Hole in outfield fence at the base of the fence.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Well, ladies and "germs" "IT" happened again last night. MTD, Jr. and I were umpiring a boys' 14U travel league (with MTD, Jr. behind the plate naturally, you don't think I am going to work the plate with a young stud like Jr. I can stick behind the plate do you? )

Top of the 4th inning and the V's are up 7 to 1 with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 3rd. V's batter hits a blast (into the wind to boot) that clears the fence by at least 10 ft in the left field power alley. H's F7 and F8 run to the fence and watch and can do nothing but watch the ball go over the fence. F7 turns to the infield and signals HR at the same time that MTD, Jr. is signalling a HR.

Now for the good part. F8 then turns toward the infield and calls out that the ball went through a hole in the fence. I call "time" and hustle (if you believed that I hustled, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you) out to the fence. Sure enough there is a hole in the fence along the ground, and the ball is lying on the ground outside the fence about 20 ft past the fence line. I look at F8 and asked him if he really thought a baseball that was hit that high coul roll through hole that far past the fence line. He looked at me and said the ball had some serious spin. I told him that HR stands and turned to the infield and signaled HR.

After the inning was over H's HC told MTD, Jr. that his F7 told him that the ball was way over the fence and thought that F8 was nuts trying to say the ball rolled through the fence.

MTD, Sr.