An umpiring first for Chef

Disturbing?

 

Well struck, sir.

 

I had one of those games once at a 12-year-old level -- lefthanded kid throwing probably mid- to high-60s, way faster than most of these kids were used to seeing. I called his first 11 pitches strikes, and the batters mostly just stood there with their mouths agape. He faded by the fourth inning, but his team was up something like 20-0; losing team's parents were getting on me for calling balls at that point. "Just call 'em strikes so we can go home!"

 

I was just told that the kid that threw yesterday is going to be a senior in high school.

Good Lord.

He could be at 95-96 easily in a year.

 

Been there, done that. Long story short, tossed a kid in a 14u travel league because he threw the bat in two consecutive ABs and hit the catcher both times upon release. We're talking let go of the bat with the left hand at the top of the swing, hitting the catcher in the head once and in the forearm second. Kid had a baseball sized bruise from the second time. Because the batter hit a single and was on first, I walked up to him at first and told him he's out of the game for throwing the bat, instead of ringing him up with traditional theatrics. Coach immediately blows his lid. Claims since we're playing "major league baseball rules" and you can't toss a player for throwing a bat, you can't toss the kid. #2, I'm 24 (at the time), I've never read an MLB rulebook because I'm not doing big league games, I only know NFHS. Coach is up in my grill like nothing I've experienced before. I'm immediately on the verge of a fistfight with this coach, I'm so pissed. Douchebag ump head, who isn't even an ump, but another coach in the league, overrules me because he's a pansy and says "we are playing MLB rules (which I was never informed of in the first place) and you can't toss a player for throwing the bat," even though this catcher has a baseball sized bruise on his arm.

Fuck the fact we're talking about 14 year olds and the safety of players. We're playing MLB rules. Guy stays.

I was so incensed I had the most intense stabbing pains in my stomach. So much I couldn't finish the game. I've never felt pain that intense in my entire life.

Moral of the story: Fuck 14u travel leagues where the coaches think their kids can play by Major League rules.

 

The guy that overruled you was your partner?

If so, your partner deserves a beating.

First rule of umpires; DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PARTNER HANGING OUT WITH HIS CHEESE FLAPPING IN THE WIND.

This weekend is my kid's 9 year old district championships.....fairly big deal in these parts....in the 12-year old districts on the other field, they've got what we consider 3 of the best umps in this area.....on our field, the home plate ump today......WEARING FUCKING KHAKI SHORTS.

Are you fucking serious?!?!?!?

I don't care how bad of an umpire you are, but you have GOT to at least look like you have a clue.

In what was the longest little league game I have ever witnessed, the Junior Chefs won 25-15 in a 5-inning, 2 hour and 45 minute marathon.

BTW--Kid went 3-4 with 3 RBI.

 

The way I see it, an umpire can eject a player if he feels it necessary for whatever reason. And frankly, that coach should have been tossed, too. Then I'd warn him that he's facing a forfeit if he keeps his shit up.

But I'd have warned the player about the bat after the first swing. That usually is enough.