|
Dave Roberts |
Baseball |
2017-03-07 |
Paul Husselbee |
With Enterprise runners on second base during the bottom of the first inning, the South Sevier second baseman repeatedly tried to hold the runners close by yelling, "Back, back!" and "Ball, ball, ball!" in their direction as he jockeyed back and forth between the bag and his position. Near the end of the inning, an Enterprise coach asked me if this was legal. I said, "Why do you ask?" and he responded, "Because I think it is verbal obstruction." I considered it and approached my partner, plate umpire John Voss, to ask his opinion. We agreed to monitor the situation.
As a courtesy, I mentioned to South Sevier first base coach Dave Roberts before the second inning began that what the second baseman was doing might be considered verbal obstruction. He asked what that meant. I said that, just as a fielder cannot deceive a baserunner by faking a tag, he also cannot verbally obstruct a runner in an attempt to create confusion or deceive the runner. He asked how this would be determined and what could happen if the player were judged to be guilty of verbal obstruction. I said that, like all such calls, it was the umpire's judgment, and that by rule a retired runner who had been obstructed verbally could be called safe or awarded bases.
At the end of the second inning, South Sevier head coach Ron Cropper asked to meet with both umpires. He argued that there was no such thing as verbal obstruction because he couldn't find it in the rule book. He thrust the rule book at me and said, "Show me the rule." I was preparing to oblige him by turning to Rule 2-22-1 [which reads, "Obstruction is an act (intentional or unintentional, as well as physical or verbal) by a fielder, any member of the defensive team or its team personnel that hinders a runner"] when Coach Cropper became accusatory, argumentative, and belligerent. At that point, I said, "We're done here, Coach," and walked away.
As I assumed Position A to begin the top of the third inning, Coach Roberts left the coaching box and continued to dispute the point. I said, "Coach, we're done here, and you need to return to the coaching box." When he continued to approach me, I raised my left hand in the typical umpire's "that's enough" gesture (with the palm vertically facing Coach Roberts) and said, "You and I are done here, Coach. You need to get back in the coaching box."
Coach Roberts walked up to me and continued to argue, even though I repeated the same words to him at least three more times: "Coach, we're done here. Get back in the coaching box." When he refused to go back to the coaching box and continued to argue, I said, "Coach, you are restricted to the dugout for the balance of the game." Coach Roberts responded, "I'd rather leave than stay here and listen to this crap!" I ejected him and restricted Coach Cropper to the dugout for the balance of the game. |
