H.S. Parent Follows Ump into Parking Lot

[tamss13]

instead of waiting for my DD to tell her good job, something in my head told me to go to the parking lot to incase “something stupid” happened

Maybe times have changed.......but someone in their trunk and me thinking "something stupid" could happen........means call the police and get far far far......did I say far---- away.

 

[Long Baller]

Witnessed a parent follow 2 umps into the parking lot after a Saturday of our tournament. Watched as his 12 yr old daughter was in tears telling him to stop. Absolutely ridiculous - it’s one thing to be vocal on the stands.. another thing to follow someone.. much less 2 umps who are probably 60+ Yrs old into a parking lot. Several parents witnessed this and hope they ban this parent from all tournaments.

I believe that a team's parents really should be policing themselves, within reason. So often you see the other parents actually enabling this bad behavior instead of trying to defuse it. Sometimes a casual "Hey, you're making us all look like a bunch of idiots", or "Keep it up and your kid really isn't going to get that call..." can have a favorable effect. I certainly would not let any of our parents follow an ump into the parking lot. Luckily DD's teams have had good parents over the years and never had any serious problems.

 

[CoachJ5513]

As an umpire, i believe this is why you ask and document who the administrator on duty is. If someone is acting in an aggressive manner, or making threatening gestures during a game, the administrator &/or security should escort the officials to their vehicles. Also, its important that the umpires arrive and leave together for the same purpose.
It is my understanding that there was an incident in East Texas earlier this month that wound up with an official in the emergency room (idk exact details). Home school definitely has a major role in controlling "unruly" parents and a responsibility for safety of the umpires working for them. IMHO

 

[radness]

Fast forward to after the game
Ironically he (the yeller) was parked right next to the ump.





Parent immediately pop’s his hatch back open








and is shuffling through his stuff, yelling at the ump the whole time, while the ump is trying to change his gear and get the heck out of there ASAP. You could see that the ump (probably in his 70s) was intimidated and visually “shaken”. He called the other ump over and asked if could “keep an eye on me”, which he did. Now, I saw this whole thing playing out from the beginning, so instead of waiting for my DD to tell her good job, something in my head told me to go to the parking lot to incase “something stupid” happened. It was small parking lot, and the two umps, belligerent parent, any myself were the only four people there at the time. I walked up about 20 feet away from their position and postured myself to where it was obvious that my entire purpose was to be a witness to their confrontation. I think I took the 2nd ump by surprise as he started to stare me down with that “what the heck” look. I gave him a wink and nod to let him know that I had no ill intent towards them. Belligerent parent then noticed me and gave me a stare down too, to which I stared back. He then turns back to the ump and starts yelling, “I never threatened you…NO! I never threatened you. I just had to tell you what a bad job you did!” Parent gave me another stare then started walking away. Plate ump is now changed out of his gear, and then peels out of the parking lot. 2nd ump asks me “What’s the deal with that guy?” to which I reply, “I don’t know, I’m a parent with the opposing team. It looked something stupid might happen so I thought that if there was a witness, that might diffuse the situation.” To which he thanked me. I then told him they umped a good game, and that I would not want to be an ump because of parents like that. He thanked me again, then also said that the plate ump was an idiot too.

I was going to let this whole thing drop, but the more I think about it, I am wondering if I should report this parent to the other teams Athletic Director? It’s one thing to chirp in the stands about a call, but I think that following an ump to the parking lot after the game is WAY over the line. Did I prevent a physical altercation? I don't know. I’m not going to say that he went out the parking lot to physically beat the ump up, but you never know how things can escalate. I definitely think he went out there to at least verbally intimidate the guy. There is no place for that! So, should I report the guy, or let it drop?

This story seems really blown out of proportion. The title itself misleading.
The parking lot is a parking lot.
Usually people park there.

If all ya'all who are outraged at people yelling at umpires....
Then how come you dont yell back at those people
DURING THE GAME HARRASING UMPIRES.

Its as if this post says
You can yell and be pissed off during the game but not after?!
Come on now...

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

This story seems really blown out of proportion. The title itself misleading.
The parking lot is a parking lot.
Usually people park there.

If all ya'all who are outraged at people yelling at umpires....
Then how come you dont yell back at those people
DURING THE GAME HARRASING UMPIRES.

Its as if this post says
You can yell and be pissed off during the game but not after?!
Come on now...

I don't think berating officials during or after a game (or at any time) is appropriate. But during the game, the fence does provide a physical barrier and probably provides the veneer of anonymity/impersonality to the offender (yeller).

The parking lot provides no such barrier, increases the physical danger, and makes things intensely more personal. Neither is right, but there is a difference.

For me, if there is no designated umpire parking, I usually park as far away (while still visible to the public) as practical. Fortunately I have never dealt with this kind of situation.

 

[bmakj]

I don't think berating officials during or after a game (or at any time) is appropriate. But during the game, the fence does provide a physical barrier and probably provides the veneer of anonymity/impersonality to the offender (yeller).

The parking lot provides no such barrier, increases the physical danger, and makes things intensely more personal. Neither is right, but there is a difference.

For me, if there is no designated umpire parking, I usually park as far away (while still visible to the public) as practical. Fortunately I have never dealt with this kind of situation.

Also, a lot of people may say something in the heat of the moment, and then calm down. There are many times, I will yell out things after a call that I regret 2 minutes later (nothing profane or abusive, usually on the order of "you've got to be kidding", or just a really loud "WHAT!"). I consider this partisan, but not berating or abusive. and regardless of how I felt they did, if I am near the umpire after the game, I will universally thank them, because it is a relatively thankless job.

to keep it boiling long enough to follow someone into parking lot screams of an issue with that person.

 

[radness]

I don't think berating officials during or after a game (or at any time) is appropriate. But during the game, the fence does provide a physical barrier and probably provides the veneer of anonymity/impersonality to the offender (yeller).

The parking lot provides no such barrier, increases the physical danger, and makes things intensely more personal. Neither is right, but there is a difference.

For me, if there is no designated umpire parking, I usually park as far away (while still visible to the public) as practical. Fortunately I have never dealt with this kind of situation.

There was no physical confrontation.
They were parked right next to eachother.

Not defending the situation.
Just that nothing corrupt happened.

 

[Long Baller]

Its as if this post says
You can yell and be pissed off during the game but not after?!
Come on now...

You honestly think it is OK to confront an umpire, after the game, in the parking lot?

 

[radness]

You honestly think it is OK to confront an umpire, after the game, in the parking lot?

People are always having further conversations with umpires after games. This does not stand out as different.

I read the story.
you can take from it what you want. To me the title was completely misleading.
Also the added descriptions of the people is actually uneccesary imo also.

The title says the Yeller followed the umpire to his car. But in the same story it says the Yeller walked to his car. they were parked next to each other. Story also says the yeller immediatly open his trunk of his car.
He went to his own car!!!!
Not at the umpires car.
so the yeller are did not follow the umpire to his car Yeller happen to be parked next to the umpire and nothing other than voicing words happened. who knows what the umpire was saying to the man. There was another umpire there who was with the umpire even commented to the OP that he thought the home plate umpire is an idiot ...
There very well could be a different version of the story being told.
Since I hear people yelling at umpires after games all the time and berate them with really harsh words nothing went further than words and words are allowed.

 

[CoachJD]

People are always having further conversations with umpires after games. This does not stand out as different.

A parent continuing to complain about bad calls in the parking lot after the game is different and nothing I've ever seen. People do not always do that. This is not a coach having a discussion. It's a person who has no business talking to the umpire in the first place doing it as the umpire is trying to go home.