Ever Umpired a Beat-Down Like This? 45-0!

[grunewar]

There were: 22 runs, 23 hits, 21 walks and 11 steals in the first inning alone.

Story is at: High school baseball game ends 45-0 - MLB News - FOX Sports on MSN

[jkumpire]

I have several friends that have umpired college games with those kind of scores, it was a highlight of their careers . At least one crew of guys I know had two games together with those kind of scores, but thank goodness it was not a DH.

[scarolinablue]

Originally Posted by grunewar

There were: 22 runs, 23 hits, 21 walks and 11 steals in the first inning alone.

Methinks there's a math problem here...23 hits + 21 walks = 44 batters on base. Let's assume the bases were left loaded...44 batters - 3 outs - 3 LOB = 38 runs, not the 22 runs suggested in the article. It doesn't add up...I knew being an engineer would pay off one day!

That said, this is one of those games where after the first inning, you hope a) nobody gets hurt and b) no fights erupt before c) the game mercifully ends. I had one a few years back that was 17-0 at the end of the first, 21-0 at the end of two when the leading coach emptied his bench and told his kids to swing at the first pitch. Still took another 1:15 to finish it out at 26-1, as I recall.

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by scarolinablue

Methinks there's a math problem here...23 hits + 21 walks = 44 batters on base. Let's assume the bases were left loaded...44 batters - 3 outs - 3 LOB = 38 runs, not the 22 runs suggested in the article. It doesn't add up...I knew being an engineer would pay off one day!

That said, this is one of those games where after the first inning, you hope a) nobody gets hurt and b) no fights erupt before c) the game mercifully ends. I had one a few years back that was 17-0 at the end of the first, 21-0 at the end of two when the leading coach emptied his bench and told his kids to swing at the first pitch. Still took another 1:15 to finish it out at 26-1, as I recall.

Wait?! You can't trust the newspaper's account of the events?

-Josh

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by scarolinablue

Methinks there's a math problem here...23 hits + 21 walks = 44 batters on base. Let's assume the bases were left loaded...44 batters - 3 outs - 3 LOB = 38 runs, not the 22 runs suggested in the article. It doesn't add up...I knew being an engineer would pay off one day!

Buddy, it's from FOX News!

You expect accurate stories of actual occurrences from anything that says FOX?

[scarolinablue]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Buddy, it's from FOX News!

You expect accurate stories of actual occurrences from anything that says FOX?

In an effort to keep this topic on-topic, I'll not start a rebuttal on accuracy in the media, be it Fox, CNN, or anybody else.

Or did I just do that?

[Kevin Finnerty]

Just so you know, the playing field is not even. There are things that don't compare well.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by scarolinablue

Methinks there's a math problem here...23 hits + 21 walks = 44 batters on base. Let's assume the bases were left loaded...44 batters - 3 outs - 3 LOB = 38 runs, not the 22 runs suggested in the article. It doesn't add up...I knew being an engineer would pay off one day!

What also doesn't add up is it being a forfeit like the article stated it was. Called, yes. Forfeited, no.

[scarolinablue]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Just so you know, the playing field is not even. There are things that don't compare well.

Actually, the OP article is from FoxSports, not Fox News. And, Fox Sports employs McCarver, don't they? So yes, I'd expect them to be inaccurate!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

What also doesn't add up is it being a forfeit like the article stated it was. Called, yes. Forfeited, no.

I was curious about this, so I did some reading this morning.

4-2-4 states that state associations can determine how games are to end. In the absence of such procedures, mutual agreement of the coaches and the UIC can be used to shorten games.

There is specific language in the Wisconsin Adaptations to the NFHS rules on how a game is to end. Not much, here it is:

Ten Run Rule: The game shall end when the visiting team is behind 10 or more runs after 4 1/2 innings, or after the fifth inning if either team is 10 runs behind and both teams have had an equal number of times at bat. The ten run provision shall be used in the WIAA tournament series.
If a game is called prior to the completion of any full inning, NFHS Rule 4-2-3 will be applied.

By rule, if the losing team forfeits before it's a regulation game, it goes into the books as a 7-0 forfeit. None of the stats will count, I assume. Not that I care.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I was curious about this, so I did some reading this morning.

4-2-4 states that state associations can determine how games are to end. In the absence of such procedures, mutual agreement of the coaches and the UIC can be used to shorten games.

There is specific language in the Wisconsin Adaptations to the NFHS rules on how a game is to end. Not much, here it is:

Ten Run Rule: The game shall end when the visiting team is behind 10 or more runs after 4 1/2 innings, or after the fifth inning if either team is 10 runs behind and both teams have had an equal number of times at bat. The ten run provision shall be used in the WIAA tournament series.
If a game is called prior to the completion of any full inning, NFHS Rule 4-2-3 will be applied.

By rule, if the losing team forfeits before it's a regulation game, it goes into the books as a 7-0 forfeit. None of the stats will count, I assume. Not that I care.

Rich, if WIAA specifies that the mercy rule is the ONLY way to end a game in fewer than 7 innings -- that is, if the coaches cannot get together and agree to stop -- then I think you're right: this would be a forfeit.

However, according to 4-5, a forfeit is scored 7-0 only when the forfeiting team is winning. So I think score and all of the stats should remain intact for this one.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by grunewar

There were: 22 runs, 23 hits, 21 walks and 11 steals in the first inning alone.

Story is at: High school baseball game ends 45-0 - MLB News - FOX Sports on MSN

Well, Bob Jenkins and I worked a DIII conference doubleheader on Good Friday where the teams split. Visitors won first game 19-13, home team won second game 20-13. Something like 13 home runs were banged out that day, too. 65 runs that day.

BTW, in game 1, the starting pitcher wasn't removed until the bottom of the 8th, if my memory serves me correctly. He actually pitched relatively well, considering the overall score.

[OLDAZSCUMP9]

In 1993 is did a DH for a small college in NC (that no longer has a team) They were no hit in the first game 21-0 and no hit in the 2nd 19-0. They only hit one ball out of the infield in both games. Thank God for the mercy rule in that era even in college. It was almost sad, visitors were not even scoring on passed balls and station to station baseball.

[billken]

The real learning opportunity here is how do deal with it?

Do you expand the strike zone? If so, how much?

Do you initiate a conference with the winning coach and suggest bunting?

Do you stay out of it and just mop up the mess when kids start getting beaned and all hell breaks loose?

Can you invoke the "travesty of the game" clause and end it when everyone has had enough?

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by billken

Do you expand the strike zone? If so, how much?

There are threads on here already about this.

Originally Posted by billken

Do you initiate a conference with the winning coach and suggest bunting?

No.

Originally Posted by billken

Do you stay out of it and just mop up the mess when kids start getting beaned and all hell breaks loose?

Yes.

Originally Posted by billken

Can you invoke the "travesty of the game" clause and end it when everyone has had enough?

No.

I hope this message was tongue-in-cheek.