This post is a good example of why the coaches and umpires shouldn't get together for heavy drinking before a game.
- You're a coach and you've already been busted once for not reporting a sub. How asleep at the wheel do you have to be to do this again?
- You're the plate umpire and you've had two issues with unreported subs so far. Then, after telling a coach he needs to enter a sub, and you've already had two problems with them not reporting, and you're the guy responsible for recording a sub...how in the heck do you let the game start back up without recording the substitution you just told the coach he had to make?
- You're the base umpire and you notice a runner is missing. So you just...keep your mouth shut and let it slide?
- You're the defensive coach and you notice a runner is missing, right after you've been told the runner is not out. Should you ask what's going on right then, or wait until the inning is over?
- You're the offensive coach and you think that your player has been called out for a rule violation, which would be the second out. Another out is made which (at least in your mind) should end the inning. But they don't switch sides and keep playing until
another out is made. Did you just think that they were being generous and giving your team four outs today?
I suppose that the last inevitable question is what might be done to "fix" this. You might get an argument that the runner who disappeared/never showed up should have been called out and that might negate some of the runs that scored afterwards, or maybe that the run made by this player who was supposed to be there should be counted, since she would have scored if the umpires had made sure she was on base.
For whichever coach that even tries a lame argument like that...sorry. We're way past the point of where an appeal or protest could be made, so we're stuck with what we have. And if you don't like it...we can discuss it at the bar after the game!