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| Dec. 19, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Most Unusual, outlandish, Funny, etc. Softball story All through the 90's I ran an independent, little local softball league. Many of the local "characters" came through the league sooner or later.One such person was "PeeWee", who followed the beat of his own and very different drum. He wound up on my team for a couple of seasons. One August night, extremely hot, PeeWee was in right field, smoking a cigarette. A long, fly ball was hit to him. He had time to take a long draw off his smoke, then tossed it on the ground. He caught the ball, then someone yelled "lookout!" The dry grass had caught fire and PeeWee was encircled by flames. Timeout was called and we all ran out to stamp out the fire. Anyone have a story? |
| Dec. 19, 2010 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | Not from my personnel playing experience, this one is from a fast-pitch league my father played in back in my hometown of Rogers, AR in the 50's, as told by one of the instigators: "Ben Nelson of Centerton, who pitched many seasons for the Chamber team, was called `Shakey Leg` Nelson by all. He threw a slow, `nothing` ball...using an Elvis-like shake of his left leg to distract the batter..it did. Pete Graham, a realtor with an office on the Brick`s Ice Cream Parlor corner, was a strong left-handed batter. "On this April 1st night, we believe it was, Mighty Casey (Pete) swung from his heels at a grooved pitch by Nelson, right down the middle. The funny thing, the `softball` actually was a same-size Grapefruit painted white. Pete hit it perfectly...`splattering` all in range. Damn, those were good days when the World was simpler, nice...and Rogers was Mayberry ! " |
| Dec. 19, 2010 ChiPrimeMarty Men's 60 104 posts | My Senior teammate Mike has often recalled a game more than 20 years ago when he was playing left in a field of grass sorely in need of mowing. In the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs and the winning run on 2nd he charged a hard single and came running towards the infield with his hand in the glove and by his body language ready to throw the runner out at home. The third base coach held the runner, and after calling for time Mike said "OK, now I'll go back and get the ball" (which he failed to scoop in the tall grass). His team won the game in the 8th. |
| Dec. 19, 2010 tinman Men's 50 75 posts | Local open tourney,my teammate hits a Home Run over the right center field fence landing on a street and bouncing into the open drivers side window of a car as it approached a stop sign.The driver paused and threw the ball out of the window and drove away. |
| Dec. 20, 2010 softball4b Men's 70 1248 posts | Early 80's, went back to Arkansas on vacation and played a tournament with some of the guys. We played on Memorial Weekend in the sticks. I mean sticks even for Arkansas. 90degrees, 95% humidity, I think they were pumping in susnshine it was so far back in the woods. If game and we are getting beat like a drum. Playing left field, light failing, I hear this ticking sound as the balls are being hit in my direction. The horseflys were so thick, that the ball was hitting them it flight. For those that do not know how big Horsefly are, try the size of the end of your thumb. And they bite, BITE. When I came in from the outfield my white shirt was spotted with blood, my blood. I must have had 10 or 15 different spots where I had killed Horseflys biting me. We were down 12 runs and no lights, other team asked if we wanted to call the game. They did not have to ask me twice. |
| Dec. 20, 2010 JBTexas Men's 70 434 posts | in 1973 I was umpiring a intramural game on base in Fla. we had a lot new guys who hadn't play alot of ball. I was the field umpire(I know go figure two umpires)in the early days. Well a young airman was coaching first base, after a hit he ask for time, then walks out behind second and bends over about siz feet behind the bag. I walk out and quietly ask him what he was doing and he calmly said he was coaching second base, after a little laugh and I politely informed that he was restricted to coaching first or third and we both walked back to first. He never moved the rest of the game. |
| Dec. 20, 2010 oldnslow 19 posts | Playing in SI, NY and bases are loaded - I'm in LF. A ball is smoked past me into a hedge row. I run into the hedges looking right, left, center. There it is - go to pick it up and it's a baseball!! Damn. Look over my shoulder and 1 run has scored, 2nd on it's way. My SS is jumping up and down sayin "get the ball in - get the ball in!!". Only one thing to do - I fire the baseball to my SS - He wheels and prepares to fire home. Then he stops - looks at the ball in his hand - turns around and gives me a wtf look. Umpire runs out to the SS - sees the baseball and allows all runners to score. Ump said I made a travesty of the game!! |
