Parents Attacking Umpires

[LEsoftballdad]

Fair enough I guess but like I said, unless you know the guy personally, approaching an umpire in the parking lot is likely going to spook them..they see the Social media stuff just like we do.

Like I mentioned earlier, we had a cordial relationship the rest of the game as he continually asked me the score for every inning and for me or girls to get foul balls for him. We've had this guy a few times, so you get to know them over time. We spoke before the game, too. Sadly, he just didn't want to answer questions, and that's why he yelled at me.

@RADcatcher, the coach is a nice guy who is in his upper 70s who is losing it. He repeatedly forgets to report substitutions to the umps, argues a lot of calls in which the assistant has to step in to prevent him getting thrown out, and didn't know what a slapper was when he took over a few years ago. He was the reason three TB players didn't return to play this year, and three current TB players have stated they won't return next year if he's the head coach. That would be sad because it would be the death of the program in the school district.

 

[marriard]

Afterwards, in the parking lot, I saw him changing, so I calmly approached him and asked about the call. He lashed out at me again, asked for my name, and said he'd get me suspended from all future games. So, I walked away, muttered a word or two under my breath, and told the AD what happened.

That to me is the other side of the story.

I am sure he blew the call; and I am sure he probably handled it poorly in the game and I am sure he probably didn't have a good game since it is so tough to recover from a blatantly blown call. No idea what caused it or why it happened, but it happened - it sucks. No idea if it was an isolated incident or whatever. I wasn't there.

However your offense of approaching him after the game in the parking lot is much worse. What are you going to gain at this point? You have no official capacity. You want to berate him? Rub it in he 'got it wrong'. Get into a fight? I don't get it? What is he going to say exactly? He probably knows he got it wrong - and is trying to forget it even happened. Please don't do this.

And I am not saying their reaction was correct either when you approached them, but if some random fan approaches me after a game to 'discuss a call' I want no part of it and I am not talking to you and if you persist, yes, I would absolutely report you to the appropriate administration.

As you see from other posts - I don't interact with fans or anyone who is not officially associated with the game (I will politely say Hi and how is your kid doing to people I know and move on). That is what every umpiring school I have ever worked with in any sport has promoted as best practice - because it is.

 

[Dabears17]

I reviewed the video and saw the ball was foul by at least 2.5 feet just to confirm everyone's suspicion, but I didn't say another word all game. Afterwards, in the parking lot, I saw him changing, so I calmly approached him and asked about the call. He lashed out at me again, asked for my name, and said he'd get me suspended from all future games. So, I walked away, muttered a word or two under my breath, and told the AD what happened.

That to me is the other side of the story.

Sports officials in two different sports were physically attacked right after games last week and you wonder why a sports official was concerned when you followed him to his car yesterday? Are you the official book for your DD's team?

About 10 years ago my first fall as President of the local rec league a parent accused an umpire of taking a bribe from the other team in a game at another league during the fall ball playoffs. When I talked to two different coaches from our team they said there were no calls that appeared biased against our team. I was at the game and didn't see any calls that appeared biased against our team. I got a phone call from the head of the local umpire association that while that family was associated with our league, none of his umpires would umpire a game that involved any team associated with our league. Luckily the parents pulled their daughter from our league a week or so later and formed their own 'travel' team.

Umpire recovering after being punched in the face at kids’ softball game

Kristie Moore, who finds umpires for tournaments in Mississippi, said it is difficult to find people willing to officiate the games.

www.ksla.com

 

[nightskiier]

Sports officials in two different sports were physically attacked right after games last week and you wonder why a sports official was concerned when you followed him to his car yesterday? Are you the official book for your DD's team?

You can get attacked on the field in 10U baseball too.

Denton umpire pressing charges against baseball coach he says attacked him

An umpire from Denton says he's going to press charges against a boy’s baseball coach after an incident during a game this weekend. He says the coach attacked him.

www.fox4news.com

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[marriard]

I am lucky enough to have 30+ years of officiating experience at all levels of play in multiple sports under my belt with great mentors, trainers, education, etc, etc and can use this experience to help mitigate these situations occurring (plus I am 6'3 and pretty built)- and I STILL worry about one day it happening.to me. Only takes one bad situation and one additional idiot.

If I am worried - and I have PRO officiating level training and experience and a lot of it - what can officials who do not have all that to fall back on do? They are at much greater risk of making a bad mistake or poor handling a game situation and it suddenly escalating with no way back.

We are not setting the new or newer officials up to succeed - and it is not just parents and coaches at fault - it is the sanctions that should be better investing in their officials that should stand up.

I would happily do more mentoring and helping less experienced officials - but as my assignors say - they need me on the harder/higher level games because they just don't have enough officials to schedule.

 

[uncdrew]

Isn’t $200 worth more than the plastic they hand out?

You get your $200 back if you win the protest.

So it's really just to make people make sure they really want to lodge a protest. I suppose it's a decent system. A lot of "almost protests" are about birth certificates and the whole "No way that girl is 12U, let's protest that".

 

[soonerfan1966]

My grandson's baseball org.(6u thru 13u) was considering not playing in local tournaments because his/the organization had so many bad parents/coaches that the organization head was afraid it would affect the umpires calls. Luckily my grandson's team was not one of the teams accused of bad behavior

 

[PapaBear]

What I think a lot of umpires maybe don't realize is that most coaches would absolutely love the opportunity to go tell the parents to shut the F up. Our parents don't cross the line, but they do occasionally chirp a little bit. I don't even wait for the umpire to say anything. The hardest part about telling them to stop it is trying to hide the giant grin on my face.

He's not being dishonest

 

[PapaBear]

Why? Not sure what this would have accomplished.

Put yourself in his shoes. A guy who you just got into a minor verbal spat with approaches you in the parking lot..how would you feel? He doesn't know you from Adam, you could have had a knife for all he knew..right?

Sometimes emotion gets the best of us, I certainly understand that.

Once the game is over, they don't owe you anything. Approaching in the parking lot regardless of good intentions is not ideal. Bad calls happen and I'm yet to see a coach who got a bad call go their way ask for it to be overturned.

 

[JumboJack]

Once the game is over, they don't owe you anything. Approaching in the parking lot regardless of good intentions is not ideal. Bad calls happen and I'm yet to see a coach who got a bad call go their way ask for it to be overturned.

Following a sports official out to their car and confronting them after a game for any reason can get you suspended from multiple jurisdictions in my area.


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