A nightmare.. walkoff hs playoff IP..
 

HS Playoffs.. intense game .. Bottom of 7, tied, bases loaded, 2 outs .. the pitcher starts to pitch and stops.

WHAT!! Why did you do that girl?

One of the things the coach yelled (I kind of blocked him out after awhile) was that I allowed the "other team to initiate a balk"... my partner later confirmed the base coach was yelling to his batter "call time out" .. I never heard that (way too loud and way too many people being loud) and of course its not relevant since the batter never requested time out nor did I grant it.. but pitcher touched and began.. and stopped.. Ending her season in a terrible way.

Well I was completely mobbed.. 200 people lined up yelling at me.. the coach went crazy, the press, 3 or 4 reporters, followed me all the way to the changing area.. when they figured out I was not going to talk, they went to my partner, who was more than happy to say whatever he said to them.

Man am I shell shocked.. unreal.

I officially know what its like to be the bad guy wrestler.

I wish it didnt go that way.. but it did. And thats the way it is.

I had one like that last year - ended an extra-inning playoff game with an IP.
The defense held a conference and then the pitcher got back onto the PP, took several signals shaking off all but last, nodded, brought hands together & separated, then shook her head & stopped - then stepped off & said something to her coach. I had to replay that in my mind a time or 2 just to make sure none of my partners had called Time or anything like that. Then I called the IP, brought the winning run in & we left. The security team was great - they surrounded us and got us out of there quickly & smoothly. It was the game administrator who dealt with the mob. It wasn't how I wanted it to end, either - but I was not given a choice.

None of the people came down to the gate (except the reporters), so maybe someone was there keeping them back. I just wanted out of there. My heart sank when I got to the gate and stopped.. it was locked! Someone yelled "Guess you'll have to go this way".. but upon close inspection, the crew had just made it looked locked. Phew! Good luck today chess ref lol.

Yep, that's a tough way to end a game. As you mentioned in the OP "the batter never requested time out nor did I grant it." so the pitcher should have continued the delivery. If the first base wanted time out he should have requested it instead of having the batter do it.

Perhaps your partner could have called time out when he heard that the coach was requesting that play stop. Why didn't your partner kill the play?

Because if it was as loud as wade says it was, then no one heard the base coach's instructions to the batter, including the pitcher, batter, and wade.

Man if Friday night traffic didn't suck so bad i would have come down South , instead I stayed North. biggest drama was one of our umps wilted in the evening heat.

I hope mine ends a little "easier" then yours. :D

PS Give me some hints about what teams it was ?

I did get an all court booing last year in basketball, actually my partner did but I was with him.....

Good point and it would have been a nice piece of umpiring on your partner's behalf.

However, beyond that, if anyone asks you the age-old stupid coach/player/spectator question of, "how can you end the game like that?", simply respond that you didn't end the game, the pitcher did.

Umpires simply enforce the rules. I don't know an umpire which strives or even looks for something to bring about the end of a game under questionable circumstances.

Sue Enquist lost a NCAA championship game a couple years ago when there was a DMR by the player on third. If I remember correctly, the previous year THE championship game was ended by a DMR by a player on second. And last year, I'm pretty sure the umpire did not plan on ending the championship game of the World Cup of Softball with a LBR violation.

A non-existint LBR, IMO. But that's another story. Sure that was beat to death on this forume back then :D

Similar deal to OP I witnessed in HS Regional Finals a few years ago. Bottom of 21st (no typo) R1 on 3rd with two outs and power hitter up. Coach had called time out and talked to pitcher & catcher. In the middle of delivery, just before pitcher released ball, coach yells "wait, don't throw that". Pitcher stops, IP called, Game/Season/HS Career of pitcher over.

Hi,coach. Here's your sign!

I commend you! It takes a pair of brass ones to make a call like that in an hostile environment. Nice work!

As the OP says, Wadeintothem’s partner heard the base coach.

Likewise. Good job, wade!

Damn right it was the right thing to do.

In 2004 in the WA State 2A Playoffs, bottom 7, 2 outs, winning run at third. Pitcher did the same thing. Three umpires come together to discuss things. None of them had the brass ones to call the IP. Run doesn't score. Offended team protests, UIC says it was judgement call :eek: Teams go to ITB in 9th, offending team scores twice to win...and eventually won state championship.

Actually, I have been completely villified. The press has fried me, and completely lied in doing so. I'm awaiting a call from my top umpire guy (i"ve been working another tourney)... if he follows suit with everyone else (including every umpire I have talked too), I or my partner should have found a way not to make the call. According to the press I bumped chests with the coach then walked off the field laughing leaving the girls sprawled on the field crying.

I am livid that that was printed. Al queda not in the news so I get vilified like that? There was nothing funning about that situation. I did not so much as crack a smile, in fact, there was nothing to smile about. Me and the coach never touched chest. He didnt bump me, I didnt bump him. They might be getting me back for refusing to talk to them.

You guys may think I made the right call. I actually believe I made the ONLY call I could have made... but thats about it on the home front here. Other than that, I might as well have shot kennedy.