| Dec. 20, 2010 stick8 1991 posts | About 4 years ago I was umpiring a USSSA tournament game where (Team A) was getting thoroughly beat by (Team B.) Team A made error after error, had a bad hitting game--the whole schpeel. The shortstop (who was the manager) on A was nearly non-stop arguing (not cussing however) about most everything I called. He wanted to get tossed but I wasn't going to give him that pleasure. He was going to remain in the game and experience the entire a-- whopping his team was getting. After the game he came up to me and really started lambasting me. Then he screamed "you are the worst umpire I've ever seen". To which I replied "I didn't make all those errors at short, I didn't strike out with the bases loaded, I didn't drop the ball in that rundown". Then he said "that's not very professional of you" To which I countered, "what did you expect? I'm the worst umpire in the world" |
| Dec. 20, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | I don't mean to be picking on PeeWee, however, another incident with him about a month or so after the fire. PeeWee is in right field again. Long fly ball again. PeeWee takes long draw off his cigarette, ball gets lost in the lights, flies past tip of his outstrethed glove. Result, fractured nose, but even worse, PeeWee yells out, false teeth go flying through the air. PeeWee's momentum carries him forward and he steps on his teeth, breaking them in half. Oh, did I mention the time he dropped his bat bag in the dugout and his pistol fell out on the floor?! |
| Dec. 20, 2010 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | Back about 25 years ago we had a game scheduled on a field with no fences at all save the backstop. We went out for the meeting and the umpire-a young kid-says we are going to play invisible fences. Ok, we all played that at one time when growing up. The first guy up for us hits a grounder to short and he throws low to first and it skips by the first baseman and goes across the street. The runner starts for second and the umpire says "No, go back to first, because that would have hit the invisible fence!" We stared and the runner went back to first. The next guy hits another grounder to short and they force the guy at second, but the throw goes over the first basemans head and across the street again. We all look at the ump and he says "Runner gets second because that would have gone over the invisible fence". Our coach had had it by now and was the next batter. He was walking back and forth in front of our dugout area. The ump goes "Batter up". He goes "I can't!" The ump says "Why not?" "Because I can't find the gate in this invisible fence!!!" It's a good thing the field supervisor came by about then. |
| Dec. 20, 2010 ChiPrimeMarty Men's 60 104 posts | Webbie, I can just see your coach doing the whole Marcel Marceau mime routine grabbing & rattling that invisible fence ... LOL |
| Dec. 21, 2010 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | Southpaw, what a lot of laughs you must have had with PeeWee. I assume he was a good sport. Your story sure made me laugh! One of the joys of senior softball is the number of senior moments that enliven many a game. There are so many, it is hard to remember them all. Here's one: tall, rangy guy playing first base. Runner on first. Righthanded batter hits an unexpected screamer, one-bouncer near first. Tall guy stabs at the ground and fields ball in his web...except he doesn't know it. He turns and looks to right field to see where the ball went. He's surprised that right fielder is not running to the ball. Still doesn't know he caught it. Looks at his glove, but ball is so deep in web of first baseman's mitt that he doesn't see it at first. Takes his free hand and opens the glove—there's the ball! Now he thinks about forcing the runner at second, but too late. The runner is almost there. He stands there in frustration staring at second. Meanwhile, the batter, a slow runner, is lumbering down to first. Pitcher and catcher scream at first baseman to tag first as he is only about 10 feet away. By the time he realizes they are yelling at him, the batter is safe at first! |
| Dec. 21, 2010 hoovedog Men's 50 73 posts | Great Posts!! Galveston Tx 1980 Night game clear as a bell till about 12' up ,, then fog so thick it's like a blanket. The ump is going to call the game, we convince him to hit us a ball if we catch it we can play,, we send our center fielder out with a ball hidden on him, The ump hits the ball to him, we don't know where that ball went, but our center fielder comes running in with his stashed ball. The ump says "Play Ball" The first batter hit a Shot in that fog bank, I looked at the Rover, he looked at me, and we both hit the ground with our hands over our heads.. The Ump runs out,and says " Thats It, Game Over" |
| Dec. 21, 2010 #6 Men's 60 1173 posts | watching mad dog play softball is pretty outlandish.LOL. |
| Dec. 21, 2010 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | hoovedog, That was back in the day when Umps actually moved to see a call & rarely happens now. Galveston never saw a ball field there in mid 68- mid 70. |
