[LIUmp]

Here's another one for the ages...er, masses.

I'm PU. PONY tourney last year. My partner, who I had never met before, was supposed to meet me for a semifinal and final game starting at 1, and 3:30. He shows up at 12:55, wearing white socks, blue sneakers, and blue cargo pants. He runs right past me in the parking lot. These games start on time as the TD signals game start time by sounding an airhorn. Thank goodness I suited up for the plate at 12:45 when there was no sign of him. I run to catch up to him and say, we're going to be late..I introduce myself. He asks me if I would do both games behind the plate as he doesn't have his mask with him.


4th inning. No runners on, one out. B2 hits a shot into CF that rolls on and on. My partner is standing in shallow center (did not button hook, just kind of ran out to center). BR is going to third, I am set to make the call and the ball gets by the third baseman and to the fence behind her as the BR slides in. Now there will be a play at the plate, so I follow the girl down the line to the plate and she scores.

I brush off the plate as I hear my partner from just behind second say I got time! He runs into me and says...

Partner: "You have to call her out."

Me: "Why?"

P: "She was aided home by her coach at third. He touched her arm to tell her to go as the ball hit the fence."

M: "I didn't see that. Are you SURE?"

P: "Yes, He tapped her arm and told her to go home. The coach is not allowed to touch the player. You have to call her out."

M: "Let's not split hairs here...if you saw her being aided home ..why didn't you call it? The runner is out at that moment. I didn't see the play - I'm watching her come home as I run to cover the plate myself - and I can't make a call on a play I didn't see."

P: "Well, I'm telling you what happened. Call her out."

M: "Look...don't open a can of worms here. If she was touched on the arm, and you felt she was aided home, then it should have been called immediately. Since it wasn't, we really can't make that call now."

P: "Coach, Your batter runner is out...the run does not score. My partner and I talked and we're calling her out because you aided her home."

Chaos ensued. My partner goes back to A. I am left to clean up the mess.

I tossed the coach.

And I still had another game to go behind the plate.

I should have known when I saw white socks, blue sneakers and Mobil gas pumping blue cargo pants that it would be interesting.