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TOPIC: 14 yr Allstar Game 07/06/06 |
| Bill Miles
July 6, 2006
2:02:30 PM
Entry #: 1545560
| I was present along with all the other parents of the American 14 year old All-star team. What we witnessed from the umpiring crew that evening was the worst I have seen in 20+ years of coaching and watching my son play. Our manager Rusty Mclain was ejected from the game in the first inning for trying to call a time out on a play that was wrongly called by the umpires. Not only did it cost us a manager/coach, but cost us the spirit of all the players to have the head coach ejected from the most important game for our kids. The problem that I had was that the umpires were from our district who umpired the entire year for us. They came into this game unprepared for tournament play and didn't understand the rules of the tournament, in which brings us to why Rusty was ejected, he tried to convey to the umpires before the game even started on what all the other umpires discussed on what is foul on the field, dug outs and out of play areas. These umpires took it upon themselves to make up their own rules for the game, not answer any questions Rusty was asking and told him to go to his dugout or be ejected right then and there. Not only that, but the plate umpire stood there and let things happen with the Rusty and the field umpire. The field umpire went as far as to threaten one of our parents in the stands about going out to the parking lot after the game. I was upset that the tournament directors did not do anything at that point either. I don't think we signed our children up for this. We need to contact the head umpire at LCOA or what ever they are called and have this one umpire never umpire any of Elk Grove games again. This was the first time we had any problems with a umpiring crew the whole tournament. Our kids played their hearts out and had a good come back from being down 5 runs to make a close game. In no way did we blame Rusty. But to have a game of this magnitude end the way it did was heartbreaking.
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| Joe Matlen
July 6, 2006
9:43:12 PM
Entry #: 1546308
| Bill -
I know that one of the two umps in the 14 yr old tournament was booted out of LCUA (the group who did our games) for poor performance early in our season. I don't know who the other ump was and I don't know which one was the field ump on the day in question. I will see what kind of explanation I can get from the tournament director or District 7 President. Certainly, what you described is inexcusable from an umpire.
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| John Warson
July 7, 2006
11:05:05 AM
Entry #: 1547247
| I was the plate umpire and Joe Delaney was the field umpire Neither of us was removed from the LCUA as far as I knew. I did games thru the playoffs for the Babe Ruth league as LCUA umpires. I was called to do the game that day (Not as an LCUA umpire). It was my first game at the tournament so I was making sure I had the tournament rules down when Rusty began to argue and it escalated. I tried to answer the managers questions however it became an argument. I never made up any rules. I followed all tournament rules. The ejection was because Rusty ran on the field before calling a timeout to argue a judgement call. He then preceded to yell in profanities at me after being ejected. The ejection was justified and I saw no problem with it.
The rest of the game went on without a hitch and was a very good game. I know also that Joe had a couple fans make comments about his Wife and family members making it a personal thing and to have league representatives not take action on that and blame the umpires is unacceptable and truly makes me ashamed of the Babe Ruth association.
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| Joe Matlen
July 9, 2006
8:40:38 AM
Entry #: 1549485
| Sorry about the implication, John. One of the umpires who did the first couple of tournament days was who I was talking about.
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