| Dec. 21, 2010 cw Men's 65 79 posts | Back in my 20's my team was playing a league game at a complex where there were 2 fields side by side with a walkway in between. A ball gets hit to our shortstop who wings a throw over our first baseman's head so far that it sails and hits a gentleman, square in the head, leaning on a fence on the third base side of the OTHER field watching that game. He turns around ready to fight whoever just hit him! We, of course apologize to him and he decides that he will move behind the other field's backstop to get out of harms way. Not 2 or 3 plays later a single gets hit to me in left field and a runner is trying to score from second. I charge the ball and uncork a throw to the plate that sails completely over our backstop, and you guessed it, hits this same guy right square in the back. Our entire team couldn't help but fall down laughing. The gentleman turned to us and said "I'm out of here; I can see that it's not my day!" and immediately left the ballpark. |
| Dec. 21, 2010 Tuff Enuff 3 posts | We were playing the Championship game in double elimination tournament. I was pitching and my brother in law was playing left field. The field was in a residential area and the left field fence was common to a couple of residents. It was a very tall fence because of a short left field. Two outs in the seventh and the batter hits a high fly ball to left field. I watch as my brother in law backs up to the fence and readys himself to make the catch. I begin to feel the thrill of a Championship. All of a sudden he jumps forward and misses the ball. I charge out to left field demanding what happened!? He calmly advises that as he prepared to make the catch he placed one hand up against the fence to position himself and then a dog bit his hand. We lost! |
| Dec. 21, 2010 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | These are fantastic. I'm laughing out loud. Keep 'em coming! |
| Dec. 21, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Thanks Omar; yes, PeeWee and I are still friends. Years ago, I carried a pick-up team to a 35/over tourney here in Alabama. We were all in our 40's, outnumbered already. On Friday night, 2 of my 12 players canceled out. At 4 p.m., playing our 4th game of the day, 10 players, 105 degrees, 115 heat index. PEEWEE is in right field. While chasing down a fly ball, his hip goes out on him. He cannot bend over. Time out is called. We pick him up and carry him to the catcher's position. He spoke to the ump: "Mr. Ump, I can't bend over, you will have to field the ball when pitched and hand it to me". Peewee then would throw it back to me. End of story: tied 3/3 in bottom of 7th. Player on opposition who was hitless until then hits homerun with illegal bat (caught by our catcher!). Umpire asks if we want to protest. We declined and went home! |
| Dec. 22, 2010 audieh Men's 60 249 posts | I'm in my twenties and on first base with no outs. The ball is hit pretty deep to right center where there is a new ganglia player. I take off from first on a tag up and about 12' from second I hear the sizzle and pop in the second baseman's glove. The base umpire is about 6' to my right. I stop hold out my right hand and walk up to the second baseman and say, "just tag me". He reaches to tag my right hand which I move, he misses and then I extend my left foot to tag the bag! The umpire calls me out. I protest and he says I am making a mockery of the game. I tell him it was strategy. He wins, I'm out! |
| Dec. 22, 2010 Tater50 Men's 60 336 posts | Playing a Dairy Queen Team out of North Ga in the 80’s in a State Tourney; they were good; always gave us great competition. They were slaughtering us. They had a tall lanky guy w/one tooth & he was always mouthy. Our 2nd Baseman Greg was always a great defensive player, but the whole game, he could not hit nor make a play. Every time he would miss; toothless would walk out of the dugout & holler to the top of his voice in a Ga country accent: “That Boy Can’t Catch a Thang!!!” He would say the same thing when Greg made an out: “That Boy Can’t Hit a Thang!!!” This was going on inning after inning. We all were down; could not score any runs, we were about to lose: toothless is still giving Greg fits. Finally, Greg walks out of the dugout & yells: “I may not can blankity blank Catch a ball & I may not blankity blank hit a ball, but at least I got some blankity blank teeth in my mouth”. Well, we all fell on the ground laughing; loosened us up & we beat them. Toothless remained speechless the rest of the game. Tater50 |
