Part XXI of Why Youth Sports Umpires and Referees are Calling it Quits!

When coaches are ejected from games, the reason is often one that can only be described as something like “really stupid, and completely unnecessary”.

A few years ago, a coach argued with the plate umpire about a pitch that hit the dirt before bouncing up and hitting the batter in the leg. Bases were loaded at the time. The umpire properly called “DEAD BALL!” and awarded the batter first base, runners moved up and a run scored.

Immediately the defensive coach approached the umpire and this was how their conversation went:

“Hey Blue, why did you give him first base? Didn’t you see that the ball hit the ground before it hit the batter?”

“Coach, it doesn’t matter that the ball hit the ground first. The batter was still hit by the pitch.”

“Are you kidding? Of course it matters!”

“I don’t need to check the rule. I know you’re wrong, and you’re giving them a run they don’t deserve.”

“Okay, we’re done talking about this, and if you continue arguing about this, I’m going to have to throw you out of the game.”

“I can’t stand it when umpires don’t know what they’re doing”.

“Coach, I’m ejecting you, please leave the field now!”

Umpires don’t like or need to raise their blood pressure over something as foolish as this, and belligerent coaches like this one will drive umpires away, further contributing to the umpire shortage.

Next time I’ll talk about coaches who argue constantly with umpires, but to quote a former U.S. President, do it in a “kinder, gentler” way, which while amusing, is just as aggravating to umpires.

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Randy Corwin is a veteran Massachusetts youth baseball umpire and author of the book, OBNOXIOUS PARENTS AND RUTHLESS COACHES, which is now available at Amazon Books, Barnes and Noble’s online bookstore, and at Escape Into Fiction in Franklin, MA. This post is part twenty one of a series of articles based on the book.