Ball Boy ejected by Umpire

[edjr 6,704]

[lickin_starfish 1,961]

That is the most exciting series of events I can remember seeing during a baseball game.

[edjr 6,704]

3 minutes ago, lickin_starfish said:

That is the most exciting series of events I can remember seeing during a baseball game.

@posty  may just agree!

[posty 2,771]

My brother and I were at a minor league baseball game in the 90s and the batter was hit by a curve ball that hit his back foot...  He threw his bat down and charged the mound and the benches cleared...  My brother and I looked at each other as we couldn't believe that there was a bench clearing brawl from a curve ball that hit the back foot...  There had to have been something that happened in previous games, but we never was able to find out...

[TBayXXXVII 2,597]

At the beginning, I think the umpire was right, for the most part.  That first pitch was inside.  It was a ball.  The last pitch was a ball too, it was low.  The second was close.  Could go either way.  When he went to the mound, he should've said, "hey, I thought they were balls," and leave it at that.  He had no need to throw the catcher out.

Now, I didn't have the sound on, so I didn't hear if that was a foul ball or not.  The thing is, they could've asked the ump to get a second opinion.  Since nothing really happened that couldn't have been undone, he should've went to the other umpires and asked if they heard (or saw), the ball hit the bat.

Of course, because he was a jerk and was taking things personally, he didn't do that.  Even though he was right initially, he allowed his emotions to rule out.

[TBayXXXVII 2,597]

A little anecdote with umpiring.

It was my first year umpiring rec league ball... and my third game.  I was on the bases of a Senior League game (13-16 year olds), and working with a guy I already didn't like.  I worked with this guy in my first game and after the game, I talked with the head guy and he told me that not many people get along with him, but we need to use him from time to time because of umpire availability.  He told me to just do my job and if asked by coaches, be diplomatic with the ump.

Second inning, fireworks.  lol  Starts with the very first batter, very first pitch.  The team in the field is on the 3rd base line, with the coach of the other team in the 3rd base coaches box (that's important), because it's a left handed batter.  Note, as the pitcher is getting ready to throw, a car is driving by with their windows down and radio blaring.  No one can really hear anything.  Pitch comes in, the batter starts his swing... abruptly stops and pulls back, the and ump calls it a ball.  Both coaches call for timeout as the batter backs out wondering how it was a ball.  Here's why. What all of us saw (everyone except the home plate umpire [which is reasonable]), the ball changed it's flight path.  The coach on the 3rd base side said that was a foul ball.  The coach in the 3rd base coaches box, said the ball hit the batter.  Both coaches are asking the umpire about the pitch, so the ump calls me over to ask what I saw.  Well, being down the first base line and seeing the batters reaction, I said to the ump, that I "thought" the ball may have hit the batter, but at worst, it hit the bat.  I said "either the kid gets first or it's a strike, I'll back you on whichever you choose, but it can't be a ball".  He says, "Ok, thanks", proceeded to walk back behind the plate and said "It's a ball.  We're live".  Everyone was shocked... even me.

Now, the coach in the field would rather it be a ball than hit batter, the coach of the hitting team would rather it be a ball than a strike.  But, neither was truly happy.  That batter flew out and the next batter got a double, went to 3rd on a throwing error... scored 2 pitches later on a pass ball.  So, 1 out, third batter of the inning, a righty, with a 0-2 count.  Pitch comes in and he offered, ump calls it a ball and says he didn't go.  Catcher and pitcher ask for the ump to check with me.  The ump says "No, he did swing".  Coach calls time and asks the ump what the problem is with just checking.  He was very polite about it too.  He says "Time Blue".  Walked out and said, "hey, do you mind checking with the first base ump to see if he swung."  Ump raises his voice and says "I saw it, it's my call".  Coach walks away "Ok, just don't know why you can just check".  Ump proceeds to throw him out of the game.  Obviously that causes more drama, but the other coaches on the team back him off and game continues.  Kid strikes out on a called 3rd strike on the very next pitch, so in a way, no harm/no foul... except he threw out a coach for no reason.

The next batter gets a triple, so now I'm positioned between 2nd and 3rd in the field.  On a fly ball down the line, it's my job to very the runner tags up... not whether the ball is fair or foul.  It's up to the home plate umpire to call fair or foul.  The next batter hits a fly ball down the first base line.  I position myself in foul territory along the 3rd base line facing the ump waiting to hear (and maybe see), the out call as I watch the runner on 3rd base.  The coach yells to his runner to take off that the fielder will never catch it... so to him, no harm no foul if it's fair or foul, because it's not an out.  I look up and see the white chalk kick up. People start cheering and I start moving closer to first base to make sure the kid touches first as he rounds the base.  To everyone astonishment, the ump calls it foul.  He said it was foul because that was just dirt that kicked up, not chalk.  Well, obviously that sparks another disagreement with the other coach and he gets tossed.  Obviously, both teams... coaches, kids, and parents aren't happy and we're only in the second inning.

At the end of that half inning, I talk to him and simply said that if there's any confusion, he can ask and I'll help with the calls if need be.  Considering he and I both know he ignored my help that inning, silently, we both knew he wasn't going to ask for my input.

Bottom of the second inning, 1 out, no one on base.  The pitcher balks, during his motion, I yell "Balk", but the pitcher proceeds to throw the pitch and the batter swings.  He hits the ball into the outfield and gets a single.  On a bad throw, he goes to third base.  The home plate ump calls the kid back to home and says that the pitch is a ball.  Before the coach even says anything, I call time and talk to the ump.  I tell him that I called a balk and that with no runners on base, that's considered an illegal pitch if the pitcher proceeds to throw the pitch.  He looks at me says, "yeah, it's a ball".  I so "No, it's an illegal pitch once the ball leaves the pitchers hand and it's a live ball.  The offensive team gets the choice to take the outcome of the play or a ball.  It's their choice, not ours.  I made the assumption that the team at bat would rather have their runner on 3rd base than a ball."  He said, "No, it's my call, it's a ball."  He turns away, motions for the kid to get in the batters box and says the pitch was a ball.  Obviously the offensive team had a issue with that, argued with the ump who proceeded to throw that coach out.  When their other coach said, "you can't keep throwing out coaches who tell you that you're wrong", the ump threw him out too.  At this point, all 3 coaches from that team were ejected.  The ump called the game a forfeit and ruled the other team won.  Mind you, that other team was not happy with calls either and they wanted to play the game, just not get the win.  One of the parents started shouting at the ump because their kids' best friend was on the other team that the ump just made forfeit.  He told the remaining coaches to "reign in your loud mouth parents".  Well, they didn't and the ump proceed to throw those coaches out and called the game null and they'd have to replay it at a later date or it goes as a tie.

Both sides were furious.  I calmed down the coaches and told them that the game will continue where we left off and I'd do the game by myself.  I put the last batter back on third and after the inning finished, I told the coaches go get their ejected coaches back and we'll finish the game.

That ump never did another game in our league after that.  All of this took place in 45 minutes.  LOL

[MikeMatt 214]

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