A great day!

[Steve McNeil]

Started our 21st season yesterday with 5 games. Unfortunately #3 son was on call with work (he's graduated from college and is working full time as well as umpiring with me). Only two wierd events. THis is modified kids pitch. Girl pitches until 4 balls then dad comes in wth the number of strikes left. No walking.. gotta hit. SO with 2 outs bases loaded, batter hits one up the middle. Rounds the bases and passes the runner from first between 3rd & home.. sorry 3rd out of the inning. First 2 runs score.. I explain it to the coaches & parents. NO problems... last game, with 2 strikes, girls swings at an inside pitch that hits her hand (not the bat). I call strike 3. Coach says the hand is part of the bat. I say really? Ask her to pick up a bat. She does. I tell her to hold it out level. She does. I tell her to drop the bat. She does. WHere's the hand... did it go with the bat or is it still on your arm?
She made a beeline for the dugout... laughing as she went. Told me after the game that was one of the best explanations she'd seen...