Every coach, (actually everybody) has a threshold of holding back their anger in tough situations. I believe that most coaches actually have a higher threshold than most people. They have to. Otherwise, just like an umpire, we’d be blowing up and raising our blood pressure sky high on a weekly if not daily basis. This weekend I saw a coach cross his threshold.
We were in a friendly (softball games) at Wilmington Sports Complex. I will not mention the coach’s name or his team but if you were there Sunday morning you know who I’m talking about. It seems that just like a volcano, the lava was building a dome under the surface and all it took was one play, one call that the umpire made, and boom…ERUPTION!
Earlier in the game, our pitcher hit one of his slappers with a pitch. Or more correctly, his slapper kicked the pitch. She was out of the clearly out in front of the batter’s box, the pitch was in the dirt, and she managed to get hit by the pitch. She started running to first but the umpire called her back claiming that she “ran into the pitch.” The rules clearly state that the batter must make some attempt to avoid an errant pitch to be awarded first base. In the case of a slapper who is moving forward towards the pitcher, it is not always so clear cut. Bottom line is that it comes down to the umpire’s judgment and the catcher and umpire both have the best view of the situation. So that was strike one on the coach’s anger threshold.
Later, while our team was batting, we had a runner on first. Our leadoff hitter came up and drove a ball by the first baseman and down the right field line. Being a left handed batter, her hit was slicing towards the right side. It landed right on the foul line about 10 feet past where the chalk ended (about 20 feet past first base,) and continued to slice into foul territory. But it was a fair ball. The umpire called it fair. And again, standing on home plate, he had the best view right down the foul line. This was strike two and three for this coach’s threshold. Eruption time.
The coach absolutely came unglued. He started yelling at the umpire, not only challenging the call but calling the umpire an “idiot” and “the worse umpire he’s ever seen.” He was behind the foul fence since that’s where he was calling pitches from. The umpire threw him out and stopped the game until he left the area. It was a very embarrassing to do this in front of his team. I know. I’ve been there. (Although I didn’t call the ump an idiot.) But to make it worse, in the process of his argument, he said that “in “x” number of games he’s coached, he’s only been thrown out twice, and both by this umpire.” What does that tell you?
So here’s my take on the results of the situation.
1. It sounds to me like the coach went into the game expecting a battle with this umpire.
2. I would have questioned the call on the drive to right. It was very close. But I surely would not have gotten into such a heated argument over a call that was so close.
3. This coach allowed his girls to blame the umpire for their loss. This is something every coach should make every effort NOT to do.
4. Such an incident can hurt a team’s recruiting abilities. We heard one or two parents (one was one of ours) who commented that their daughters would never play for a coach like that. This is unfortunate because everything else aside, I believe this coach is a pretty good coach that knows his game. But this is a friendly. (Not that it would be ok at a tournament.)
The lesson here is for parents and coaches. The umpire is in charge of the game. I’ve seen good umpires and I’ve seen bad umpires. I’ve seen good umpires that have had a bad day. Bite your tongues, walk away, and give your anger a chance to cool down. Then you can think the situation through and avoid making it worse.
Gee, that sounds like pretty good advice for off the field too.
