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Since most of us are off the field for the foreseeable future, I thought it might worthwhile getting the insight of the masses on this "situation" that occurred this previous spring. This happened in a HS county final, which in NJ is a dig deal. I have spoken to some here about this already and have the input of a lot of others who are not. Those who are aware should resist the temptation to join in the fun of what ifs or coulda beens if at all possible. Here goes...... I am PU in a 3 man crew. Bottom 7, 1 out , R1 and R3, Fed rules. BR hits a seed to F5, about 6 inches off the ground. R3 is moving on contact. F5 tries to sell the catch of a short hop, but U3 clearly signals and verbalizes no catch, which F5 does not see or hear. F5 runs to 3B in what looks like a DP as R3 was about 20 feet off the base. As F5 touches 3B, VT pours out of the 1B dugout celebrating the apparent county championship. BR squats on the 1B line about 15 feet away from HP, thinking he has lined out to F5 and it is a game ending DP. R1 makes his way to 2B, but slows to a stop just before reaching the bag.VT forms a dogpile between pitchers mound and 1B in their haste to celebrate. F5 recognizes that U3 has called no catch and throws to 1B. R3 takes off for home and crosses the plate. HT coach (in the 3B coach's box) begins to windmill his arms and R1 touches 2B and heads for third. F3 catches the throw from F5 and steps on 1B as R1 begins to round 3B and head for home. BR never made a legitimate attempt to advance to 1B after he squatted on the line. F3 fights his way through the mass of humanity between the mound and 1B in an effort to beat R1 to HP. R1 is tagged out about 6 feet from HP. Now what????

Woo Hoo ..........first game, finally, ...in the books ..... HS Varsity, plate .....   The kids were visibly excited to be on the field finally, ...coaches too!   2:15 minute, 5 inning mercy, 17-1 .... oh well!

Well, ... almost 3 weeks earlier than last year, .....  HS assignment number one came in today for March 27th, Varsity!    Followed by 3 more!:   a JV game on the 31st, and a Varsity DH on April 5!     : :

Bending rules to the extreme?; Badin's Nick Browning will play in the state tournament after all.; HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL Posted: 12:05 a.m. Wednesday, June 5, 2013 Email 4Facebook 46Twitter 22ShareThis 102 By Tom Archdeacon - columnist The coach has tempered some of his more critical comments from the other day, but he didn’t go back on one defiant promise. Badin High School was in the process of fighting back from a 6-1 deficit to Johnstown Northridge in the Division III baseball regional championship late Friday night when star centerfielder Nick Browning was involved in a disputed play that still is stirring controversy. Browning led off the top of the eighth inning getting hit by a pitch. He stole second and then, of his own volition, tried to steal third but was called out by longtime Dayton umpire Jeff Klepacz in what was a split-second slide-and-tag play. The emotion of the moment prompted Browning to pop up, flip his helmet and, according to Klepacz, yell “Bulls—-! That was bulls—-!†Klepacz promptly ejected the Badin senior and that’s when the real dispute began. Folks from Badin — especially head coach Brion Treadway — quickly realized if Browning was thrown out, he would be forced — per Ohio High School Athletic Association rules — to serve an immediate two-game suspension. And if Badin came back to win this regional title game (which it did, 9-6), the team would go to the state tournament, but Browning would not be permitted to play in Thursday’s semifinal or in the title game. That spurred Treadway’s on-field argument. He claimed Browning’s outburst wasn’t directed at Klepacz, but the veteran umpire disagreed. “Look, I umpire Dragons’ games and guys on those teams swear all the time, but it’s not directed at me,†Klepacz said Tuesday. “If a guy there says the same thing but doesn’t try to show up the umpires that’s fine. “But in high school we are specifically told by the OHSAA that if someone cusses, gets out of line or is unsportsmanlike, they’re done. So I had a job to do and I did it. Period.†Treadway said he tried to no avail to engage Klepacz in discussion: “I felt it was a heat of the moment deal for Nick and the umpire. I wish the ump would have said, ‘One more word and you’re gone.’ Or said, ‘Coach, if you don’t take him out, I’m gonna throw him out.’ But (Klepacz) really wouldn’t go into anything with me. There was no human interaction.†Klepacz said he tried “to be professional†about it, even when he claims “some of the Badin parents came down along the third-base line and started cussing at me and calling me names.†After the game, Treadway offered some pointed criticisms of Klepacz. “For that umpire to take away the opportunity of a senior leader to play in the state Final Four just really disturbs me,†he told our reporter, Rick Cassano. “Quite honestly, I don’t know how that guy goes to sleep at night with the way he acted.†Later, he referred to Klepacz’s actions as “an unfortunate power trip of an umpire.†[more]......http://www.athleticbusiness.com/articles/lexisnexis.aspx?lnarticleid=1909841910&lntopicid=136030023 NOTE: In a little bit of karmic justice, this team lost in the state final four 3-2 on a heartbreaking walkoff single in the bottom of the 7th