Justicedog
06-14-2009, 09:31 PM
Saw my first ejectment at a kids sporting event. That was pretty exciting.
DS plays travel baseball for 8 year olds. We played a team today, we first finished a tied game that was called because it was too dark. DS had been up to bat, bases loaded, 2 outs, bottom of the last inning and the ump had called the game. So, they started out with bases loaded and ds up at bat. The pitcher almost hit him with a pitch be he danced out of the way (I've really got to talk to him about just taking one for the team. -- kidding). He ended up hitting a good hard hit, but unfortunately, it was to the second baseman who threw the runner out at 2nd. Good hit, but good fielding too. Two innings go by with no score. DS is up again, runners on first and second. DS hits the ball into the outfield over second. Runner rounds third, going for home. Throw goes to the catcher, runner stops and starts going back to third. Catcher throws ball to 3d baseman, but he misses so runner runs home and we win the tie game, making our teams tied for second place.
Next game - the score is 3-0 in the 2nd or 3rd inning. We're at bat. They'd thrown a guy out at first, we had a runner go past 3rd base and was meandering towards home (not sure what the deal was, he may have thought it was 3 outs and the inning was over or he may have been just trying to get them to over throw it so he could go home, the rule in the game is that if the pitcher has it and runner isn't halfway to next bag, runner must go back.) Runner winds up running home. I think the runner was at least half way by the time the 1st baseman threw it to the pitcher cuz' he held onto it for a bit, but I am not sure and I'm biased. When our runner went home, their coaches started yelling about him not being half way, he was out of the base line, he needs to go back to 3rd. This was before the ump even made a call on the play. Ump then called it a run and the coaches were yelling more and kicking and throwing things. Play resumed and one coach started yelling again. The ump came over and gave him a warning and he continued yelling and the ump kicked him out. The ump was a teenager too. I was impressed that he took control like he did. We usually have adults as umps.
Now, as I said, I don't know if it was a correct call or not, but this is 8 year old baseball. I'd never seen that kind of behavior before.
One of our coaches yelled at our team to sit down as they were up against the fence cheering and making noise when the other teams coach got ejected. Our guys got really excited and almost all of them had good hits after that. The other teams' boys got shaken up I think, which helped us. I felt sorry for them. One of the remaining coaches called them into a huddle and settled them down. I realize that getting ejected from a game is sometimes a strategy for professional teams, but I can't imagine doing that for 8 year olds. I wonder what they told their kids. I suppose that it was "the ump gave them the game."
It was very good timing though as we'd just talked to my ds about being a hot head when playing games - video and board. It was a nice learning experience. See, that coach was a hot head and look what it did to his team. We had just let 3 runs come before we were up to bat and they were winning. The coaches behavior fired our team up to go out and hit, it rattled their team up where the pitcher didn't pitch as well and the fielders were distracted. So, being a hot head can really cost you.
DS plays travel baseball for 8 year olds. We played a team today, we first finished a tied game that was called because it was too dark. DS had been up to bat, bases loaded, 2 outs, bottom of the last inning and the ump had called the game. So, they started out with bases loaded and ds up at bat. The pitcher almost hit him with a pitch be he danced out of the way (I've really got to talk to him about just taking one for the team. -- kidding). He ended up hitting a good hard hit, but unfortunately, it was to the second baseman who threw the runner out at 2nd. Good hit, but good fielding too. Two innings go by with no score. DS is up again, runners on first and second. DS hits the ball into the outfield over second. Runner rounds third, going for home. Throw goes to the catcher, runner stops and starts going back to third. Catcher throws ball to 3d baseman, but he misses so runner runs home and we win the tie game, making our teams tied for second place.
Next game - the score is 3-0 in the 2nd or 3rd inning. We're at bat. They'd thrown a guy out at first, we had a runner go past 3rd base and was meandering towards home (not sure what the deal was, he may have thought it was 3 outs and the inning was over or he may have been just trying to get them to over throw it so he could go home, the rule in the game is that if the pitcher has it and runner isn't halfway to next bag, runner must go back.) Runner winds up running home. I think the runner was at least half way by the time the 1st baseman threw it to the pitcher cuz' he held onto it for a bit, but I am not sure and I'm biased. When our runner went home, their coaches started yelling about him not being half way, he was out of the base line, he needs to go back to 3rd. This was before the ump even made a call on the play. Ump then called it a run and the coaches were yelling more and kicking and throwing things. Play resumed and one coach started yelling again. The ump came over and gave him a warning and he continued yelling and the ump kicked him out. The ump was a teenager too. I was impressed that he took control like he did. We usually have adults as umps.
Now, as I said, I don't know if it was a correct call or not, but this is 8 year old baseball. I'd never seen that kind of behavior before.
One of our coaches yelled at our team to sit down as they were up against the fence cheering and making noise when the other teams coach got ejected. Our guys got really excited and almost all of them had good hits after that. The other teams' boys got shaken up I think, which helped us. I felt sorry for them. One of the remaining coaches called them into a huddle and settled them down. I realize that getting ejected from a game is sometimes a strategy for professional teams, but I can't imagine doing that for 8 year olds. I wonder what they told their kids. I suppose that it was "the ump gave them the game."
It was very good timing though as we'd just talked to my ds about being a hot head when playing games - video and board. It was a nice learning experience. See, that coach was a hot head and look what it did to his team. We had just let 3 runs come before we were up to bat and they were winning. The coaches behavior fired our team up to go out and hit, it rattled their team up where the pitcher didn't pitch as well and the fielders were distracted. So, being a hot head can really cost you.