| Dec. 22, 2010 garyheifner 649 posts | Back in the 80s, I was playing in this amazing USSSA league in Waukegan, Illinois. I think 5 or 6 of the 10 teams had won a world championship in some association. We show up for a league game and the 1st woman to ump a league game is there. Our 3 hitter comes up and she calls strike 1 on a deep pitch. She then calls strike 2 on a pitch even higher and deeper. On the 3rd pitch, she calls strike 3 on a pitch totally over his head and deeper than the 1st 2. He calmly takes a step toward her and he being a tobacco chewer spits this huge wad of chew into the dirt directly between her legs and calmly says, "How would you like to swap some spit after the game tonight?" She screeched, jumped back and yelled your out of the game and the park. He got pretty upset and went nuts and told her what he thought of women umps while both teams were laughing until tears flowed. The game finally continued. We lost but the beer was still good. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | I posted this play earlier this year when it happened, but it is really worth a second look. I hope you agree. We were playing Arizona Rogue-55 M+ in Pinetop for the championship. We had guys on 1st and 2nd. We get a base hit to right. Our lead runner rounds third, takes a few steps toward third and heads back. Our runner from first does the same at second. The batter has his head down and rounds first base full steam and heads to second. He is just about there when he realizes our runner is still there. The throw went to the first baseman near the mound.The batter heads back toward first, but realizes he can't get there and stops half way between 1st and second. The other two runners are also hung up, one half way between second and third, and the other half way between third and home. We have 3 runners half way between bases, the first baseman near the mound with the ball and everybody freezes. Stops! No movement for 10, 20, 30, maybe 40 seconds. I'm next batter standing next to the umpire laughing so hard I can hardly stand up. I should have called time, but I was afraid that would have caused a bigger ruckus.Finally, after an eternity, the runner between 1st and 2nd made a move toward first, the first baseman turned to try to get him, the run scored, the first baseman threw to second trying to get that runner and he ended up safe and we ended up with first and second and a run in. Never, ever saw a play freeze like that for so long. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | something i still do,with a first time ump(for me)i'll get real upset and call time when the first pitch hits the mat,and look the ump straight in the eye and tell him how could that be a strike,"I DIDN'T SWING AT IT",well usually for 10-20 seconds the ump has this blank look on his face,till i bust up laughing,then they realize what just happened.good way to find out if the ump has a sense of humor. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 RecMan13 15 posts | I am playing in Georgia at the ASA Church A Nationals. The fields had the 30' high foul poles with a screened attachment to complete the entire foul pole. It's my first time up and I hit the 2nd pitch down the left field line and the ball hits the fould pole about a foot from the top...I get about 3 steps out of the box and the umpire says "foul ball"!! I turn around and look at him very hard and say "the pole is in fair territory...they only call it a foul pole". He looks at me and said "if you want to stay in this game, get in the back in the box! Needless to say, that was a first for me!! |
| Dec. 23, 2010 hitman Men's 70 339 posts | Playing league in Madison Al in 1985 and we were stomping the other team 30 something to 8 in 4th inning. I step in box and the pitcher throws an extremely high pitch (probably 18ft) when the ball is halfway there the ump says STRIKE very loud. I just turned and looked at him and he said get in the box. Second pitch is at least 5ft higher and again about halfway there he calls another loud strike. Again he says get in the box!!!!! "What's your problem you knew they were strikes and had plenty of time to hit them" Next pitch is even higher but I don't hear anything and reach up and tomahawk the pitch for a hit. Ump comes running down to first in case of overthrow on turn. When I get back on first he says "why in the Hwll did you hit that?" and I replied "I know sure as hwll if those first two were strikes that was going to be also." About that time everybody breaks out laughing and I knew I had been setup, but ruined the KO by swinging and a good time was had by all!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Hitman |
| Dec. 23, 2010 stig1 Men's 60 32 posts | I was playing in a game in Parchman Prison in Mississippi a few years back. We were playing a prison team with prisoners for umpires. I hit a line shot down the left field line that hit the line with powder flying up. I know I have a double when I hear the umpire yell foul ball. I came back and said didn't you see the chalk fly up. He replied "The ball hit the foul side of the line". I had no answer just got back in the box to hit. