Most Awesome Play?

[agdz59]

Tonight I was involved in what to now has been the most awesome play I've officiated.  What's yours?

If only someone was taping it...

LL minors and doing it solo.  There are two outs and runners on in a close game so both sides' stands are making a lot of noise.  The batter hits the ball straight up.  I look up and take a couple of steps back to make room for the catcher.  The catcher, in following the ball, has fallen straight back onto his back where I was setup and while doing so, stretched out his glove and makes the catch as he is hitting the ground.  The catcher and I lock eyes as the crowd goes silent. You could hear a pin drop. 

I wait a second to ensure the ball is secure in his glove and then straighten up: "OUT!"

The place goes nuts.  Both benches are applauding.  His teammates swarm around to congratulate him.  I thought I was in a movie. 

[SH0102]

Best play I probably had this year was a D3 NCAA conference game between  top two teams in the conference.

2-1 game in top of ninth, visiting team is down a run, two outs and runner on third only. I was U3 (three man crew)

Ball was hit to LC gap, fielders converging, so I start to go out, ball was smoked so can’t get too far before need to come set to watch the action.

Both fielders dive and collide (not violent but contact) and roll over...I think the batter was almost to third before I made the out call, I ran out to them watching guys glove whole time, right before I get there, he went from laying on his back with his arms splayed to lifting his glove, ball still in it, I signal out, place goes bonkers.

Ended game on that play between two good D3 teams, and my timing was impeccable, wasn’t deciding that catch until I was sure!

 

[noumpere]

I had a pitcher pitch the ball, then run in and grab a bat and hit the pitch over the fence, but the pitcher ran back out past the fence to make the catch.

Or, maybe that was a bugs bunny short.

[SeeingEyeDog]

Last weekend I had the pleasure of calling the two best 13U travel teams I have ever seen outside of a tournament. They played a double header and BOTH games were exceptionally well played. They got through the first one, 7 innings in 100 minutes and the second one in 110 minutes. Very unusual for my area.

So, first game bottom of the 7th, VT is up 2-1. We have R1 and R3 with two outs. I am on the plate and my partner is in B

Batter hits a towering fly ball down the RF line. I instantly move up the line, calling to my partner that I have the line. F9 has lit up his rocket sled and is going full tilt for the ball. He leaps! His body, his arm and his glove all fully extended. His glove hits the ground, the ball lands in his glove. He rolls around, pops up, pulls the ball from his glove and holds it high above his head like he is Thor holding up Thanos' decapitated melon.

There is utter silence...I wait. I think about the burgers I'm going to grill when I get home that night. Somebody in the stands pops a soda can open. Now I remember the van needs an oil change but, I only have oil for the other car at home right now. I suddenly notice the sun and think it looks like the sun did the first time Barbara Johnson and I...

"That's a catch!" I shout with a hammer mechanic followed by an even louder bellow and now pointing at F9 and walking towards him, "THAT'S A CATCH!" and an even bigger hammer mechanic.

My partner and I walk off the field to swap for the second game. Amidst all the hoopla, he turns and looks at me with a thousand yard stare and says, "I dunno'...I thought your timing was too quick on that last call."

~Dawg