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you make the call!

nice

10 votes

dick

2 votes

metsmarathon Jun 21 2012 08:00 PM

the following happened in my softball game tonight: runner on second, one out. opposing team has 8 fielders, leaving catcher unoccupied. a member of the opposing team is returning throws to the pitcher so they are able to field a 3-man outfield. batter hits a short fly ball to left field. the shortstop, third baseman, left and center fielders converge but fail to make a play on teh ball. the pitcher covers third as the runner advances. the defense fails to return the ball to the infield. the runner on third sees that home is uncovered, dashing there for the score. is the runner a jerk or a genius? me, i'm on the fence. oh, it was the bottom of the 6th, of a 7-inning game, and the run triggered the mercy rule. well, actually, the run caused the umpire to realize that the mercy rule was triggered on the preceding play where the runner drove in two. so officially, the play never happened, though that's not terribly germane to the question. what say you, oh cranepoolers?

metirish Jun 21 2012 08:14 PM Re: you make the call! Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 21 2012 08:16 PM

Runner is not a jerk, why the fuck did the other team decide to vacate the position and then put him out to field?, backfired to say the least.

seawolf17 Jun 21 2012 08:15 PM Re: you make the call!

As a first baseman, it's my job to cover home on that play. Totally fair play by the runner.

metsmarathon Jun 21 2012 08:20 PM Re: you make the call!

the 8 player team only had 8 players. you have the option of either playing with a catcher, and therefore leaving another position vacant (typically second base, but conceivably an outfield spot i suppose if you're stupid), or requesting the other team provide a catcher to return the ball to the pitcher, with no other defensive responsibilities.

themetfairy Jun 21 2012 08:23 PM Re: you make the call!

You can't blame the runner for taking the run that was practically gift wrapped with a bow.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 21 2012 08:26 PM Re: you make the call!

In that case, the first baseman or pitcher or whoever has to know to cover home in the event there's a play there, particularly if it's the winning run that's scoring. Then the manager needs to get on the lazy asses of the doofuses who didn't bother to show up and blame them for the loss. They're the real dicks.

metsmarathon Jun 21 2012 08:34 PM Re: you make the call!

yeah, the pitcher covered third. when the outfielders kinda stood there with teh ball in their hands, i realized i had a shot at the run. i had no idea i was actually the mercy-killing run, and kinda felt bad about it. i also was a little surprised i wasn't told that the ball had already been called dead, as the ump sometimes calls it before it ever gets back in. then it turned out i was the 16th run, and technically i never happend. i still feel a little bad. but really, tehy had some decent power on tehir team, and a big sloppy inning is always just around hte corner in work-league softball.

Edgy MD Jun 21 2012 09:06 PM Re: you make the call!

Listen, if you're acting as catcher for the other team, you are morally obliged to show more effort to win on their behalf than they do. Or something. No, you're not a dick, unless what you did hurt the feelings of human female. Then all bets are off.

metsmarathon Jun 21 2012 09:09 PM Re: you make the call!

no, the girl was on our team.

TransMonk Jun 22 2012 12:05 AM Re: you make the call!

This is a pretty clear-cut nice play to me. If they're giving it, you've got to take it.

Ceetar Jun 22 2012 05:29 AM Re: you make the call!

metsmarathon wrote: the 8 player team only had 8 players. you have the option of either playing with a catcher, and therefore leaving another position vacant (typically second base, but conceivably an outfield spot i suppose if you're stupid), or requesting the other team provide a catcher to return the ball to the pitcher, with no other defensive responsibilities. Hmm. if you vacate second does the SS use the shift and move over there for left handed batters? I'd say it's fine. If there exists a mercy rule that implies some sort of competitiveness. If it was just about getting the 7 innings of fun in, no need for a mercy rule. Therefore it's fine to score. I need to find a softball/baseball league. I miss it. my glove looks lonely sitting in the corner.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 22 2012 09:45 AM Re: you make the call!

Oh, you have to take that. You HAVE to.

metsmarathon Jun 22 2012 12:19 PM Re: you make the call!

Ceetar wrote: Hmm. if you vacate second does the SS use the shift and move over there for left handed batters? yup. a few years ago, we played a playoff game with only 9 fielders. we vacated 2nd to have a 4th outfielder. it seemed to work as instead of trying to clobber the ball, they tried to just go the other way into the hole. we stayed with them until they realized they should just approach the game the usual way, and then they started hitting the ball over our outfielders' heads.

seawolf17 Jun 22 2012 06:38 PM Re: you make the call!

Our league requires four girls a game; we played the second game on Tuesday short one girl, which meant we had to take one out each time the empty spot came up in the lineup. Talk about a rally-killer.