[gdc25]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, People of all ages I give to you for your entertainment... Well I'll let you decide.

(btw... this is not meant to be condenscending to any association or people other than... well as I said above, I'll let you decide.)

Slow Pitch A.S.A. State Championship tournament, Sunday afternoon.

R1 on 1b, line drive caught by SS who then throws the ball to 1b trying to catch R1 off the bag. Ball sails over fence 1b dugout. As the Umpires discuss the situation the UIC walks up so the 3 of them discuss then award bases accordingly.

None of this is relevant other than the fact that the score keeper on this particular diamond is an NSA registered SP umpire that works league games at this particular complex during the week and has tried desparately to input his supreme knowledge of everything slow pitch softball into every sitch on that diamond, up to and including the dimensions of the batters box and why "this guy is out of the box, but that one wasn't."

Later in the day, during the final game, this same score keeper is sitting within a group of umpires that were done for the day, relaxing/watching the final game. I will try to remember the coversation as I heard it.

Score Keeper Guy (I'll now refer to him as SKG): "hey, on that play where the ball was thrown over the fence. If the runner didn't tag up and the defense appeals it, is he out?
Tournament UIC (now UIC): Yes
SKG: How, you can't make two calls on the same play?
UIC: It's not two calls, it's one call.
SKG: The ball was dead, you can't make two calls on one dead ball.
UIC: Look. What's the call on a banger at 1b if the BR beats the throw but misses the bag?
SKG: He's safe unless the Defense appeals.
Other Umpire 1 (Now U1): There's your answer
SKG: No thats different, thats a dead ball play. This was a Dead ball appeal.
UIC: What?
U2: It's the same thing.
SKG: No it's not...
UIC. Look, what if the same thing happens and the runner is awarded 3b but he doesn't touch 2b on the way. Do you call him out?
SKG: Not unless the other team appeals.
U3: there you go.
SKG: It's not the same thing.
the conversation went in this same manner until it ended with the following statement...

SKG: This is why ASA sucks. You guys have way to many rules.