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | In 1973, playing on a BABF (B'ham Amateur Baseball Federation) team. Went to play a pre-season game way out in the countrym, 50 miles or so north of Birmingham. Ballfield is in a pasture; as we drive up, opposing coach is driving cattle off the outfield into adjoing pasture. Minutes before the game is to start, opposing coach walks up to backstop and announces to fans in bleachers that there is no umpire. Can anyone ump. A huge man stands and volunteers. Problem: he is intoxicated! Our lead off gets in the box after warm-up pitches. First pitch is about to be delivered. Drunken ump turns and begins discussion with someone in bleachers. His back is to the plate. Pitcher throws pitch and when it smacks into catcher's glove, umpire turns and screams "Strike One!" Cow piles all over outfield; 6' long, 4' high rock in centerfield. High fly gets in our centerfielder's eyes, he misses it, ball strikes rock and bounces straight up for 30'--40' while runners round bases! More than one brawl; we finally win 18/17 in 17 innings as sun goes down on a Sunday evening that I will never forget. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 zonk 55 posts | This happened in 1982. One ump (female)is doing our game. Late in the game, our team is batting. We are down by a couple of runs. There are 2 outs, bases are loaded. Our pitcher is up; and, he is a RH dead pull hitter. He hits a screaming ankle high line drive that hits the 3rd base bag on the line. Two runs score, with runners on 2nd & 3rd, tie game. Nope, the female ump calls dead ball. The ball hit the foul part of 3rd base she states. We are totally dumbfounded. I advised our mgr. to protest the game; and, document that this is a rules interpretation not a judgement call. He would not do it; and, we had to go by the call. We lost. It wasn't funny then; but, it is more hilarious every time That I retell this. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 outfielder Men's 65 59 posts | Playing in a church league game in the 80's, one umpire and it had to be his madien voyage, bottom of seventh and we were down by one run with two out and a runner on second. I hit a shot to left and the left fielder made a play on the ball and I decided to go for it and stretch it into a double, well halfway to second the left fielder threw a strike to the second baseman who was waiting for me, the umpire had run out in the middle of the infield and I called time out, well the ump threw his hands in the air and called time out and started walking back toward home plate, so I walked on to second. The opposing coach ran out raising cain that I couldn't do that and the umpire told him that you could call time out anytime you wanted. One run had already scored to tie the game and the next batter got a hit and I scored to win the game. Other coach protested the game and the umpire told him that the rules were the rules and his protest was over ruled |
| Dec. 24, 2010 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | This thread could go for a while and I hope it does. I tend to be tongue in cheek a lot. Soon after we started playing the mat, we were in a tournament on Sunday and I was noticing the umpire (one of the laziest I ever saw) was calling pitches while leaning on the backstop about 10 feet behind the plate. I was commenting on how he couldn't possibly call a shot down either line. Well, with a guy on first so the base umpire was behind second, one of our guys hit a ball down the first baseline about 3 feet foul. No call from the umpire, so I shouted "fair ball, run Danny". He catches on and takes off for a double. The other team is just screaming. The lazy umpire goes out and points to the other umpire. She calls foul ball. Now we are screaming it's not her call and she couldn't possibly see it to make it. Took a while to straighten that one out. |
| Dec. 24, 2010 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | Finals of the NSA World Series in Gadsen, AL, 2007. It's bottom of the seventh and we have scored eight runs to tie the game against our number one friends/rivals. We have runners on first and third with one out and I'm coming to bat. There is some kind of interruption of play and, when the umpire calls "play ball", I take my stance ---- at the scoring plate. The umpire looks at me and says, "We're playing over here." I'm so rattled at this point that I swing and miss the first pitch. On the second pitch, I hit a weak foul ball that, fortunately falls harmlessly to the ground. Third pitch I finally single through the 5-6 hole, left fielder bobbles the ball, and the winning run scores from first. Do you think any of my teammates remember that I drove in the winning run. Heck No! But they all remember me trying to bat from the scoring plate. |
| Dec. 24, 2010 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | zonk, I am just guessing but since this was back in '82 is it possible those were not Hollywood bases but rather the old style bases that were either loose or just held in with a peg? If so, entirely possible that part of the base was indeed in foul territory which could make that a completely correct call. Just wondering. |
