Wierdest thing to Happen on Field?

[MB_Ump]

I was wondering what the wierdest thing you have ever had happen to you on the field? For instance, I once had an overflying bird crap on me and splash both the batter and catcher. Perfect triple play. Another time, with the batter waiting on a pitch, I saw the center fielder lie down and shove his arm into a hole up to the elbow. Turns out a gopher was peeping out and he decided to try and catch him (LL Minors).

[guyinaredhat]

Our tournament fields are in a wierd area, lots of industrial complexes , landfill, and right on the bay.   A few weeks ago PG& E (the folks who brought you the San Bruno pipepline explosion)  decided they needed to drain some sort of pipe.   Well my partner and I are comming back from a break, and from the parking lot we heard IT.  Loud rumbling like being on an airport tarmac.  Well turns out right behind our field bout 100 yards from 2nd base they were draining the pipe and it  was LOUD.   Really loud, so loud we went into a sound delay because we had to shoult at the plate meeting and still had problems.   First time i ever had a game go into too loud delay.  

[scrounge]

Last year I was plate for a city league game (fairly poor quality of ball, lots of inner city and lower income kids, some who've never played before high school). Anyway, it was a really windy day. Turns out that the very deep outfield (no fence) was the backup helicopter landing field for a hospital right down the road. Sure enough, right before the 5th inning or something, a cop comes up and says we have to halt play because there's a bird enroute. He goes to set up the landing zone about 400-500 feet in the outfield and about 5 mins later, the bird comes in and lands. We were able to start up again once the patient was off-loaded to ground transportation, though we did have to create a ground rule on the fly:  any ball that gets even close to the helicopter is a dead ball.

[JHSump]

any ball that gets even close to the helicopter is a dead ball.

I'm gonna use that line at my next plate meeting!

[Mudder]

I got two:

 

Speaking of helicopters, I was BU and here comes this remotely controlled helicopter buzzing around the entire outfield.  Would fly around a bit then leave behind the woods, then back again.  This went on for like 5 minutes, but nobody could see the guy who was controlling it so we couldn't stop it.  Finally one of the parents found him hiding behind some trees, and he stopped it.

 

This other time, I was BU, there were no runners, and my partner behind the plate, looking straight ahead, starts screaming "hey you, stop that, get away from there!"  he's screaming this multiple times, we couldn't tell who he was talking to, F4, F5 F8?  I was totally confused, the centre fielder looks confused, and yells back "What, what am I doing!"  my partner keeps yelling, takes his mask off and starts slowly running toward the mound/2nd base bag.  I chime in to my partner and ask him whats going on.  Finally, long story short...my partner had his car parked in the parking lot beyond the centerfield outfield fence, and 2 guys were trying to break into his car. By the time everyone realized what was going on the centre fielder, who was closest to the situation, ran out yelling at the guys, finally hopped the fence and chased the guys away, but not before doing a bit of damage to the car.

[GoodOldGus]

We had two sky divers jump out of a hot-air balloon above the field last fall.  One landed in the parking lot and the other in CF.  Probably never see that again. 

[umpire_scott]

Had a game several years ago where late in the game there was high fly ball to center field.  I was in :"B".  The CF camps under it and then somehow completely wiffs.  The ball misses his glove and hits him square on the forehead.  The LF runs over to get the ball as the CF is laying on the ground.  He throws the ball in and then freaks out pointing at the CF.  As soon as the ball is secure in the field I call time and go out to check on him.  I've never seen anything like this in my life.  The knot on this kids forehead looked like something out of a cartoon.  It was sticking out like 3-4 inches.  I didn't even know that was possible.  His mom came out and the paramedics were called.  His mom would not let him look at it or touch it because she did not want him to know how swollen it was.  The good news is the kid was fine, but i had no idea that swelling like that could occur.  

[VAUmp]

Had a game several years ago where late in the game there was high fly ball to center field.  I was in :"B".  The CF camps under it and then somehow completely wiffs.  The ball misses his glove and hits him square on the forehead.  The LF runs over to get the ball as the CF is laying on the ground.  He throws the ball in and then freaks out pointing at the CF.  As soon as the ball is secure in the field I call time and go out to check on him.  I've never seen anything like this in my life.  The knot on this kids forehead looked like something out of a cartoon.  It was sticking out like 3-4 inches.  I didn't even know that was possible.  His mom came out and the paramedics were called.  His mom would not let him look at it or touch it because she did not want him to know how swollen it was.  The good news is the kid was fine, but i had no idea that swelling like that could occur.  

Probably broken blood vessels without breaking the skin.  

[MB_Ump]

I had one like that where the ball hit the right fielder in the head and bounced off, flying all the way to the second baseman in the air, who caugt it. That kid had an instant horn as well.

[LA ump]

I had a girl from the yearbook run onto the field during the action so she could take pictures. When the coach asked her what she was doing, she said her teacher said she could.

[Daniel]

Working an LL game once, had a younger kid (in his first year umpiring) on the base with me, suddenly disappear between innings, never to be seen the rest of the game. No one saw him leave or anything. I got a call from our UIC that night letting me know what happened. Apparently he became really ill, and darted for the concourse area when the inning was over.

