No second base - sort of

[chapmaja]

Worked 2 adult SP games last night. Get to the field and check the field my schedule says I'm on. I see two teams on the other field and only 1 on my field. After checking with the site supervisor he tells me to work field 2, not field 1 which is my scheduled field. There is no game on field 1 (which is different than both our schedules say).

No big deal. I do a quick glance at field 2 and everything right. Just as we are ready to start, I see the manager of one team walking up with the peg and base for a base. Somehow, when the contractor the city uses to set the field did their job, they never put in the peg and base for second base. We had to check all of the bases to see if they were properly set and fix improperly set base, which delayed the start. I have never been to a field where the crew that sets up the field failed to put the base in. If the coach had not noticed the peg and base in the dugout, we could have had a problem because the first play of the game was a player sliding into second base for a double.

On a side note, the teams played a DH. First game goes 19-4 in 4 innings (15 after 4 mercy rule in league play). I'm thinking its going to be a quick night. Second game goes 10 innings with a 7-6 final. It was tied at 3 though 9, the visiting team scores 3 in the top of 10, then the home team is down to their last strike with nobody, gets a bloop single, throwing error on a grounder, and another bloop single to load the bases. The batter hits a line shot to the RF corner which scores two runs. The tying runner comes home as the throw does and the throw hits the runner. The pitcher (covering the plate) grabs the ball and dives back just a split second too late to get the batter-runner who scores the game winning run with a nice head first slide into home. I have never had a game like this, 10 innings, all within the hour and 15 minute time limit, end on an inside the park, walk off grand slam.

The best part, I got to go home and watch Davis hit a walk off Grand Slam for the Tigers in their win over Oakland.