Tales from Behind the Plate

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Situation:  Junior College game, the home team is going to mercy rule the visitors but we haven't quite made it there yet.  NCAA rule book.  We're working two-man.  With a runner on first, I'm in position B.  The batter hit a screaming ground ball up the first base foul line.  From where I was it looked like it was probably on the foul side of the line.  As it passed 1st base, it did not change direction, bounce, or give any other indication that it had touched the bag.  The PU ruled it foul.  The 1st base coach (home team, leading by a billion runs), who was already circling his arm to tell the batter-runner to go for another bag, almost came unglued.  As he started to protest, it was obvious he was going to point it fair while saying something to my partner.  He believed it had touched the bag. My partner told him, "Don't you dare point.  That was foul."

A few more words are exchanged and we got the game going again.  Between innings, I run over to the fence to get a drink of water; I have a water bottle with a carabiner on it to hook it onto the fence.  Some home team players were on the other side of the fence, and asked me, "Hey, blue, did you think it touched the base?"  I replied, "Not from where I was."

 

After the game, my partner and I are having a drink and he asked me, "Did you tell those guys you thought the ball was fair?"

Me:  "What?  No."

 

Partner:  "The coach said you thought it was fair."

 

We talk a little more, and apparently between innings this guy had tried to throw me under the bus, claiming I had said it was a fair ball. 

 

You have to understand a little about me:  Integrity is everything.  If you have no integrity, you're dead to me, and I can't think of any way that you could ever regain my trust after betraying me.  This guy, who was an assistant coach, by the way, is on my SH*# list forever.  Not only did he blatantly lie, he lied about me personally to try to argue a point with my partner (did he think we wouldn't talk about this and uncover his lie???).  I don't respect him as a man, let alone as a coach.  You may see that as harsh, but that's how important integrity is to me (if he's willing to lie about another person in a baseball game, what else is he willing to lie about???). 
 

So here is my question:  How do I deal with this?  Please don't remind me to make every call as I see them, unbiased toward him.  I know that; I'm the one with integrity, remember?  What I'm asking about is whether or not I should say something to him.  Out in the real world, off the diamond, I would be approaching him man-to-man and dealing with this issue.  But I'm guessing that would not be the preferred approach in baseball.  Just make a mental note that he's a lying douchebag and make sure my partners are aware of it?

[Pat Riot]

Personally, I would say something to him about it IF I encountered him outside the field. I wouldn’t be mean or vindictive, just matter of fact. I would ask him if this is how he coaches his team and then remind him about what sportsmanship is all about.
Of course “sportsmanship” is a 4 letter word to those that have no ethics. 

[Subdeacon Joe]

16 minutes ago, Cyrus Cassidy #45437 said:

What I'm asking about is whether or not I should say something to him.  Out in the real world, off the diamond, I would be approaching him man-to-man and dealing with this issue.  But I'm guessing that would not be the preferred approach in baseball.  Just make a mental note that he's a lying douchebag and make sure my partners are aware of it?

 

If you ever see him again just say something along the lines of, "I never told you it was fair." and see how he reacts.

[DeaconKC]

I would address it in front of his Coach and possibly even his team. Tell him, you do not appreciate his trying to undermine the call and that if there is ever any question on a call, that you will only deal with the Coach and not him. That will get around like lightning to the other teams you umpire and kill the chance of others trying the same craven action.

[Blackwater 53393]

On the field, I’d deal with this character strictly by the book with as little extra interaction as possible.

 

In public, off the field, it would be like he didn’t exist! I would not acknowledge his presence. I would refuse to speak to him or about him to others. 
 

If asked by others, directly, about him, I would politely explain that he was not to be discussed in my presence.

 

It doesn’t take long for something like that to make its way around.

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

Personally, I wouldn't say anything. He knew he lied and I'm sure you have been made aware of his words by ignoring him. Its the same way one approaches CAS and 2 people call a miss, one who followed the call by seeing the person call a miss and then following suit. You know you were clean as well as the other spotter that called you clean. I personally call these spotters cheaters because of their inept to handle a function assigned to them and be honest in their calls. 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

10 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

On the field, I’d deal with this character strictly by the book with as little extra interaction as possible.

 

In public, off the field, it would be like he didn’t exist! I would not acknowledge his presence. I would refuse to speak to him or about him to others. 
 

If asked by others, directly, about him, I would politely explain that he was not to be discussed in my presence.

 

It doesn’t take long for something like that to make its way around.

 

+1000

[Rye Miles #13621]

23 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

If you ever see him again just say something along the lines of, "I never told you it was fair." and see how he reacts.

 

23 hours ago, DeaconKC said:

I would address it in front of his Coach and possibly even his team. Tell him, you do not appreciate his trying to undermine the call and that if there is ever any question on a call, that you will only deal with the Coach and not him. That will get around like lightning to the other teams you umpire and kill the chance of others trying the same craven action.

Either of these are good options!!