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TOPIC: Sportsmanship - know your context! |
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| Jay (Bethesda)
June 18, 2009
9:29:24 PM
Entry #: 3191921
| Last week we had a game where we were (as usual :-) ) getting blown out. It was the top of the 7th inning, and our opponents had at least a 15 run lead on us. They were at bat, and continuing to add to their lead. (Note: we were still enjoying ourselves). During a live play they had a runner (and eventually another) attempting to run home, so we threw the ball home to our catcher - a very young lady with clearly not a lot of experience playing (as was clearly the case for much of our team). Well, the throw home was caught by the young lady, clearly beating the runner. However, the umpire called the runner SAFE, as it was deemed that the catcher had her foot slightly off the plate and onto the strike board. To add insult to injury, another runner boldly (and perhaps arrogantly) ran home as well - tempting fate, and the umpire made the same call, further disheartening the poor girl playing catcher...
My point? Yes, there are rules in the game. But this IS a Church League (no ticket sales or big salaries), and one should ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THE CONTEXT of the game! Had the game been close... I totally agree with the calls. Had our team shown itself to be experienced... I agree with the calls... Had there been someone playing catcher who clearly should have known better... again, I agree with the calls... If any ONE of those things were true, I completely agree with the calls! However, when you consider all of the factors... SERIOUSLY?!?!? Honor the good play (which clearly beat the runner - both times), call the runner(s) out, and move on!
This ties right in with the Mercy Rule. If you're going to call a game like that, you're in the wrong league!
That's my rant. Hopefully it hasn't fallen on deaf ears.
On the flip side, we've enjoyed great competition and sportsmanship in all the rest of our games! Thanks to the rest of you for keeping it fun!
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
June 19, 2009
10:53:11 AM
Entry #: 3192408
| Well said! But it is unfortunate that it needs to be said at all.
The context does matter. We had a recent game where the other team had a 20-run lead in the 7th and were still high-fiving each other on home runs. There comes a time when such behaviour is simply unnecessary.
Running aggressively in order to fluster the defense so as to create errors is a prime example of this. If the game is close, I expect (and even admire) that kind of running, but when the game is a blow out, there is no call for this. I'm not saying that the leading team should simply stop trying (that doesn't encourage the trailing team either), but curbing certain behaviour such as aggressive base running is a simply way of toning down the competitiveness.
As for calling close plays, I have to admit that I have a hard time in 'modifying' my calls. If a player is out or safe by rule, my inclination is to call it that way.
Note that runs for and against do NOT matter in our league. Therefore, run padding serves only one purposethe emotional needs of the winning team. Which leads to the next point.
We have had an 'unofficial' interpretation that the mercy rule is at the option of the trailing team, but our league rules don't specify that. They do specify, however, that Softball Canada rules apply when not explicitly overridden, and the Softball Canada mercy rule is 15 runs after 5 or more complete innings. So by rule, such blow-out games would be over. But I know people often still want to play. I have previously suggested that the game be called once the mercy-rule criteria are met, and that the game be allowed to continue without counting further runs. It seems that the primary objection to that was the what-if situation of the trailing team actually making a big comeback. In my opinion, that is not an issue because the game was already over BY RULE. And it is quite likely that the comeback was facilitated by the leading team toning down their play.
I'm also curiouson the play at home, was the catcher completely off the plate? Or just partially off the plate and contacting the strike mat too? The way it was described seems to be the latter, but it's not clear to me.
The reason I ask is that if it was the former, then the call was correct by rule (though in context, maybe the call should have been given to the defense). But if it was the latter, then the call was simply wrong it doesn't matter whether the catcher is on the mat so long as s/he is at least partially on the plate too.
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| Jay (Bethesda)
June 19, 2009
7:23:59 PM
Entry #: 3192913
| I can't say for sure whether the catcher was partially on the plate or not - I'm assuming she wasn't touching the plate at all, but barely off at that. The fact that it wasn't even a close play otherwise (the runner was barely past the commitment line) makes the call a bit ridiculous given the rest of the context that I mentioned earlier.
Thanks for your feedback! I appreciate your passion, and look forward to playing you in a couple of weeks!
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
June 22, 2009
8:45:40 AM
Entry #: 3194359
| The reason I asked for clarification on where your catcher was standing is that's I've seen quite a bit of misunderstanding regarding the rule for home plate (and for the safety base at 1B) this year. For example, some people have asserted that the catcher cannot touch any of the strike mat or the runner is automatically safe. That is incorrect, and I wanted to make sure that wasn't the case here.
I would agree that, given your context, the sporting call would have been 'out'. And a sporting team wouldn't have sent the next runner either (which raises the issue of when 'time' should be called see my recent thread on that topic).
I look forward to our game as well, but I might have to miss it as we may be en route to my in-laws.
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| Rudy Welz
June 22, 2009
11:57:03 PM
Entry #: 3195501
| Hi Jay,
In a case like the one you describe, or the situation Dennis mentioned with needless agressive play you should allways appeal to the league president. I've usually found that a call from the prez tends to tone down problems.
As per mission statment part 5,
We should have the attitude of Christ and follow his precepts: “Turn the other cheek” and “love your enemies”. Regardless of the other team’s conduct and sportsmanship, we should not retaliate. If you are concerned about the conduct of any team, or if they violate any of our rules of conduct, it is your responsibility to report the details to the League President.
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| Jay (Bethesda)
June 23, 2009
7:35:59 PM
Entry #: 3196550
| Thanks for the reminder Rudy. Just to reassure you, I didn't retaliate or say anything to the other team - I didn't want to risk losing my composure in the heat of the moment. Perhaps I'll give Jared a call and chat about it anyway.
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
June 24, 2009
9:46:29 AM
Entry #: 3197101
| That is a good reminder. I know that our team tends to react to such situations not by retaliating but rather by grumbling amongst ourselves and not saying anything. But if something is to be done, then something should be said, and the League President is the proper avenue for that.
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| Jay (Bethesda)
June 24, 2009
10:17:24 PM
Entry #: 3197964
| I like this guy (Dennis)! Too bad he's not going to be around for our game...
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