Umpire ejects spectator (video)

[ms244]

What is the sense of having a rulebook if you're not going to follow it? Let all the umpires use their best judgement and see what kind of consistency you get. Best judgement will run the gamut i.e., I can recognize pornography when I see it. An umpire that finds team cheers distracting could toss the entire bench. All infielders have to wear a fielder's mask. Shaved bats are allowed because they don't improve performance that much and the wind is blowing in. The concession stand operator is tossed because they served a spectator an over-priced hot dog that was half cooked. The strike zone will vary for each team based on ability and score. The look back rule could be overlooked because it is stupid. No running on dropped third strikes because the catcher isn't feeling well. Your kid is tossed because they're running around disturbing other spectators. Your dog is tossed because its not a cat. Anarchy.

Who said they shouldn't follow the rule book? Unless of course they don't want to enforce illegal pitches.... LOL.

 

[JDBerry]

I have seen umpires eject fans , but I really dont believe that is their responsibility. Their focus should only pertain to the game on the field. I tell my players all the time that what happens or is said outside the fence has no bearing on our game. Dont pay attention to it. It is just noise

It is most certainly their responsibility. Now, physically removing the person, no. Making the call, yes. In high school athletics (I will just say in our organization) they have a specific duty that is spelled out and it also spells out to use common sense, the law and the rules.

It's not for every ump/ref to directly engage a spectator. Some can effectively diffuse the situation before it escalates, usually. Some can simply assert their authority and basically tell the spectator to shut up or they are gone. I've seen this at least 3 times in the past couple of years. Once by the state head of umps. But some just can't handle it and shouldn't

Umpires represent the spirit of the game. They are the judges and the impartial authority of the game. Heck, even in our rec league for U8 we give teenage girl umps the full authority to ask to have a coach or spectator to be removed. I explain to each umpire to contact me if they have any issues (I'm the commish)

 

[sleepwalker]

I watched the video today for the first time and I am still laughing.

If I watched the video correctly, and I watched it three times, the umpire had no choice but to kick the spectator out because he was not only confusing the girls, he was confusing the umpire himself. The pitcher threw the pitch and the umpire called it a ball. The spectator behind the fence said something like, "Oh, that was a strike." The umpire must have heard the fan because he then hit his clicker, caught a ball and then engaged in an argument with the spectator.

It is too bad that the camera man didn't get a video shot of the umpire's clicker. Because after one pitch, the umpire must have had a one ball and one strike count on his clicker. One ball that the umpire called and one strike that the spectator called.

I thought the lady should have been thrown out also. She withheld valuable information to a spectator that was in ear shot of her. She was telling the spectator that she had almost been thrown out of a ball game when the same umpire confronted her at a previous game. She told him this information after he said, oh that was a strike.

The tournament director did a nice job roping off the area behind home plate. That way, if the police were called to diffuse the situation, the tournament director wouldn't have to move any spectators standing behind home plate. The police could go directly to the roped off area and complete their investigation to see if the umpire was calling the balls and strikes correctly. Hopefully, the lady that had been warned by this umpire during a previous game about talking out loud at the ball park would have the common courtesy to let the police officers know that it is not ok to express their opinions about a call made by that umpire prior to the first pitch that they were going to observe.

 

[GI Tom]

Still wondering where it's stated that coaches are responsible for spectators.

Probably in the same place where it states umpires are responsible for spectators.

 

[BrianMonk]

Probably in the same place where it states umpires are responsible for spectators.

Yep

Our umpires are responsible to mow the grass and make sure concession stand has workers too. It's in our rule book

 

[softballphreak]

NFHS
Appendix F
Coaches Code of Ethics

Appendix G
Officials Code of Ethics


Maybe that explains a lot.

 

[Huskerdu]

The video is hilarious, the umpire is an idiot for speaking to folks outside the fence. I would have called the coach over (and would expected to be called being an HC myself) and told him that the individual was ejected and that the game would not continue. It sounds like the UIC and tournament organizer did well, by roping off the stands behind the backstop.

You will see more and more that backstops are blacked out with fabric to keep parents from sitting back there...

 

[sleepwalker]

I thought the best part was when the umpire told the home team coach that he had one minute to get the rowdy spectator out of the facility. Everyone knows that the home team crowd is always at fault with rowdy spectators. I think it is decided with the pre-game coin toss.

In the country I live in, we don't put crowd control in the umpires job description. Rabble rousers are dealt with by the IRS.