Quote:
Originally Posted by Raymond
At what point do we determine a player not listed as a starter is illegally on the court? At what point is it too late for that?
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Brings to mind one of the most unsporting events of my life.
I was a fourteen year old playing Babe Ruth baseball. I was on a really terrible team (with me as a terrible player), with no wins at that point in the season (finished season 0-15). We were terrible because we had no true pitchers. Our #1 pitcher was our starting shortstop, not overpowering, but didn't walk a lot of batters. Our #2 pitcher was our starting third baseman, the son of the team sponsor, great moving fastball (as I discovered as the first baseman catching his throws from third base), but absolutely no control, tons of walks, and hit batsmen. No designated #3 pitcher, we just pitched anyone with a pulse.
That night we were playing another terrible team, also with no wins at that point in the season. We were the home team and pitched first. The opposing coach watched as our #1 pitcher warmed up. Then the game started. Our #1 pitcher threw his first pitch.
Opposing coach calls timeout and bounces out of his dugout. Tells the umpire that our #1 pitcher isn't eligible to pitch that night (my coach was unaware his eligibility status that night) due to some limitation rule on pitchers (something about limited appearances in a time period and required days of rest between pitching). The entire situation was complicated by a few suspended partial game rainouts previous to our game.
Game's over. Forfeit. We all pick up our gloves and go home.
The opposing coach watched as our #1 pitcher warmed up, he had our lineup card in his hand, he knew that our #1 pitcher wasn't eligible to pitch that night, and yet he waited for that first pitch instead of saying something pregame to our coach or the umpire.
But he got his win. That's all that counted to him. Not that thirty kids didn't get to play baseball that night.
Still pisses me off to this day, fifty-five years later.