Reason 10,001 I can't stand NCAA Officials/Umpires/Refs. Umpire ejects Louisville pitcher and suspends him for 4 games for saying "That's horrible."
Yeah, the pitcher was being a bit snippy and maybe the ump should have warned him to shut up and just pitch. But to eject him for this in an NCAA playoff game? When the ejection carries an automatic 4-game suspension? IMO the umpire is a power-hungry dick. And there are way too many of those types in officiating in general.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/2019-ncaa-college-baseball-tournament-louisville-closer-controversially-ejected-with-two-outs-in-ninth-inning/
Is that the Officially Official answer?
Still waiting on the first 10,000 reasons...
I think the OP is formulating a Diary for those reasons.
I don't envy officials in any sport because they have nearly impossible jobs and are under constant criticism from everyone. I struggle to avoid getting into it with them whether I'm a fan, parent, or coach. All I hope for is consistency and fairness. Tight strike zone, letting contact go, etc. - be consistent.
The other day we had a horrible umpire in my son's travel baseball league. Called multiple pitches balls that were right down the middle in a tight rivalry game. I lost my cool a bit as the coach and at one point said "Come on....that's FOUR of those." I should have kept my mouth shut, but instead of throwing me out (which comes with a fine) the ump turned to me and said "do you have something to say to me coach?"
That gave me a chance to walk away and keep my mouth shut before it escalated. That's what this ump should have done. Stop the game - warn the pitcher. If he says one more word you throw him out and he deserves it. If he turns around, walks away, and keeps his mouth shut you let it go.
In the heat of the moment I always feel that the officials have to give people that first 15 seconds to react with raw emotion. What they do in the second 15 seconds determines whether they get ejected, carded, flagged, etc.
What you said, wasn't out of line. A pitcher waiting to receive the ball back, and everyone in the stadium watching, says to an ump loud enough for everyone to hear him "that was horrible", and it actually wasn't. The ball was inside.
You've lost this one devon. Just accept that L and better luck next time!
The bigger issue is why the NCAA has a four-game suspension for an ejection. THAT is the joke.
You are exactly right. Pitch was close but by my view inside. Pitcher reacted in a way that merits an ejection. Umpire ejected him. End of story. Except for that pesky little 4 game suspension that goes with it.
But the umpire KNOWS that. He didn't eject him in a vaccum. He KNEW he was suspending him for 4 games when he did it.
The player knows that too.
The player should know it, but saying "that's horrible" to a grumpy umpire does not warrant an ejection, which of course is accompanied with a bull shit 4-game suspension.
I didn't know the umpire was grumpy. He certainly wasn't bashful and might be a little dopey.
i bet he doesn't have a snow white reputation, either.
officials need safe spaces too
I am outraged.
Good thing he's still getting paid during the suspension oh wait
I know this violates the #noreligion rule, but there's an account in the Bible (2 Kings 2:23) where the prophet Elisha was heckled by youth who said "Go up, you baldhead (twice)." He was so mad that he cursed them, then two female bears came out the woods and mauled 42 youth.
A 4-game suspension isn't the worst punishment handed out to a lippy kid.
So the NCAA is God and umpires are prophets?
I would say both entities believe they are.
There are bears in the middle east?
Yes, there are (link)
Username checks out
Haha, nicely done. I was just being a smart ass, but definitely didn't know they had bears in Syria.
Yes, it's that bearen part of Syria where people get banished to, Sybearia
What are the odds that umpire works in law enforcement?
I don't know. But when you find out the odds let me know. I like to wager from time to time.
Whatever, bro...referees/umpires don’t impact the game!
/s
The call on the pitch at least looked like a good call. Just looking at the single clip, it definitely looks like the ump should not have ejected the player, but we also have no idea what preceded the event.
Should be barred from ever being an ump again, that's ridiculous.
Sorry if already commented, but Michael Lewis (liars poker, big short) has a Against the Rules podcast episode on NBA refs, interesting.
I don't really care that the umpire was right. All the MORE reason to keep his cool and not possibly ruin Louisville's postseason. Officials often are more upset when they think they might have screwed up and think they have to push back.
I have no issue with the ump giving the guy a warning and telling him to shut his trap. That would have been an appropriate response.
IMO, the biggest issue here is the automatic 4-game suspension for an ejection. There should be discretion involved there. All ejections are not the same.
I'm curious. If he was simply ejected for the game and not subject to an automatic 4-game suspension, does your take on things change? Are you saying that the umpire, in the moment, should not only consider whether the pitcher's behavior is against the rules, but should also take into account whether the applicable punishment is fair before actually tossing the player?
It seems to me from all of your arguments about unfairness that you have a bigger problem with the automatic suspension than the actual decision to eject the player.
It is all about the 4 game suspension. Player put himself out there to be ejected. Umpire ejected him. In my opinion the ejection was not unwarranted. Coaches,players, and umpires know the rules going in.
If the beef is with the automatic suspension, then the rage is misdirected at the umpire. If he's saying that the umpire should have taken the punishment into account before ejecting the player, there's an equally persuasive argument to be made that the player should have exercised the 15 seconds of discretion that was well-described above before opening his mouth.
YES !!! You hit the nail squarely on the head.
