Baseball Coaches & Ejections

When coaches comes out onto the field it’s usually for three reasons 1. Get more information. 2. Vent due to the outcome of a play. 3. Get themselves ejected. 

In number one, coaches want information for good reasons. They want to make sure they have a clear understanding why you made a call. Many umpires have given an explanation for a ruling, only to have a coach simply talk his way back through the playing action and then repeat your explanation for your call. As you are saying that is correct they have already begun the walk back to the dugout.

In number two, coaches live and die by the actions of their players and the calls we make as umpires. When a coach comes out onto the field and he is venting most umpires understand its part of baseball, but there are limits. It could be more about his player’s failures to execute a play correctly and less about the outcome of the call.  It can also be it is the fifth inning of a tied first round playoff game and a whacker call went against his team. Good umpires who experience both these scenarios have learned to listen, say little and understand the coach’s frustrations are not being personally directed toward them.

In number three, the majority of coaches who are ejected find themselves in that position due to their own choices and actions, with very little to do with what took place on the field. First or last inning, no score, tied score or blow out, great play or train wreck all is of little consequence with ejections. When a coach has determined he wants to get himself ejected the lord himself will not stop him.

In one and two coaches are intending to stay in the game, because that is their choice. In number three coaches are leaving the game, because that was their choice. Our job as umpires is to understand why a coach is coming out onto the field and respond respectively, professionally and accordingly.

Baseball Rules in Black and White