Umpires are entrusted with the authority to remove any participant from the game. This responsibility should never be taken lightly.
Minor League Baseball recognizes that every situation is unique and that umpire discretion is essential to proper rule enforcement. While there are unique and extraordinary circumstances, players and clubs look for uniformity in applying consistent standards for ejection.
The following general principles should be considered when deciding whether to eject a player, coach, manager or other person from the game:
- Use of profanity specifically directed at an umpire or vulgar personal insults of an umpire are grounds for ejection.
- Physical contact with an umpire is ground for ejection.
- Refusal to stop arguing, and further delaying the game after the umpire has provided a player or manager adequate opportunity to make a point, is ground for ejection. The umpire should warn the player or manager that he has been heard and that he should return to his position or be ejected.
- If a player, coach or manager leaves his position to argue balls and strikes (including half swings), he should be warned to immediately return or he will be automatically ejected.
- During an argument if a manager, coach or player makes reference to having observed a video replay that purportedly contradicts the call under dispute, such person should be warned immediately to stop or he will be subject to ejection from the game.
- Use of histrionic gestures (i.e., jumping up and down, violently waving arms or demonstrations) while arguing with an umpire, or stepping out of the dugout and making gestures toward an umpire, are grounds for ejection. Throwing anything out of a dugout (towels, cups, equipment, etc.) is ground for automatic ejection.
- Actions by team personnel specifically intended to ridicule an umpire are grounds for ejection (i.e. drawing a line in the dirt to demonstrate location of a pitch).
- Throwing equipment in disgust over an umpire’s call may be grounds for ejection. If the umpire deems the action severe, the umpire may eject the offender. If league regulations permit, the umpire may instead warn the offender by issuing an equipment violation. If issued, the offender is to be notified immediately.
- Any player, manager or coach who fails to comply with an order from an umpire to do or refrain from doing anything that affects administering the rules and regulations governing play is subject to ejection in accordance with Official Baseball Rule 9.01. Examples of this include failure to stay within the lines of the batter’s box after warning from the umpire, refusal to submit a piece of equipment for the umpire’s inspection, etc.
- Team personnel may not come onto the playing surface to argue or dispute a warning issued under Official Baseball Rule 8.02(d). If a manager, coach or player leaves the dugout or his position to dispute a warning, he should be warned to stop. If he continues, he is subject to ejection.
In addition, there are situations listed in the Official Baseball Rules and in other sections of the CCKB Umpire Manual that result in immediate ejection. These situations include violations such as pitcher possessing a foreign substance, batter charging the pitcher with the intention of fighting the pitcher, pitcher intentionally throwing at a batter, etc.
