
Immediately, yells come from Team B's side of the field. As I turn to clean home plate off, team B AC yells: "Show some consistency! That's horrible. You're terrible!" At this moment, I calmly said, "That's it; you're gone" and gave him the toss.
In the second game (serving as field umpire), I call a balk on Team B's pitcher for failing to enter the set position; B's pitcher then delivers the pitch. The batter laces a single to right, scoring two runs (with every runner safely advancing). Team B's HC, ignorant to rule 8.05 PENALTY, believed that a balk means the ball is immediately dead - vocally expressing his opinion. My partner was forced to explain the proper ruling to the coach.
Later in the game, B2 half-swings. My partner properly rules the batter attempted to strike the ball, and calls a strike. Team B HC asks my partner if he can appeal to myself (in A position), which my partner declines. I instruct the first base coach that this is not an appealable play, which he voices across the diamond to the HC. The HC then proceeds to hold up play arguing that on a half-swing "You can always appeal." (Direct quote) Between innings, the Team B HC continued to disagree with our opinion, arguing for a good minute at home plate (Including saying, "Have you guys never watched a college or pro baseball game?"). Team B HC demonstrated his ignorance of rule 9.02(c) COMMENT.
The following half-inning, Team A's first runner reaches first base. While waiting for the next batter to step in the box, the B2 pitcher (a left-hander) rests his left foot on the top edge of the pitcher's plate, nearest the third base side, without entering the stretch or a pitching position. Noticing A1 off first base, he throws to first base. However, he moves neither foot (he fails to step off with the left foot, or step directly towards first with his right foot). In accordance with 8.05(c), I call a balk, and advance the runner.
B HC immediately begins yelling and storming towards the field. He says, "You weren't even looking, blue. He wasn't on the rubber." Then, staring directly in my eyes, he says loudly, "You need to read a frickin' rulebook or something." At this point, I calmly state, "You're gone" and eject B HC.
Cool---since I asked for this post, I should post a story or 2 since I have hundreds....but here is what happened Monday night when I asked for the forum...
14AA travel playing under high school rules. Runner on 2nd with 2 outs is stealing third. Throw to third gets away as the runner is sliding. Both the 3rd baseman and runner get up at the same time and their legs get tangled. I call nothing, in fact give the safe signal to show that I saw the contact and it's nothing.
As the play at the plate develops, the throw skips under the catcher's glove and towards the backstop. However, the runner decided to stick out is forearms and lower his forearms and torso into the catcher. I said "TIME" "#6, you're out and you're gone".
Well nobody must have heard the "you're gone" part, because as the bottom of the third was about to begin, he took his position on the field.
I went over to the person I thought was the head coach (the one who took the ground rules under 3-2-4 needs to be the head coach), and explained that it was malicious contact and #6 was ejected. He got all defensive and starting pointing out the contact at third and then the fact that the catcher was blocking the plate. I said coach under federation rules malicous contact will supercede obstruction any day of the week. A few more exchanges and then here comes another coach who starts criticizing my tone and attitude. I said "assistant coaches can't leave the dugout for arguing, you are both restricted to the bench". He said he was the head coach, and since I approached the assistant myself, they shouldn't be restricted.
I walked away. An inning of bullshit from the dugout finally made me call out the now head coach and explain about the ground rules and why I approached the coach. I said either way 2 coaches can't be on the field because one has to the be asst. I even told him it was 3-3-1g if he was so inclined to double check. Finally after 5 more exchanges of stupidity, I just ran him too.
Then, in a move I've never seen at my level in 22 years of umpiring, the coach turned around and kicked dirt on me. I guess he forgot that he wasn't Lou Pinella or Billy Martin and that this wasn't the majors. I was kind of floored. I just stared at the guy as he left the field.
League came down with an indefinite suspension, no appeal. Kind of made me feel good.
Thanks for the forum and I'll post more stories later.
Josh
I've only had one unofficial ejection in my 9 or so years of umpiring. This occurred in a 12 year old summer tournament game.
