Why would you say this?
 

High school baseball game ends in 65-0 'travesty'

"Jeff Boyer has been a baseball coach at Licking Heights High School in Pataskala, Ohio, for 34 years, and he's never seen anything like it. Boyer's Hornets beat Harvest Prep 65-0 on April 5 in a game called in the third inning. Licking Heights scored 16 runs in the first, 18 in the second and 31 in the third.

"We didn't run on passed balls; we didn't take extra bases or any of those kinds of things," Boyer said. "I even asked the umpire, 'What do you want us to do?'

"I asked if he wanted us to bunt and step on the plate, and he said he didn't want it to be a travesty of a game. And I'm thinking, 'We're already there.' " "

At what point does common sense trump being OOO?

Not sure why I would trust a paper quoting someone other than the umpire. I am sure there was more to the conversation than what is stated in the article.

And they could have swung at every pitch regardless of the where it was thrown. I have had that done a couple of times and it was clear the other team was not going to score.

Peace

Why would the coach expect the umpire to tell him what to do. I would not say I "WANTED" them to bunt and step on the plate either... And if asked if that's what I wanted, I might have a similar response, although I'd likely be much vaguer, "Coach, I can't tell you what to do or how to handle this, I just call what I see."

But the coach surely could have done exactly what he asked about without permission from the umpire.

Yep -- suppose the umpire had said "yes" -- and then it gets reported as "the umpire told us to bunt and step on the plate". Imagine the uproar.

And the coach really does not understand what making a travesty of the game really is if his team is simply beating the crap out of the team legally. Otherwise giving up outs on purpose in any situation would make me happy (unless it is the bottom of the 7th or extra innings and we will be tied after that inning).

Peace

Your probably correct, I just could'nt imagine worrying about a travesty become more of a travesty. And No, I don't recommend any reply whatsoever by the official.

Well I would expect a reply if he was asked a direct question. But I would not tell them what to do other than "Play the game." You are just asking for trouble otherwise.

Peace

I guess this State is like CT where the coaches vote not to use the mercy rule. Games like this are thoroughly ridiculous as this is not professional baseball. The mercy rule should be mandatory in academic baseball.

OhioHSAA does have a mercy rule: ten run rule after five innings.

The two coaches can also agree to end the game at any time.

MTD, Sr.

At the rate they were going, it would've been 90-0 after 5 innings.

I've worked a few games for Harvest Prep over the years. Small private school, operated by an evangelical minister that has his own TV show. They weren't very good when I saw them and now they must be worse.

Two memorable events from one of their games:

- Their coach argued that a foul tip was a foul ball and the runner that was stealing had to go back.

- Harvest Prep on offense. Batter tries to check swing, but can't. PU signals strike. HP coach asks PU to appeal the checked swing!

Our state fines schools who terminate games early (other than the FED mercy rule). We have, in the past, discreetly mentioned to the coaches that if the scoreboard shows "5" in the Innings column, we don't have any way to dispute that.