[mjr_2013]

Working an LL game once, had a younger kid (in his first year umpiring) on the base with me, suddenly disappear between innings, never to be seen the rest of the game. No one saw him leave or anything. I got a call from our UIC that night letting me know what happened. Apparently he became really ill, and darted for the concourse area when the inning was over.

 

Probably just had a hot date.

 

I once had a partner three times my age do the same thing... He strolled back onto the field two outs into the next half inning. Told me after the game he was in the bathroom.

 

Another, who was two years older than me, ran off and came back just before I started the next half inning solo... "I was starving, dude."

 

   

[hill2933]

This was basketball but leaving the field brought back memories.

Running late for an early Saturday morning middle school girls game. Just got off working the midnight shift and was pushing it to make it on time. Got to gym right at scheduled start time, ran in said hi to partner and threw the ball up. After the first few trips down the floor I realized I had forgotten to take my backup gun off my ankle. Couple more trips and the ball goes out of bounds by the exit. I blow my whistle make my call then turn and run out the door. I threw my gun in my car ran back in and just put the ball back in play. Everyone was kinda puzzled but play went on until first dead ball when my partner came over asking what had happened. I told him I thought we had it under control so I locked up my gun. Can't imagine what would have happened if it had come out and went flying acoss the gym.

[JHSump]

 

Working an LL game once, had a younger kid (in his first year umpiring) on the base with me, suddenly disappear between innings, never to be seen the rest of the game. No one saw him leave or anything. I got a call from our UIC that night letting me know what happened. Apparently he became really ill, and darted for the concourse area when the inning was over.

 

Probably just had a hot date.

 

I once had a partner three times my age do the same thing... He strolled back onto the field two outs into the next half inning. Told me after the game he was in the bathroom.

 

Another, who was two years older than me, ran off and came back just before I started the next half inning solo... "I was starving, dude."

 

   

 

I had a much younger guy working a set of 6 tournament games with me one Saturday a month or so ago.  He kept telling me over and over how hungry he was.  We had a quick bite between games 3 and 4, so I couldn't figure out why he was so hungry.  When I finally commented on it, he says he's used to eating many smaller meals throughout the day.  He is some kind of workout junkie and has a diet tailored around his workouts.  He said his other job was at a gym.

 

At least he didn't run away during a game!

[umpcoachfather]

I had a player puke on the field, no biggie, just had to wait for the coaches to clean it up. 

[JHSump]

I had a player puke on the field, no biggie, just had to wait for the coaches to clean it up. 

Isn't that the umpire's job?  Right after brushing off the bases and the pitcher's rubber??  

[Aging_Arbiter]

STATE TOURNAMENT LL 11 y/o a few years back.  LF line Ump walks over to the fence between innings and has someone get him a sno-cone from the consession stand.  Yes, he ate it on the field between innings.

[KLAH316]

STATE TOURNAMENT LL 11 y/o a few years back.  LF line Ump walks over to the fence between innings and has someone get him a sno-cone from the consession stand.  Yes, he ate it on the field between innings.

Got to stay hydrated in those hot summer tournaments..... I see nothing wrong with it!!

[soapbox]

I wasn't umpiring.  I wasn't coaching.  Just a tournament softball game that my little 10U angel was playing in.  Middle of the inning, unannounced, she comes flying in from right field (no playing action).  Crosses the 3B line and straight to the port-o-john.  Never said a word.  Everything just stopped.  2 minutes later out of the john and back to RF.  We were all speechless.  Some more than others.

[James Walker]

I wasn't umpiring.  I wasn't coaching.  Just a tournament softball game that my little 10U angel was playing in.  Middle of the inning, unannounced, she comes flying in from right field (no playing action).  Crosses the 3B line and straight to the port-o-john.  Never said a word.  Everything just stopped.  2 minutes later out of the john and back to RF.  We were all speechless.  Some more than others.

When you gotta go, you gotta go...

[Aging_Arbiter]

MUCH better than the "other" option.

[MB_Ump]

I wasn't umpiring.  I wasn't coaching.  Just a tournament softball game that my little 10U angel was playing in.  Middle of the inning, unannounced, she comes flying in from right field (no playing action).  Crosses the 3B line and straight to the port-o-john.  Never said a word.  Everything just stopped.  2 minutes later out of the john and back to RF.  We were all speechless.  Some more than others.

I bet it was either the 2nd or 3rd inning. Seems like there is always a steady stream headed to the honey huts then. Probably the second most requested time out in Minors, well behind "I need to tie my shoe".

[HeadHunterLA]

Two things come to mind.  First happened in Scottsdale, AZ in the middle of a LL Majors game, dog come son the field and takes a few sniffs of third base and then decides a yellow base would be more appropriate.  Second in Tujunga, CA, LL Juniors game, right fielder calls time out and sprints into the infield.  Seems a rattle snake decided that it wanted to sun itself a bit.  One of the parents actually used stick to pin its head, grabbed the thing and took it off into the surrounding brush.

[okump96]

Working a summer showcase tournament at the University of Arkansas and they were having an air show just south of the stadium. Had a Stealth Bomber fly over the field twice. Fortunately both times we were between pitches and everyone just stood there in awe.

[boyinr]

I had a LL Juniors game that we had to call because there was a herd of deer that came on the field. There must have been 20 or so. There was no fence so they just came out of woods. At first we tried to ignore them but they kept coming closer and closer. It was close to dusk and the home team was way behind. Game over due to wildlife.