While umpiring our first game today I did not grant time out to the fielding team. I did not grant time-out because I did not believe the play was yet over. Alex Rivera was dancing off third-base. I told Phil Ciccone, the fielder holding the ball that I would grant time-out if the pitcher held the ball. There is no such requirement in the ASA rules and I was mistaken in making this call. However, my impression that the runners were still not stable on the bases should have been respected (the ASA rule states that the umpire should not call time until the runners are at their bases) . This was demonstrably true when Alex Rivera took off for home plate. I ruled that Alex Rivera scored.
What happened next was, in my eyes, unacceptable. My ruling was ignored by the team in the field and by the team at bat. That Alex returned to third base after I declared him safe is a profound life-statement in favor of anarchy.
Though I have a healthy distrust for authority, I do not share Alex's unbridled commitment to anarchy. We have an umpire to make decisions. When the umpire is ignored it sets a precedent for overturning all umpiring calls.
Personally, this experience makes me wary of umpiring at all. From now on I will not umpire unless I am specifically asked to by the team captain. I know some of you will be happy about this. However, left with the perceived inconsistencies of the rest of those willing to umpire, I don't expect you will be any better off. Eventually, if we continue to not give respect to the umpires, no one will choose to umpire.