Quote:
Originally Posted by Skahtboi
I change nothing, and suffer through like I should. And here is a story that will serve to tell you why:
A few years ago, I had a game between two private HS that was atrocious. However, it looked like we were well on our way to a 10 after 5 run rule. At the end of two, the visiting team was ahead 19-0. They tacked on a couple more in the top of the third. Bottom of the third, something happens to the home team. With a combination of errors by the defense and timely hits and lucky ball placement, they manage to plate 12 runs. In the fourth, visitors do nothing and home team got a few more runs. Long story short, after 4 hours and 10 minutes playing, the final score was home team 33, visitors 31. What would have happened if either my partner or I changed anything about the way we approached that game? We could have altered what appeared early on to be a lost cause. Thankfully, we both just struggled through, and the outcome was left entirely to the players (or lack thereof) on the field. Probably the worst, and certainly the longest 7 inning game I have ever umpired.
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Just last week, I had a similar situation when I volunteered to help out my son's old local LL. Majors baseball game, and the visitors jumped out to 15-0 lead in the first couple of innings. "Over there", they have a 10 after 4 May Concede rule (if the trailing coach wants to continue playing so that his/her players get some reps, we allow it). Well, the home coach had already mentioned to my PU partner that they would likely not continue if the game didn't change complexion.
Change it did. In the bottom of the fourth, the home team scored 7. The visitors added a couple in the top of the fifth to make it 17-7. Home team added 6 more in the bottom of the fifth, so we had to play the sixth. Game ended 17-15. Lots of participation by all players, which is the goal of LL Regular Season play.
Suppose the PU had widened the zone on the visitors in this one. What would he have done when the game got close? Close it up again? Leave it wide? It's a no-win situation.
No umpire likes to stay out there during a blowout. But it comes with the territory.