Weirdest call ever?

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by theboys
Well, this is softball, but it ranks right up with the strangest sports oddities ever seen, so I'll relate it anyway.

A couple of buddies and I were early for our softball game, so we sat in the stands and watched the game in progress. Home team had runners on first and second, with no outs. Batter hit a fly ball, which was caught by the centerfielder. When the ball was hit, the runner on first took off for second, failing to tag up. The centerfielder threw the ball to the shortstop, who tagged the runner from first, who was already on the bag with the runner originally on second. The umpire correctly called the runner from first out. BUT, the runner from second left the bag, and started walking toward the dugout. The shortstop then tagged that player out, and the whole team started screaming, "Triple play, triple play!".

We haven't even reached the odd part yet. The umpires became confused, so conferred for a couple of minutes. The batter, who had trotted down to first, stood on the bag watching the meeting. The runner from first who left the bag early, stood on second, doing the same. The runner who had walked off second base, stood about halfway to third, waiting for the umpires' decision.

As hard as it is to believe, the umpires finally looked at first and saw a runner there, looked at second and saw a runner there, and must've thought the runners were the original baserunners. They told both to stay at their bases. Not sure what to do with the runner standing between second and third, they sent him to third. Bases loaded! Nobody out!

As you can imagine, the visiting team went berserk. The pitcher went into a fit that would make Bobby Knight proud. He was eventually thrown out for his creative use of the english language.

Later on, we found out the pitcher was the minister for one of the local Baptist churches.

All true.

I gotta admit, that's about the most bizarre thing I ever heard. With your signature line underneath, it's publishable!

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by theboys
Well, this is softball, but it ranks right up with the strangest sports oddities ever seen, so I'll relate it anyway.

A couple of buddies and I were early for our softball game, so we sat in the stands and watched the game in progress. Home team had runners on first and second, with no outs. Batter hit a fly ball, which was caught by the centerfielder. When the ball was hit, the runner on first took off for second, failing to tag up. The centerfielder threw the ball to the shortstop, who tagged the runner from first, who was already on the bag with the runner originally on second. The umpire correctly called the runner from first out. BUT, the runner from second left the bag, and started walking toward the dugout. The shortstop then tagged that player out, and the whole team started screaming, "Triple play, triple play!".

We haven't even reached the odd part yet. The umpires became confused, so conferred for a couple of minutes. The batter, who had trotted down to first, stood on the bag watching the meeting. The runner from first who left the bag early, stood on second, doing the same. The runner who had walked off second base, stood about halfway to third, waiting for the umpires' decision.

As hard as it is to believe, the umpires finally looked at first and saw a runner there, looked at second and saw a runner there, and must've thought the runners were the original baserunners. They told both to stay at their bases. Not sure what to do with the runner standing between second and third, they sent him to third. Bases loaded! Nobody out!

As you can imagine, the visiting team went berserk. The pitcher went into a fit that would make Bobby Knight proud. He was eventually thrown out for his creative use of the english language.

Later on, we found out the pitcher was the minister for one of the local Baptist churches.

All true.

The Toronto Blue Jays had a triple play overturned this year.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by JugglingReferee
The Toronto Blue Jays had a triple play overturned this year.

Care to provide details? I don't remember this. . .

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Care to provide details? I don't remember this. . .

I think it was June 5th, as an archived sports story I just read is dated June 6th.

It was against St. Louis and a fly ball was shorthopped by CF. The U2 signalled out, and the CF properly through the ball back to 2B, to where R2 was retreating. He was forced out and R1 was tagged out, near 2B.

Tony LaRusa naturally came out of the dugout and the call was eventually overturned. The result was that R2 -> R3, R1 -> R2, and BR -> R1.

TO played under protest for the remainder of the game. And justly so. However, slow-motion replay showed that the ball was *not* caught before hitting the ground, but it happened so fast and so close, the CF legitimately thought he caught the ballfor an out. The U2 had the same opinion and signalled an out.

Mike

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by JugglingReferee
Tony LaRusa naturally came out of the dugout and the call was eventually overturned.

the CF legitimately thought he caught the ballfor an out. The U2 had the same opinion and signalled an out

If the CF and the U2 both thought it was a legal catch, how did the play get overturned? Do they use film replay in baseball?

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by rainmaker

If the CF and the U2 both thought it was a legal catch, how did the play get overturned? Do they use film replay in baseball?

I remember seeing this on ESPN. The umpires had a little conference, where one of the other three must have convinced the U2 otherwise.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by rainmaker

If the CF and the U2 both thought it was a legal catch, how did the play get overturned? Do they use film replay in baseball?

No replay, but I guess that another U initiated a conference.

There were actually two officiating ooopsies in this play.

(1) The wrong call by U2 and (2) allowing all runners to be safe.

By the CF seeing U2 signalling an out, his defensive thought process changed instantly. Had the correct call of safe (or no signal) been made, the CF would have had a play at the player going to third. As a result, TO was denied a chance to play proper defense.

I think that only a do-over is fair.