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Steve,
I got a year on you, I'be be 50 before the years is out.
Back in '75 whe I was just out of the Coast Guard, the other Deputy Sheriff's used to ask me to help them serve warrents on people who had a case of rabbit. I couldn't always outrun them, but I could stay with them until they ran into a tree or tripped over a wire fence. Nobody outran me for over 2 years, and then a kid I caught breaking in a business left me in his dust. The detectives arrested him two dayes later, and he committed suicide before trial, so there was still nobody in the county who had gotten away from me on foot. (I did lose a couple in vehicle chases though, and one of two that were in a vehicle I wrecked to end a chase.)
Getting to 3rd ahead of the runner is not the problem.
The problem comes, more so on the 90 foot diamond, when something screwy happens, such as your trucking on toward third watching the throw from left field, and as F5 catches the ball you realize the BR has revesed and is heading back into 2nd while F5 throws past you to F4. Now your looking up the west end of an east bound runner and you've got the rundown by yourself until the PU can get up the line to cover 3rd on a leg when you are chasing the play back toward 2nd.
Not a big problem on the 60 foot softball field, but on 90 foot bases, and players with 30 to 35 years less on them, it can get interesting.
And for a funny end to a long post: Calling a 15 & under softball game 3 or 4 years ago. Being played on a full size baseball diamond with a mound. Batter strokes line drive to right field, I'm hustling in, watch the touch at 1st, lookover my shoulder to pick up the location of F9 and the ball, and observe that BR will be tryinng for 3rd. Just before BR reaches 2nd I step in the dished out hole in front of the baseball pitcher's plate, trip, and make a complete somersault, ending upon one knee about 12-15 feet from 3rd base as the runner and ball arrive. BR slides under the tag, and I give a big safe sell from one knee. The fans on both sides of the field are on their feet cheering, and I'm just hopeing that no one appeals the runner at 2nd.
Roger Greene
(on a quite night at the office with too much time on my hands.)
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