Talking Heads know more than Umpires
 

At least the TV crew realized the run rules were lifted for the finals! The PU, Sally Walker, called ball game and umpires walked off field after 6th inning with score 8-0. Had to call them all back onto field to finish game. Not good communication somewhere along the chain of command there!

Holy crap, how embarrassing would THAT be for an umpire on national TV?

If you think it was embarassing for the umpires, how embarassing was it for both teams who already lined up for congratulatory handshakes, the ground grew who already picked up the bases and the fans who were already heading toward the exits?

I love the look on the ground guy's face when he tried to sneak 1B back onto the field. That should be an Instant Classic.

I missed the fact that the run rule was suspended....turned away in the 6th... and happened to flip back in the bottom of the 7th wondering wth was goin on....!

Maybe when they told the TV crew about suspending the run rule, they should have said something to the players, coaches AND umpires.

Sounds like someone drop the ball!

And how POed is someone going to be when they have to play an inning beyond what would normally be a completed game and lose someone to an injury?

Why change the rules?

Stop being silly... the blues dont matter....

You're right! It's late and I wasn't thinking. :confused:

A boo boo. No feather in the cap for that one. Lost one.:D:D:o

Can you say: BLUNDER:eek:

no big deal ... someone along the way forgot to fwd an email

everyone knows now

Guess it was a bad idea to configure the umpires' email to automatically delete anything with the subject that contains "Fwd" huh? ;)

Man, so many geek jokes I could use on this story...

I've worked slow pitch tournament championship games where this was the case, the run rule was suspended or the time limit was suspended just for the championship game. Even worse, I've had situations where the first championship game would have the run rule and time limit but the "if" game didn't. It can become quite confusing for the umpires when during the tournament everything follows the rules from the entire season, and then the championship game is a whole different set of rules from the entire tournament up to that point. This takes great communication on the UIC or Tournament Director's part.

To guarantee ESPN 'x' number of commercials they have sold advertising for .....

It's also not a "change" of the rules.
Italics added by me.

Exactly! If they were going to declare it, maybe they should have told someone besides Mowins, Kruk, and Mendoza.

What, formally declaring it to ESPN doesn't count? ;)

It was the same last year.

And usually addressed at the plate meeting before the start of the game. Not a good look on tv for the NCAA.

I am sure that will be part of umpire instructions next year.

Never came in to play last year.

ESPN didn't have to play it up like they did either. All the Video of the Umpires returning, the players congratulatiing, the ground crew working and Yuk yuk yuk, it wasn't necessary.
Were they trying to make the officials look bad?

No, they would never do something like that. ESPN is 100% objective. Always.

It was pretty obvious to most who look at the game as umpires. You could see the PU ask the catcher for the ball and begin walking off the field. I told my wife that they thought it was over, but figured they would catch it before they left the field. Hey it was interesting so they would show it!! Just like they would in any sport. I thought it was more amusing than anything.