Team 1 at Team 2
July 12, 2008
5:00PM
Plate Umpire: FirstUmp
Base Umpire 1: Second Ump
Ejecting / Base Umpire 2: Third Ump
In the top of the ninth inning, Team 1Manager, Mike Coach, was given an NCAA warning by home plate umpire, First Ump, for prolonged comments directed towards base umpire, Third Ump, regarding a steal of second base including, “Ump you know he got it wrong and you refuse to clean it up.” Coach responded, “Big deal [long pause], I’ll stop.” The top of the ninth inning concluded with no further incident.
As the bottom of the ninth was set to commence, I returned to my position along the third base line and noticed that Coach was standing in the third base coaching box staring at me. I looked away trying to diffuse the obviously increasing intensity of the situation. As my line of sight returned to Mr. Coach, I noticed that he was still staring at me. At that time, I told him to “stop staring and to do his job and I will do mine.” Coach looked away. The inning began. With a one ball and two strike count on the leadoff hitter in the inning, Player 1, the pitcher threw ball two. The visiting team’s catcher requested that an appeal be made on the swing. When asked, I ruled that the batter had swung at the pitch. Immediately following the call, Coach, took two steps towards me, leaving the coaching box and stared at me. I told him to get back in the box. He did not return to his position and continued to stare at me. I ejected him from the game.
Following the ejection, Coach walked towards me and demanded to know why he had been ejected. I told him he had been warned not to leave his position to argue balls and strikes and refused to comply. Plate Umpire 1 and Base Umpire 1 intervened in the situation in an attempt to get Coach off the field and continue the game in a timely manner. Coach continued to criticize the quality of the officiating of the game, including, “this crew is an embarrassment” and demanded that he would not leave the field until he was given a better explanation of why he was ejected. He continued to scream, “I’ve haven’t written up an umpire in five years, but this young man’s actions and inexperience are unacceptable.” Coach was finally coerced to leave the field by Plate Umpire 1 after a 5-8 minute delay following the ejection.