The visiting team had a runner on second with 2 outs. A base hit to the left fielder and the runner on 2nd gets a little bit overzealous and tries going home but ends up in a pickle between 3rd and home. I was the plate ump and positioned myself perfectly to see it,and my baseump had come into the center of the diamond as a backup. After a couple of back and fourths the runner attempts to slide back head first into third, but was tagged on the helmet before the hand reached third,resulting in the out call to end the game.
He goes "my hand was on the bag!" to which I replied "he got you on the helmet going in before your hand got the bag." Now increasingly angry he jumps up and goes "you've got to be kidding me,i was safe!" and begins to walk toward me still screaming. He then made a comment along the lines of "I was safe,you know it!" and i said "he got you on the helmet before your hand hit the bag,it's an out."
He then charged at me,and threw his helmet at me,which got him the ejection. The game was over so one could argue that the ejection probably wasn't necessary,but to me the charging was enough but the helmet toss was over the line. I'm don't know what ended up happening,but the manager was none to pleased with his player,and attempted to have the player apologize to me,which was obviously not going to happen. The coach said "this has happened before" and his teammates seemed to side with me by telling the player "dude,the umpire was right.You can't throw your helmet at him!" So it appeared that this kid,at 12 years old, had some anger issues.
Probably not as exciting as some of your ejections but i thought I would share.
Thanks
My 1st ever EJ:
12 Year Old LL Allstar game I'm on the bases. Kid doubles and misses 1st. Defense appeals and I ring him up for it. Coach comes out and tells me to show him the footprint.
I tell him I don't have to. He refuses to go back to his dugout twice so I run him. One of the mothers in the stands calls me a cheating motherf##### so the tournament directer kicks her out too.
Ok, so I was going to post the actual ejection report from an incident I had on Memorial Day, but apparently I exceeded the website's character limit (4096, if you're curious). So . . .
14 year olds, Nations Baseball, MLB rules. Bottom of first, I call a balk. Kid didn't step toward first. Coach raises holy hell, screaming and hollering, right in the middle of the field, insisting the 'spin motion' is legal. He asks for appeal, I won't give it (judgment call, not appealable). Finally he walks away.
Bottom of second, same motion, same call, same performance from coach, only much longer, so I toss him. My partner gets the coach off of the field. He goes to the dugout, and throws a bucket of balls on the field.
After the balls are picked up, the assistant tells me to not "take this out on his kids." Yes, obvious set-up there. Next play, I call a runner safe, he's on the field screaming. He asks for appeal, again I don't give it. I let him a little to close to me, and he pushes me, then starts the verbal threats. My partner walks him off too.
Later I toss one of their fans for threatening me also. After the game, he's offended that I won't give him my name.
They reported things to the regional director, claiming that I bumped their coach and that my partner told them my calls were wrong. Both are untrue.
@Josh...A 14 year old travel coach kicking dirt on you? Unbelievable. I think you'll find that ejections are much more commonplace in competitive youth baseball than in the MLB because of coach ignorance of the rules.
My only ejection in 7 years of umpiring high school, not as spectacular as some of them on here. First game of a varsity doubleheader between conference rivals near the top of the standings, bottom of the 6th inning, runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 outs, home team behind by a couple of runs, starting pitcher batting. Lines out to short to end the inning. Proceeds to take off his helmet and spike it off of home plate. I eject him immediately and head coach gets pissed off. Everyone is surprised, and coach tries to tell me that he will deal with it, but to eject his starting pitcher, so he does not have to serve the state mandated sitting out of the rest of the day and the next date when the varsity team plays. I say no way, throwing equipment in anger, even if frustration with himself, is automatic. Coach walks away mumbling, but nothing worthy of ejection. Rest of day goes off with no further incident.
@cricket...yeah i was pretty shocked about the situation. 22 years of umpiring and countless ejections, and no coach handled getting tossed as poorly as this guy did....