| Dec. 24, 2010 Norq44 59 posts | Back in the late 90's I was playing in a men's open league at one of our Las Vegas launching pads ( Arroyo Grande), this was long before they got smart and put up the netting. were already out of home runs and my attempt at hitting the ball down resulted in a line drive to left center field that I thought was going to hit the top of the fence, it didn't, it carried over the fence and continued on it's merry way right into the back window of a Ford Explorer, naturally it just exploded the window. The left center fielder on the opposing team was a friend of mine, he came in at the half inning and told me what had happened. On my next at-bat, I hit the same pitch in exactly the same way, with the exact same result. Only this time it hit right at the top of the window frame and left a big dent. I only found out later that it was our umpire's Ford Explorer. |
| Dec. 24, 2010 zonk 55 posts | Gary: It was pegged and strapped down. However, there was a chalk line; and, the bag was on the chalk line. It hit the bag/chalk line. Not a big technical issue; just telling for some yucks. |
| Dec. 24, 2010 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Gotcha! Thanks. |
| Dec. 29, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | 15 years ago, I had a team of 35-45 year olds players, in a youngsters tourney in Bham. No outs, opposition has runners on first and second. Hitter goes opposite field to RF, very short blooper. Everyone figures that the "old man" in Rf will not get to it. Runner on 2b is rounding third and runner on 1b is rounding second when our Rf'er makes a shoe top catch for first out. I run from the pitcher's mound, covering first and start screaming for the ball to force the runner. Rf'er screams, "no way, I'll take it!" His momentum carries him to 1B, he tags for second out and then tosses to 2B for third out while panicked runners are trying to retrace their steps. |
| Dec. 30, 2010 boston Men's 60 355 posts | Here's one from when I was coaching HS baseball, this was during a JV game. We were getting ready to play a rival HS and I was doing pre-game infield. The infielders were doing horrible after about 2 minutes I said hell with this. So I decided to use and invisible/imaginary bat and ball. I called out who I was going to hit the ball to and had them go 1st,2nd,3rd, home or DP. I would then hit to the OF and the infield would line up for the cutoff to the proper base. After awhile some of my players were getting into it and diving for balls or pretending a ball was overthrown. Needless to say the opposing team and fans were in hysterics. Our fans were outraged. We came in and parents were confronting me and telling me how I embarrassed their children. My response was simple your kids were embarrasing me and themselves with a real ball. If there are any problems with what I am doing feel free to take your son home. Once the game started the umpire asked me if it was okay to play with a real ball. I said no problem we're ready now. We proceeded to win both games of the doubleheader 16-2 and 10-0. After the games the opposing coach asked me where he could get one of those warm-up bats. My teams parents were shocked and said basically we should not have doubted you. The other coach and myself went and drank after the games and couldn't believe we pulled it off. The JV went on to win 8 of their last 9 games knowing the invisible bat and balls were ready to come out again. |
| Dec. 30, 2010 Tater50 Men's 60 336 posts | This past Winter Nationals @ Pensy; I was catching; I was running my mouth as usual & cutting up with the Female ump. Well, 3 different times the ball hits the mat on the edge & she calls ball; I am standing to the side so that she can see it very clear. After the 3rd miscall; I said, “ You need to go have your eyes checked: but I can do it for you; won’t charge you a penny & it is 100% foolproof”. She ask how? I ask her if I was as handsome or more handsome than Tom Cruise; she chuckled, & said Heck No!! I said; see you are blind as can be!!! She ask, what would you have said if I’d of said yes!! I would say that you had PERFECT vision!!!!! Tater50 |
| Dec. 31, 2010 tg69 393 posts | while playing in a country league this summer,the park being smaller than most,the left field fence being about 285 with an extra piece of chain link fencing added to the top to make it about 16ft. high.The added piece was turned upside down to put the sharp ends at the top.Well we had a hitter hit a long fly ball and it came down right on top of the aded on fence and it stuck to the top of the fence,both barbs went into the ball about an inch deep.....Ump called it ground rule double.It stayed there for a few games. |
