[Manny A]

Did an 18U rec game yesterday. One of the coaches showed up wearing a large set of headphones (circa 1995, similar to the strange Red Sox fan who has those yellow radio headphones and sits right behind home plate, even for the playoffs; you would think with that choice ticket, he could afford something more contemporary), carrying a traveler's coffee mug, and wearing a short-sleeved button-up shirt that screams Goodwill. He dutifully took the first base coach's box when we started. Here were just a couple of his astute comments:

- Ground ball to the infield. Ball is thrown to F3, who makes the catch on the bag. Then for good measure, F3 places a tag on the retired BR as she reaches first base. It was a very innocuous tag, just one of those "Let's make sure" things you see during rec play. This "coach" turns to the first base dugout, and starts complaining to the defensive team's coach, "Hey! She can't do that! My girl was already out! That's unsportsmanlike conduct!" Oooh boy...

- Runner on first with no outs. Batter hits a little fly ball that's right behind the pitcher's circle. F1, F4 and F6 move toward the ball, and as you might expect in rec play, F4 and F6 stop to let F1 make an over the shoulder catch. The ball comes nowhere near hitting leather, and falls to the ground. R1 is still at first base, so the confusion ensues on where to go with the ball. F4 goes back to second base, and F1 is able to throw out R1 for the force. "Coach": "Hey! Why wasn't that an Infield Fly rule? That should have been an Infield Fly rule!"

- Another coach finally showed up to the field and takes first base. "Coach" sits in the bleachers behind home. R1 on second, and R2 on first with no outs. Ground ball right to F6, who moves up to make the play, until she sees R1 coming her way. R1 barely avoids her as she turns to the side and covers her head as if expecting a collision. Ball goes right between F6's legs. I make the INT call. "HEY! What happened there? There was no contact! Why is she out if she didn't touch her?"

- As "coach's" team is waiting to bat, the opposing team's pitcher is standing in the circle waiting for her catcher to gear up. "Hey coach! Get out there and warm up your pitcher!" comes from this yayhoo while he's standing in his dugout.

BTW, the next inning after the "Infield Fly rule" episode, he approached me as he was heading to the coach's box. He asked me (with his headphones on), "Hey, can you explain the Infield Fly rule to me?" I answered, "You need to have runners at first and second or bases loaded, with less than two outs." He kinda stood there a second or so, so I added, "And the fly ball has to be catchable by an infielder using ordinary effort." He said, "Oh, I guess that wasn't ordinary effort," and he walked away.