default
Member
Ok, I thought I could let this go but it's driving me crazy.
I coach a local middle school club team. At best we are average, in my opinion. We had an away game last night and from the start it went down hill between the umpire and myself.
First, the game started almost 20 minutes late because the umpire was late. Second, top of the first we (both teams) had to correct the umpires count...twice, on two different batters. Third, when my pitcher took the mound he came to me and said she had to remove her ear rings. My bad! I know the rule and completely missed it. He was nice enough just to have her remove them. So far, so good.
Next, and this is where it really turned, we had a play at home where the home team had a runner coming home. The runner stepped over my catchers glove with her front foot but we tagged her back foot before she touched the plate. He called her safe. Now, in no disrespectful way did I do it, but I questioned his call. He immediately came over to the fence offering me the clicker and asked me if I wanted to make the calls. I said "If I have to, then yes." Maybe I shouldn't have but, I did.
At this point I knew it was not going to be a good evening and I let it go. Two full innings later, the umpire came to me and said I was being disrespectul and a bad sport. He again asked me if I wanted to do his job and told me to stop giving him "shi#". I told him "I don't want your job and would never want it. I couldn't handle it." He then complained to me about how much he was getting paid and that's why schools have a hard time getting umpires. I was told by one of our parents that he also called me a smart a$$ but I didn't hear that.
Needless to say, the attitude from Blue continued throughout the game. He gave the home team a hard time as well for no reason. I let it go. Never questioned anything the remainder of the game and lived with it. After the game (8 long innings in which we lost) as the girls were shaking hands, I approached blue with my outreached hand to shake his and apologize. He walked by me and told me I was a bad sport and teaching the girls bad sportsmanship. He didn't even attempt to shake my hand. As he left the field, he was yelling how he had a bad day before the game. He also would not talk to the home team coach or shake his hand and began to argue with one of my parents. My girls had no idea how to react because after every game, I have them shake the umpires hand as well.
Now, as I said, I have no plans to ever become an umpire. I may not like the calls they make but I do respect them. I have questioned hundreds of calls in my coaching "career" and have never had an umpire react like that.
I did apologize to my girls, my parents, and the other teams coach for whatever I did to cause the stressful game.
Where I am struggling with this entire experience is should I have done something different? How could I have avoided this entire situation, or could I?
Thanks for your honest feedback.
I coach a local middle school club team. At best we are average, in my opinion. We had an away game last night and from the start it went down hill between the umpire and myself.
First, the game started almost 20 minutes late because the umpire was late. Second, top of the first we (both teams) had to correct the umpires count...twice, on two different batters. Third, when my pitcher took the mound he came to me and said she had to remove her ear rings. My bad! I know the rule and completely missed it. He was nice enough just to have her remove them. So far, so good.
Next, and this is where it really turned, we had a play at home where the home team had a runner coming home. The runner stepped over my catchers glove with her front foot but we tagged her back foot before she touched the plate. He called her safe. Now, in no disrespectful way did I do it, but I questioned his call. He immediately came over to the fence offering me the clicker and asked me if I wanted to make the calls. I said "If I have to, then yes." Maybe I shouldn't have but, I did.
At this point I knew it was not going to be a good evening and I let it go. Two full innings later, the umpire came to me and said I was being disrespectul and a bad sport. He again asked me if I wanted to do his job and told me to stop giving him "shi#". I told him "I don't want your job and would never want it. I couldn't handle it." He then complained to me about how much he was getting paid and that's why schools have a hard time getting umpires. I was told by one of our parents that he also called me a smart a$$ but I didn't hear that.
Needless to say, the attitude from Blue continued throughout the game. He gave the home team a hard time as well for no reason. I let it go. Never questioned anything the remainder of the game and lived with it. After the game (8 long innings in which we lost) as the girls were shaking hands, I approached blue with my outreached hand to shake his and apologize. He walked by me and told me I was a bad sport and teaching the girls bad sportsmanship. He didn't even attempt to shake my hand. As he left the field, he was yelling how he had a bad day before the game. He also would not talk to the home team coach or shake his hand and began to argue with one of my parents. My girls had no idea how to react because after every game, I have them shake the umpires hand as well.
Now, as I said, I have no plans to ever become an umpire. I may not like the calls they make but I do respect them. I have questioned hundreds of calls in my coaching "career" and have never had an umpire react like that.
I did apologize to my girls, my parents, and the other teams coach for whatever I did to cause the stressful game.
Where I am struggling with this entire experience is should I have done something different? How could I have avoided this entire situation, or could I?
Thanks for your honest feedback.