| Dec. 31, 2010 TOMAR77 Men's 65 333 posts | A Ridiculous true story. As a mgr. of a rec. team that was losing more than winning I decided to start charging 25 cents for errors committed! Of course I would judge whether an error had been committed. Whoa, what a mistake!!! Our LCF bobbled a ball hit to him early in the game,allowing 2 runs to score! I was NOT going to charge an error as the ball did take a slightly bad hop. When we came into the dugout at the end of the inning,I started to say no error to the player,but before I could say it, the LCF was in my face ready to beat me into a pulp! This guy was one of my best friends, a former college linebacker had about 80 lbs on me. Next thing I know is our friend Jesse (a former minor league catcher, weighing in at over 200lbs over 6'), comes out of the dugout and tells our friend Rob if you touch him "I'm going to kick your ass", Jesse and Rob rent a house together go figure. Things are escalating out of control! The game has come to a complete stop. the other team and umpire have literally stop in their tracks to watch the fireworks. Then all of a sudden our SS comes out of the dugout with a bat in his hands and yells at us "The first one who takes a swing I am going to nail them with the bat!!". We all froze,we look at each other pause, and burst out laughing. No one was hurt we all remained good friends and have had a number of beers together relieving the "Fight At The O.K. Dugout". Oh yeah,you can bet I scrapped the 25 cent fine! The money just wasn't worth the hassle! |
| Dec. 31, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | As player/manager of a men's amateur baseball team in 1975, I was contacted early one week by a college scout. He asked if a certain young man who had just graduated from the local high school played on my team. When I confirmed, the scout asked if they young man was scheduled to pitch the following Sunday. No, but I can adjust was my reply. Why? We are considering giving him a scholarship for next year and I want to check him out. I wrestled all week about whether or not to tell the young man; finally deciding to let him know at the end of the week. He did not finish the first inning! Finally pulled him and went in to pitch myself. After the game, which we won, I talked to the scout about the situation. He expressed grave doubts, so I asked if he would consider me! Only question asked: How old are you. When I told him 25, he said sorry and left. I have second guessed myself a thousand times about my decision to inform the young man. |
| Dec. 31, 2010 Tater50 Men's 60 336 posts | Plano Texas: Wal-Mart; walked in w/some other players & ask the lady at the info desk if she had the famous Tater50 Bobble Head Doll; told her he was a famous Softball player; nationally renowned; she gets on the phone & calls the manager & ask him about it; was tough to keep a straight. She told me that it was not in the store; I told her in a nice manner; I am disappointed; maybe you should see about ordering it!! Tater50 |
| Dec. 31, 2010 Tater50 Men's 60 336 posts | Should have said straight Face. Another story: In a Wal-Mart in NC; one of the players on the team had invited us up there; his Mother-in-Law worked @ the door @ Wal-Mart; she had no clue who I was. I walked up to her & began talking about NC; said how I liked it, but I had had a run in w/a man & his wife that left a bad taste in my mouth. She said how sorry she was; I began to try to remember the names of the folk to see if she might know them; began calling odd names similiar, then I called out their names & she was taken by shock; then her son-in-law, the ballplayer walked around the corner. We all had a big laugh Tater50 |
| Dec. 31, 2010 Tater50 Men's 60 336 posts | Senior Moment: should have said that I called out her daughter & son-in-laws name. 2011 & the SR's are still there. Tater50 |
| Jan. 1, 2011 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | We have one guy on our team that tends to be a bit vociferous and passionate in his arguments on the field. At times even we start shouting "throw him out!" to the umps. In fun, of course. We were in Pinetop 2009 and playing Los Vatos Viejos in a close game. There was one out and I was playing third base right next to our dugout. The umpire call out "2 outs!." Nobody says anything and I am thinking, hey, they don't know! Suddenly I hear "time out! Our favorite scorekeeper and umpire haunter is on his way over to the plate. I hissed "Paulie, shut up!!!" He heard me and said "no", ump there is only one out!" After discussion we reverted to one out. That is the one any only time I ever saw him WIN an argument with an umpire, and it was for the other team. |
| Jan. 4, 2011 kingofmen 9 posts | i'm playing an 8a.m. league game in pittsburgh,pa, in 1994.whoever did the foul lines obviously had a very good time saturday night.both lines snaked toward the foul poles,with the left field being the worst&missing connecting with the foul pole by 18 inches.well,we're playing our rivals for 1st place&i hit a game tying shot over the fence between the foul pole&the drunkards lime line,the ump calls it foul i take a nutty!i complain that the foul pole has been there for over 40years&how some drunk can't change everything,but we all know how that ended.i ended up lining out to third.and how about this!!!i was involved in 8(count 'em)8 triple plays this year!!!and had 2 others botched!!! |
