Ejected by the Rejected

What a beautiful day for baseball!



85 Degrees, Sunny, with a sprinkle of clouds!



Started a "Big Stick" Tourney in Rapid City today against Sturgis, South Dakota. We won 9-2... the game wasn't that close though. The game however wasn't the "highlight" of the day.



In the top of the 4th inning, we had our second or third rally of the day in progress. Kid on third, Four hole hit's a fly to right, one of their kids come out and makes a pretty good over the head play on the ball.



My kid tagged up, waited till we knew the kid had caught the ball (typical... and difficult based on the angle. It was a good play mind you... I wasn't positive he made the catch and sent the kid once I was sure) He scored easy (don't let me forget that the umpire behind the plate was picking up our bat and not paying much attention to my guy tagging/scoring). Put us up 8-0, three outs and we end the game early.



There coach starts yelling at his kids from the dugout... "he left early, step on third." This is an old tactic, I've used it myself. Try and see if the ump was watching... heck maybe you'll get a call. In this situation I almost laughed... we had waited clearly past the kid having possesion of the ball... but whatever.



They throw it to third.



"Out"



"Huh?"



I jogged slowly to our dugout.



I admit I had a few words for the umpire.



Remember he was busy picking up a bat. I reminded him. It was a bad, bad call.



If you weren't watching don't make a call.



Whatever, we're up by 7. I was pretty sure everything would be fine.



I insert one of my young pitchers for the bottom of the 4th. As he's warming up Sturgis basically has their next kid to hit in the batter's circle. And most of their team out of the dug out taking practice swings.



The next batter is required to remain in the on deck circle. Not timing a new pitcher.



Common sense.



I've asked probably no less than 4 times for an ump to back up a player. Each has obliged. Even the players did so willingly.



I asked... and let me repeat EXACTLY what I said... "Sir, can you please back them up from timing my pitcher?"



I'm sitting on my bucket at this point.



He responded by asking me who was running the show...



I responded "Apparently their dugout"



He immediately says "One more word and you'll finish the game in the parking lot"



I respond, "Yeah, OK" (ZERO body language)



He responds, "That's it, your out of here"



At this point I picked myself up off my bucket, made my way to exactly 3" from his nose and proceded to get my money's worth! I got my money's worth... trust me!



What an ignorant OLD fool.



I would never imagine that I would get tossed sitting on my bucket.



Asking an ump for common courtesy, really?



This marks my second ejection this year. The first one it was 100% my intent after I was requested to let an ump have it.

I don't even know that I've exchanged negative words with an umpire outside of these two incidents. Silly stuff.