The OP sounds more like sheer vindictiveness and spite. Chalk it up to experience. If there is one thing your AC should learn is to address blue a bit more respectfully in the future. There is no reason for him to "Go Nuts" and start the cascade. Blue may not have started out hating your guts, but it sounds like you gave him ample reason to after the outburst. You can't control what other people do, but you can control how you handle the situation, and teach your team to do the same.
spiteful umpires?
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- May 17, 2012
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If it was league play I would have gotten together with the other coach and worked something out. My first thought is a forfeit and ask the umpire to leave the field. I would then tried to find a replacement (coach, parent, whomever) and finished the game.
Well I don't believe I have ever gone "nuts" over a call. Have I questioned calls before? Sure, but going nuts over a safe/out call...sounds a little stupid to me. There have been 2 times that I have raised my voice to an umpire, first time is when the opposing SS came down hard on our baserunner stealing (OK things happen didn't say anything) then another baserunner steals, is on the base, and the SS litterally shoves her off the base, that is when I approached the umpire about the plays. The 2nd time is when the opposing coach yells out to his players to intentionally throw the ball at the heads of our baserunners. That one got me a little fired up.
I have to admit that I have been in many association meetings where my brethren have discussed how quickly they're going to toss a certain coach. However, it has never deteriorated to the point of taking it out on the players.
My definition of going nuts here was, after the call that was painfully obvious, ( their side conceded and our side was relieved) only to have the call be the latter... horrible call. My asst proceeds to meet with him at home to ask if he got confused or what happened. Blue instantly gets defensive and puffed out chest. AC then responds with the typical "are you blind" kind of talk and that's when things got out of hand. Some more words were exchanged loudly and I went to get him off the plate. It was at this point the blue is starring him down like a moron. Fast forward a few days, the league commissioner did in fact speak with the opposing team and a few parents on both sides...we all had the same story... that umpire was fired and his remaining games scheduled have since been reassigned.
- Feb 22, 2013
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I find this an interesting thread. In order for there to be good umpires, there have to be bad umpires. If not, we would never be able to tell the difference between a good umpire and a bad umpire.
I have umpired over the years and have been yelled at for making judgement calls. I am sure that I have made several calls correctly and have made several calls incorrectly. I have worked with several umpires that I thought had excellent judgement and several umpires that I thought had consistently poor judgement. The thing that I find interesting is that you can't teach judgement or perception. An umpire either has good judgement skills or doesn't have these skills and no amount of yelling is going to improve his/her ability to process information differently.
I haven't umpired for the last ten or so years because I have been involved as a head coach or assistant coach on my dd's rec and travel ball teams. Within my travel ball coaching capacities, I found the next quote to be interesting.
As a head coach, I never allowed my assistant coaches to yell at umpires or as you stated go nuts on umpires. If there was an issue to be addressed, I took it upon myself to address the umpire. I expected the assistant coaches and players to be cordial to the umpires. Now that I am an assistant coach on my dd's travel ball team, I find it less stressful because I no longer address umpires, unless being cordial, but I try to motivate the girls to succeed despite the obstacles that get thrown in their way.
I took a TB team to a tournament last year. There was an umpire that I thought was purposely going out of his way to put the screws to our team. As a head coach, I let him know about my displeasure with his judgement calls. My dd's team went to the same tournament this year and he showed up to umpire our game. He was equally as bad an umpire this year and I thanked him for umpiring. My expectation on his umpiring skills weren't very high and he didn't dissappoint. I watched him umpire several more games during the tournament and he was equally as bad no matter who played.
I have umpired over the years and have been yelled at for making judgement calls. I am sure that I have made several calls correctly and have made several calls incorrectly. I have worked with several umpires that I thought had excellent judgement and several umpires that I thought had consistently poor judgement. The thing that I find interesting is that you can't teach judgement or perception. An umpire either has good judgement skills or doesn't have these skills and no amount of yelling is going to improve his/her ability to process information differently.
I haven't umpired for the last ten or so years because I have been involved as a head coach or assistant coach on my dd's rec and travel ball teams. Within my travel ball coaching capacities, I found the next quote to be interesting.
As a head coach, I never allowed my assistant coaches to yell at umpires or as you stated go nuts on umpires. If there was an issue to be addressed, I took it upon myself to address the umpire. I expected the assistant coaches and players to be cordial to the umpires. Now that I am an assistant coach on my dd's travel ball team, I find it less stressful because I no longer address umpires, unless being cordial, but I try to motivate the girls to succeed despite the obstacles that get thrown in their way.
I took a TB team to a tournament last year. There was an umpire that I thought was purposely going out of his way to put the screws to our team. As a head coach, I let him know about my displeasure with his judgement calls. My dd's team went to the same tournament this year and he showed up to umpire our game. He was equally as bad an umpire this year and I thanked him for umpiring. My expectation on his umpiring skills weren't very high and he didn't dissappoint. I watched him umpire several more games during the tournament and he was equally as bad no matter who played.
Umpires get calls wrong, it happens. But sounds like both your AC and the UMP were out of line. Ump probably should have tossed the AC on the "blind talk" and let that be the end of it. Taking it out your girls was bush league.
Glad to hear that that ump won't be doing any more league games.
- Oct 3, 2009
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Amy, I always love your posts and love good softball stories which is one of the reasons I am on this forum so much. Well that and to learn a little along the way. So I have to ask if you are willing to share the stories behind the two times you packed it up?
I understand if you do not but it has to be pretty good.
Last fall, my son played a 16U baseball game where his coach "fired" the umps. They were awful and the players were miserable. Not as bad as the OP, though. The parents and both teams were relieved. They finished the game as an exhibition and the players had a blast.
His coach was an ex Army Ranger. He and the umpires had a "colorful" exchange... : )
This weekend in my DD's softball tourney, there was one game where the field umpire strongly favored strong throws, whether they actually beat the runner or not. There were three instances in a 5 inning game where the ump was raising his hand/fist for an out call before the ball had arrived and the runner beat the throw.
It was an interesting response. It was almost as it a great throw turned him into a fan.
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