Weird Call to End a Game

This past weekend, in a local tournament, I had a first for me. On Saturday I had the occasion to make a game ending coach assisting a runner call.

This was odd for two reasons. First, a coach assisting a runner violation is a rare call. I can only remember calling this a couple of times ever. The other reason it was odd was in light of all the recent discussions here about the coach "assisting a runner" rules.

As so often is the case, it seems like whenever we discuss a strange or unusual play here, you can almost bet that play will come up in one of my games. At least, it seems to happen to me fairly often.

This was an extraordinary game to begin with. First round of bracket play, so the game couldn't end in a tie- we had to have a winner. We entered the eighth inning (around the 2:30 hour mark in a game with a 1:15 time limit) all tied up in a seesaw battle.

Visitors scored four in the top of the eighth, but the home team scrambled back to within one in the bottom of the inning. The tying and winning runs are on base. There are two outs when the next batter gets a base hit to the outfield.

With plenty of time to score, the tying runner rounded third...but missed the base! About half way down the third base line, her coach screams, "Go back!", as he physically grabs the runner's arm, spins her around and pushes her back toward third base!

Call on the field: The runner was assisted and the runner is out! And...game over. Visitors win by one run.

Definitely one of the strangest endings I've had in a game for a long time!

Wow Bret! That IS weird! As usual, I know you made the right call - I hope the coach didn't give you any undeserved grief... because it was obviously his own fault. I'm seeing a LOT of illegal pitch calls in the WCWS, and it's interesting watching the coaches reactions. It's funny when they go off on the ump - even when they KNOW the pitch was illegal!

Maybe we've got some OFC Voodoo going on here! We discuss it, then you LIVE it! So let's all pitch in and make Bret's life on the field a little easier!

Actually, Sammy, there was almost zero flack about this one, which surprised me given the game situation. The reaction from the coach was pretty tame. He had a look on his face more like..."I can't believe I did that and I can't believe the umpire saw it".

I'm also surprised that no one trotted out the old line, "You can't make a call like that to end a game, Blue!". But the way I look at it, I can't not make this call- at any point of the game- because it gives one team an advantage not intended by the rules. And this one was blatantly obvious, a veritable textbook example of assisting a runner.

The funny thing about this...I'd be willing to bet that if the runner had just continued on home, and her coach had let her, that the defense most likely wouldn't have seen or noticed the missed base (it was a close miss and they were focused on the ball in the outfield). I was in position to see it and it was obvious to me. The base coach obviously saw it, so it was obvious to him, too. But we were likely the only two people who saw it!

The irony of this is that if the defense didn't notice the missed base, then there would have been no appeal of the miss, thus there would be no penalty and the run would have counted. If the coach had just "let her go" we would have been in an extra-inning tie ball game!

bretman said:

The funny thing about this...I'd be willing to bet that if the runner had just continued on home, and her coach had let her, that the defense most likely wouldn't have seen or noticed the missed base (it was a close miss and they were focused on the ball in the outfield).

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I think you may be right Bret. My DD hit a bomb that produced a standup triple(we use a sun dial to time her) so it was a HIT. Anyway I look over and they are throwing the ball to first for an appeal. Blue says safe. My DD gets home and claimly tells me she hit 1 but MISSED 2.

Bretman,

I am the coach that this got called on. In all my days of playing baseball, men's softball and coaching(30 plus years combined), I have to admit that I have never seen or heard of a game that ended this way. In hindsight, I should have just let her go home and take my chances that they did not see her miss the base. It was pretty blatant though.

She actually grabbed me to stop and pushed off of me to go back. I knew right away that you were going to call it and there was nothing I could do. You made the absolute correct call and I commend you for making it. I just wish I had sent her home and not said a word.

That was an exciting game and I was extremly please with the umpire crew for calling a great game. Has your voice gotten back to normal yet? Man that had to hurt.

See you on the field soon.

I was the TD of the tournament and to take this a step farther happened to one of the host teams. In my 12 years of coaching this is actually the 2nd time I seen this happen and the other time it also came in extra innings and cost the team a semi final win. That coach had the same reaction. Did not argue and just couldnt believe it.

It was a great game. I too hope Bretman is OK after the shot he took late in the game. Bretman I sent you a PM on another issue.

a couple of stand-up gentlemen in my book..this is definition of class. admit your mistake and go on.

Mack,

Way to show up and applaud the ump's correct call. Good stuff! And I'm sure this situation will keep you from ever aiding a runner again - it all happens for a reason. ;-)

mack20 said:

Bretman,

I am the coach that this got called on. In all my days of playing baseball, men's softball and coaching(30 plus years combined), I have to admit that I have never seen or heard of a game that ended this way. In hindsight, I should have just let her go home and take my chances that they did not see her miss the base. It was pretty blatant though.

She actually grabbed me to stop and pushed off of me to go back. I knew right away that you were going to call it and there was nothing I could do. You made the absolute correct call and I commend you for making it. I just wish I had sent her home and not said a word.

That was an exciting game and I was extremly please with the umpire crew for calling a great game. Has your voice gotten back to normal yet? Man that had to hurt.

See you on the field soon.

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All of the Gahanna coaches and tournament personel I dealt with were top notch!