I don't buy this for a second. Umpires know that if they throw someone out, they are suspended for 4 games. The umpire ALSO knew he was umpiring an NCAA playoff game. He knew he was fucking over the kid AND Louisville when he did it. This was no accident.
Umpires don't work in a vacuum. They know what the consequences for the penalties they hand out are. And yes, if an ejection is an automatic 4-game suspension then the umpire should show at least a modicum of restraint, because he is wielding a howitzer of a punishment there.
I agree that it's entirely reasonable to conclude that the umpire knew that, in throwing out the kid, the kid was getting a 4-game suspension. I also agree that he knew that this was a game of above-average importance.
Where I have a problem, though, is in the conclusion that the umpire was out to screw the team simply because the automatic suspension is perceived, in hindsight, as unfair. After reading through this thread, there seems to be a consensus that arguing balls and strikes with the ump will get you tossed, and while it is generally nice to get a warning, that's more of an act of mercy rather than something to which someone's entitled. Based on all of this, there is nothing per se wrong with what the umpire did. He owed the pitcher absolutely nothing. And this is where I don't buy the--you should warn the pitcher first--this isn't little league. This is nothing new. Kids are taught from day 1 you don't talk back or argue with the umpire. This is the NCAA, this is the CWS. There is everything on the line. Don't screw over your team by losing control of your temper or your mouth. This is precisely the place where athletes need to be in full control of themselves to succeed. Is it hard? Yes. Is it a pressure cooker? Yes. Is it the place for little Johnny to whine to the umpire about a call? Sorry slugger. Looks like you get to go whine to your frat brothers about how unfair the world is. And for as much as all of the players and fans may cry foul about the umpire screwing the team, every person in that locker room has a right to look at that player as someone who let them down, who in a moment of thoughtlessness, lost his cool and got called on it by someone who probably has a hell of a lot more time invested in the game.
Now, if you want to have a discussion why there is an automatic 4-game suspension for every ejection, including non-violent dissent ejections, every point you raise is valid. But weighing whether tossing someone is, over the course of a week-long tournament a just and fair punishment, is not a field-level decision. Take it up with the powers-that-be.
Your characterization of the simple statement "that's horrible" as "the place for little Johnny to whine to the umpire about a call" is telling... about you, not the player. There was no arguing the call, no voices raised. No reference to the call (or the ump) at all. Just a simple statement that the situation was "horrible."
Refs who insist on believing that everything is about them should be drummed out of refereeing. Thinking that making a simple statement that "that's horrible" means that, in "a moment of thoughtlessness, [he] lost his cool and got called on it by someone who probably has a hell of a lot more time invested in the game" sounds WAY too judgemental to me.
I agree entirely with you that the ref should not consider the NCAA's additional suspension when making his call. He is there to enforce the rules as they are given to him. But that includes not deciding that non-challenges of the call are, somehow, challenges to his call.
My characterization that the pitcher's decision to argue balls and strikes I think is a fair generalization. My position is that the moment any participant (i.e. non-fan) starts arguing balls and strikes, you have essentially taken on the mantle of that whiny little league player who just doesn't know any better. Aside: your implication that I have exhibited some shameful form of behavior and should rethink that generalization based on your own unstated sense of morals is laughable.
And your post is the first time I've seen the player's actions characterized as an existential statement, "the situation was horrible." Really? You're right. He was probably making an offhand comment about the horrible count he'd worked himself into... or the horrible weather... or any one of infinite other horrible things. But we can certainly be sure that he wasn't calling horrible the one thing that happened immediately before he said, "That's horrible." Yep. That's it. If I'm ever charged with I crime, I want you on my jury.
And yes, I'm being judgmental. But you'll note that I'm not being judgmental in the sense that I'm using inappropriate criteria. I'm making a judgment based on a person's actions in response to a certain situation and applying a commonly applied and widely accepted standard. my 'judgment' is limited to an assessment of ONLY those actions and the circumstances, and I am not drawing any moral judgments from it. So yes, I'm being judgmental. Appropriately so. You, on the other hand, my sanctimonious friend, appear to be casually accusing me of some vague character flaw, which has me feeling as if you are making some sort of moral judgment about me.
tl;dr: fuck you snowflake
Based on how far inside the pitch was, I wouldn't be surprised if "that's horrible" wasn't in reference to his own pitch and the ump misread it.
NCAA should be able to over rule this.
But that would make sense. The ncaa does not go for that.
Can certainly still remember some very bad calls over the years that have screwed Michigan over. That said, you couldn’t pay me enough to be a referee. It is easy to sit on your couch with a beer and see many different slow motion angles that show what happened. A lot harder to make a call in real time.
Meh, the whole "you're out" thing in Baseball feels snowflaky.
In the word(s) of Sir Charles Barkley, "hurrible".
I believe it is "Turrible". You sir are suspended from posting for 4 days. :)
I'm sure Louisville wished they had their closer today. Took a 3-1 lead into the 9th now tied 3-3 and heading to bottom of 9th.
Well, Louisville's remaining relievers blew the save in the 9th, but they came back and won anyway. If the suspension holds, their closer will miss the entire Super Regional.
Yeah, that's really weak. I do 8u-16u and might not even issue a warning for that.