(Believe it or not, this is a true story. The names have been changed to reduce the children’s’ embarrassment.)

The two top Majors teams are playing……score is tied in the 3rd inning. The batter hits the ball toward first base. The first baseman tries for the ball, but it gets past him into right field. The defensive manager starts screaming at the first baseman, turning purple. He’s jumping up and down, throwing his hat, screaming for the first baseman to get into the dugout, get off the field! (The way he’s acting, the plate umpire is convinced that the first baseman is the manager’s son. The ump, from experience, knows that the adults usually reserve their worst behavior for their own children.)

The batter is charging around first toward second as the first baseman, head hanging, starts walking toward the dugout. The manager runs a replacement out to first even as the runner is still moving toward second. Neither the starter nor the replacement interfere with any play. The starter reluctantly goes into the dugout, now REALLY getting an earful from the manager. The replacement gets to first, and the runner goes into second standing up.

The plate ump, who has watched all this happen, knows there is really nothing he can do by rule, just stand there shaking his head at the embarrassment this manager has caused his player and himself. The offensive coach, always looking for an edge, asks for time and comes out to ask the umpire what he was going to do about having an extra player on the field. Since no rule was broken, the umpire said he wasn’t going to do anything.

Although officially he could do nothing, the ump did stroll over to the manager’s dugout and quietly reminded him that he was supposed to be setting an example for his team and his parents. The manager just looked at him sullenly, saying nothing. The umpire went back to the plate, finishing the game, knowing that as soon as he was off the field he was going to advise the Chief Umpire and the Board of Directors that this manager should be monitored for any future problems.


By Don Essex
Virginia District 9