I had a funny ejection. Long time ago so lots of "abouts" in my story. NAIA game (college ball) and the visiting team was down by 1 to start the 6th inning then gave up 2 more so down by 3. There's a close play sliding into 3rd but not really close. Manager comes out to discuss the call - he starts by asking where the tag got the runner. I told him it hit his upper thigh so he was safe. He pauses for a moment then says "I need you to toss me, my bench is dead". I tell him he knows the magic words. He then goes from a very peaceful conversation to yelling, hat waving and then told me I really blew that call and his team deserves better! I tossed him, the team never played any better...
The neatest thing I've ever experienced in a ballgame was not an ejection but a clearing of the bench by my partner. Everyone in the offending dugout went and sat on the bus when on offense, we had one batter, one on-deck batter and a coach in either box. When on defense only nine players were allowed on the field. Game was pretty calm after that.
The best ejection I have had in 28 years was when there was a close play at third on a tag play. The head coach comes out, say to me, " That was a great call, God my team sucks, Throw me out so I don't have to watch this shit anymore, Please." I accomodate him and his team rallied from 9 down to win in extra innings. Funniest damn thing I have ever seen!!!
I had 3 ejections in an adult league game last week. The first one a runner got back picked by the catcher at first base. He argued with me that he missed him and I told him no he got you right on the shin. He kept arguing and turned and threw his helmet against the fence.
Then later in the game, after both teams were warned to keep there comments to each other and not make any comments to the other team. The pitcher gets the third out of the inning and turned to the other dugout and said "just call me Jesus Christ" and someone on the opposing team responded with an f you. So I threw them both out. The pitcher then decided he would get his monies worth and called me a faggot about 6 times, told me he knows where my car is and that he was going to find my sisters and my mother. He also called the opposing pitcher Orvile Reddenbacher. You have to love Sunday adult ball.
ok good story #2----since lovely adult leagues are now mentioned....an adult league is the only time I've ever ejected another umpire...
Bottom of the 5th (of a 7 inning game)...Hometeam up by 8 runs with 2 outs and batting. A basehit to the outfield...run #9 comes across the plate, and as run #10 was rounding third, his base coach grabbed him and directed him back to the bag. I called him out for coach assisting the runners. The guys were all laughing about it.
Then, my asshole umpire partner, who had spent the whole game making shitty calls and flexing his muscles on hot afternoon, runs in and says (loudly) "what did you make that call for?? That was the 10th run and we could be going home with one more hit". I said rather obnoxiously, if you want to go home that badly, why don't you just get the fuck out of here as I made my infamous left-handed EJ signal. I've never seen 2 entire adult league teams give an umpire (me) that much support, as basically 24 18-30 year olds, all told this douchebag to take a hike and I finished the game by myself.
It took one call to the assigner after the game and that ump was fired immediately.
josh
So glad i found this site, i also wanted to chat about stuff like this. i had a few ejection in pass none this year. One was doing a major calripken game. coach was aguring over the batter not getting enough time in the box. i gave the batter enough time. so i tried to talk to the coach down i already gave him a warning he wouldn't come down than i ejected him. the other one was a baberuth game i also had problems with this coach and manager they kept saying things to me. than they said something and said it was "too the catcher" i was not playing bs games with them i throw the coach out.
I hate to say it, but most coaches are all right,
till they wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!
First ejection must have been a coach who, safe to say, drank too much before the game. Intoxicated people in sports are usually fans! Fortunately, it was an adult game (not Sunday beer league neither) so that was okay.
But I once had a coach that was extremely annoyed I was giving corners. His team took pitches upon pitches, even ones right down broadway, and he was upset that home plate was 17 inches across. That coach got dumped after coming out of the dugout after a punchout to yell something he shouldn't have said. Meanwhile, the other team was upset that I was squeezing their pitchers, so go figure.
Umpires eject coaches over controversial or close calls primarily because said coaches can't have a logical argument. They ALWAYS say it's a blown call, it's the worst bad call of all time that an umpire or referee can make. I've had a guy tell me I should be in the NBA. Why, I asked. "So you can join Tim Donaghy and all the other crooked referees who blow calls night in and night out. You're that good." ... "And you're out of here."
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