Umpire Uniforms

I refereed a very competitive and very close high school baseball game a few days ago. My mission was to be the referee on the field and my partner has been assigned to home plate. We had our pre-game conference with head coaches of both and both seemed great guy. We shook hands and we all wish every good luck. Boy, things can really change in a hurry and can not personalities.

About the fourth inning, a player on either team is taking a huge lead off second base. After about three pitches, the catcher threw behind him at second base. Everything was as the runner would be picked. The launch of the recipient arrived at second base and beat the runner there. But the throw was high and the runner had a very good speed and went back to second base a split second before being added. So I did well "safety" appeal. That's when I heard the first murmurs of the two leave ', to call Coach Joe. Come on blue ... throwing the fight, etc. He moaned for about ten seconds if I let go and not say a word. If it continues longer than that or if he said something inappropriate, I would not hesitate to have a chat with him.

OK, if things calm down and we return to play baseball. That is until the seventh inning and final. Team Coach Joe is batting in the seventh inning and final and are trailing by a stroke. They have a runner on second base, in scoring position, representing the tying run. There are two outs and a base hit away from tying the game as I said, very close and very competitive ball game!

The height of the batter is in the ground and bounced away from the receiver, but only about three feet away. Coach Joe is the training base for the third and screaming to break his runner on third base. The runner sprints to third base. The catcher made a very quick and good jet that is a bit high. I knew he was fast, not because I was looking at the receiver but by how quickly he arrived at third base.

The third baseman made a very quick tag and tag the runner up around the chest. Yours truly made the right choice ... "It is out! Coach Joe is very upset. As I said, the figures may change in a hurry on the ball field. I walk off the field and coach Joe shouts at me," It 's hit in the head. "I asked coach Joe what he meant. He said he tagged up, the runner should be safe. I told the Coach Joe I do not care where he was tagged.

I am now in foul territory and coach Joe shouted to me that the two calls you explode. "(He was referring to another" banger "I was at the base of a second when I called the runner safe.) I decided to skip his final tee shot" and simply walk from my car. I was thinking how all the close call made by an adjudicator will please half the people and the other half will be, say, annoyed.

I have a house of thirty minutes by car and obviously my thoughts are on my game ending scream. " I had very mixed feelings and have two thoughts crossed my mind. The first is that I got the call and the right of all objectives for a referee who cares if that coach Joe thinks. The thought is that I am a bit embarrassed because, as a referee, a good game is usually when you are not noticed at all. I want this game is about players and decided by the players and not be on the coaches or referees. But in this case, I was very honored.

And then something struck me about Coach Joe. He broke a cardinal rule of the game ... you never make the third round on the third base. So either he thinks that the runner was safe or perhaps he was trying to get the warmth of him and his wrong decision and trying to blame me for his huge mistake.

I had two days to digest it and I'm at peace with this situation. I really think I'm both these.