Cheaters!

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

The worst "cheating" I've seen was in church-league softball (yeah, I know...), a team needed a win to advance, and was playing a team who truly didn't care. Yet somehow in the last inning, team didn't care was winning. Cheating team batted out of order multiple times on purpose (I saw the slugger come up 3 times, several others twice - with several not batting at all - in an inning that had about 12 or 13 at bats), and team didn't care... didn't care.

Cheating team won - umpire did nothing (I was a spectator). I've always wondered if I would have stepped in if I was the umpire. Someone apparently reported the thing to the league, though, and the cheating team was suspended, the coach banned.

A good umpire wouldn't interject themselves. Batting out of order, like not touching a base, is only an offense if properly and timely appealed by the defense. Personally, I don't classify it as cheating. Bush league, but not cheating.