Tossed

Usually my arm is somewhat sore come Monday morning. This is because I play in the old guys baseball league and it takes a toll on my throwing arm. Why? Because I play in the old guys league, that's why. I'm not in college anymore.
The reason my arm isn't sore, nor any other body parts, is because I had an abbreviated day yesterday and I'm not happy about it.
I was thrown out of our game yesterday, which ended up being a 6-3 win by the Angels over my Orioles.
It's pretty embarrassing to be thrown out of a game but the umpire who threw me out should be more embarrassed.
Here's how it went down as I was taking it in from shortstop.
Top of the 4th inning, scoreless game, the Angels have runners on 1st and 2nd. The batter hits a slow grounder to second base. Our second baseman Garrick Sasa, a good glove man, charges the ball and is in position to field it. With the ball about a foot away from his glove, the runner from first bumps Garrick enough that he was unable to make the play. The ball trickles into shallow right field, the runner goes to third, the man who was on second scores.
When time was out I said to the base umpire, "That was interference." He said it wasn't and that the runner is entitled to the baseline too. I asked him to talk to the home plate umpire and after initially refusing to do so, to his credit did confer with the home plate ump. Then the base umpire said, "The play stands. Incidental contact." I was mad and told him there was no such thing as "incidental contact." I also told him he should read the rule book. Then he said, "Here's your warning, another word and you're out."
I went back to shortstop, fuming on the inside but calm on the outside. There were no obscenities and I didn't raise my voice much during our discussion. There was no yelling, no histrionics, none of that. The umpire blew the call, it cost us a run in a scoreless game and what can I do? It stinks to have an incompetent ump.
Two or three pitches later, after I was saying "bear down" to myself and to our pitcher, the umpire turned from the infield grass and made a grand gesture throwing me out of the game. My pitcher didn't even hear me say anything nor did anybody else. I was mostly mumbling to myself. The umpire had rabbit ears and obviously was eager to toss me out of the game. Maybe he's been watching Joe West umpiring videos or thought he would get on ESPN. News flash, it's old guys baseball, we don't play on ESPN.
Once I was tossed I did get my money's worth and yelled at him, telling him how terrible he was and that he shouldn't umpire if he didn't know the rules. Never did I use obscenities by the way. After 20-seconds or so I walked off the field, done for the day.
I'm still mad. I've never had a problem with umpires in the three years I've played in this league. I understand they have a tough job and I respect them. But what bothers me about yesterday is that the umpire didn't know the rules and simply wanted to throw someone out with his quick trigger finger. I was the one who was targeted.
I don't like guys missing calls. It happens. But I can't accept an umpire who doesn't know that damn rules.
Here by the way is the interference rule in the major league rule book.
I'll only point out the item poignant to this discussion.
7.09
It is interference by a batter or a runner when --
(i) He fails to avoid a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball.There, can it be any more clearer than that? The words "incidental contact" don't even appear in the section of the rule book on interference.
The ump totally blew the call because he didn't know the rule which is inexcusable and he compounded his mistake by running me because he thought I was chirping at him when I wasn't.
I spent the rest of the day just sitting and stewing and not saying a word. After the game, the home plate umpire came up to me and apologized for the base ump throwing me out. Too late. He should have overruled the base umpire on the interference but he said he didn't get a good look at it.
So, my message to all umpires on all levels...stop being so sensitive and KNOW THE RULES!