N.C. Legion Tournament (1st Round)

We were told by the commisioner that all games would be played no matter what so yeah he does get the blame for being a liar and the stuff about Garner last year was also crap and screwed over Caldwell County out of the State Championship. And if Roy wanted for us to play we would have played, so yeah i can blame him and the umpires for a lil bit of it. Yeah we were losing after 5, but that aint a whole game. I say we should pick it up tommrow, but thats just my opinion.

 

I do agree with Post 82#7 commisioner Roy Waters is a complete jerk. He blew it for Caldwell County last year and screwed Shelby tonight. What a shame to not allow the game to be resumed tomorrow morning prior to the start of the Pitt County and East Randolph game. I bet Shelby would have came back and won this game with 4 more at bats.

 

First of all, let me clearly state that I despised the way the Shelby/Lexington game ended. No true competitor wants to win a game like that. Especially at this time of year, games should be completed & the best team crowned winner.

But I have to clarify what really happened.

1) At the orientation Thursday evening, all players & coaches were clearly told that there would be no "suspended games". In other words, it was explained that there would be no carry overs to the next day. That was emphacized & everyone who listened could not possibly misunderstand it. Anyone who says otherwise is just wrong.

So any game that did not reach 5 complete innings would be re-started from the beginning. Any game the reached 5 would be called....IF the field was unplayable that day. They promised to work on the field & do all they could to get it ready for restart. (The ground crew by rule had 2 hours to make that happen...see below)

I was standing with the coaching staff from East Randolph when Lexington was behind 3-2 in the top of the 5th...rain coming down. The ER coach said: "This may be Lexington's last chance to win because of the rain." I agreed with him & pointed out how big it was (at that moment) that one of our kids failed to tag & score from 3rd on a deep fly ball an inning earlier. That left us one run down...and WE BOTH KNEW THAT THE GAME WAS IN JEOPARDY OF BEING CALLED. How did we know? Thursday evening's orientation meeting.

In Lexington's dugout, this was known too. The coach emphacized the importance of tying the game in the top of the 5th because the rain was pouring. So our kids knew they could lose the game after 5 innings. How did they know??? The Thursday evening orientation meeting.

2) I know for a fact the state commisioner DID NOT call the game. The head umpire made that call. The men in blue wanted to kill the game earlier because clearly the infield was mush. After 2 hours of delay (not 90 minutes as stated above) & alot of hard labor, there still was water standing around 2nd base & a few other spots on the right side of the infield. The ground crew admitted that they were an hour or two minimum away from getting the field ready for a restart, & and they said that even then it would still be slippery.

3) By rule, the power to call a game is in the hands of the umpires. They first made that call around 9:30, but the State Commisioner would not let it stand until 10:03. So the umpires relented & stayed another 30 minutes. 10:03 pm would mark 2 hours from the time the game was stopped (8:03 pm). I got this 2nd hand, but the tournament rule was that 2 hours had to pass before a game could be called. Again, this rule is written down & was known by the athletic directors & commissioners.

I was not in on this conversation, but I was told that the Area 4 commisioner tried to persuade the State Commisioner to re-write the rule & let the game be delayed until the next day. When this was not done, he verbalized his frustration in colorful language & stormed off. That made it look to the fans like the State Commissioner was not abiding by the rules. Actually is was just the opposite...He enforced the rules. It was distasteful, but rules are rules.

4) Lost in all of this is the fact that when the game was stopped, Lexington was ahead 6-3 & on a roll. 49er's stated above that Shelby would have come back & won the game. Maybe so, but understand that Shelby had only 5 hits (two bombs that accounted for their 3 runs). Lexington had (I think) 11 hits & our lefty Zach White was in a groove. Zach had only thrown 67 pitches & was still very fresh. He had just retired the potent top of Shelby's batting order in the bottom of the 5th inning. I realize that the game was a long long long way from over, but the advantage was clearly on Lexington's side.

I want to state one last time....I do not approve of the rule that shortens tournament games (other than a mercy rule). It should have been decided between the lines. No one from Lexington shouted or high fived or even smiled. Heck, we are in the finals of the winners bracket, but all we are feeling is empathy for the Shelby kids & fans. No joy on our part. We have way too much class for that. I will be rooting like crazy for Shelby to win every game now (other than against us or East Randolph).

But there are misperceptions & misunderstandings that were being passed around at the park which are just not true. I stood & listened to the Shelby fans vent. I really feel badly for them, but I think they had some bad information that is magnifying this moment.

 

Well stat3ed UKDook. Please understand where we're coming from. Historically, Roy Waters has proven time and time again his dislike for Shelby. There are things that go on that other areas don't know about. There were even phone calls made this year by umpires stating that Shelby was not supposed to win. Where would this have come from? As everyone can see by our record, we have almost played 50 games this summer. We keep this rigorous schedule for one purpose - to get ready for this one event. When the rug gets pulled our from under us like it did, it sparks all kinds of negative emotions. It was just unfair. I would have helped on the field if I'd known this would have been the decision.

 

burnsdad12/16, you are 100% correct that I am completely ignorant of local Legion politics. My son has played 4 years, but we are insulated from the stuff you apparently have faced.

For the record, we were really impressed with Shelby. Dang, they look sharp in their uniforms. From the time they step off the bus, it is clearly a classy operation. I went to the park prepared to lose. That was not based on a lack of faith in Lexington but on my respect for Shelby.

I really really really feel badly for your kids & fans. I will be present at your games today & rooting for you to get a shot at redemption.

 

well well well......

what a game between Caldwell and Cherryville yesterday. Did anyone see this event? Cherryville was down seven to zero and their ace was getting hammered. It seems like Cherryville has a magic monkey or something when it comes to big games against Caldwell County. it was like a girls softball game with all the chanting and stuff going on. And what were those rubber sticks or bats people were beating together. Was it a case of the collar getting tight or was Cherryville just better on this day. Just seems being up seven they could have coasted through but what do I know!!!! Go Cherryville!!!! :imagestor

 

WTG Lexington.

No shame winning this way. It's part of baseball.
Same thing would have happened in the Major League World Series also.

 

This is a view from the cheap seats of the Cherryville/Caldwell game: We felt the game changed during a home run by a Caldwell player. That made the score I think 6-0. As he was approaching home plate about 20 feet up the line, he took off his helmet & waved it. Everyone around me immediately winced & said: "If he did that to us, the next guy is going to get bruised."

Sure enough, the Cherryville pitcher on the next pitch hit the next kid in the head. Next batter...first pitch beaned him too. Man did that ever stir up the hornet's nest. Lots of shouts & protests. Cherryville switched pitchers, but the job was done, emotions began to swing, & momentum switched to Cherryville.

Whether this was called from the dugout or not...whether it was intentional or not...I do not know. But grandstanding on a home run breeches the decorum code of baseball. And I know that Cherryville's coach is "old school".

Did anybody else see it that way???

 

UK7Dook3,,,, congratulations and good luck in the winner's bracket finals...

Sounds like the correct call was made in the Shelby game, and I understand the Shelby folks being frustrated, but they need to remember none of us can control the weather. At least you guys are getting your double-elimination tourney,,, at one point last week they were considering reducing it to single-elimination because of this sudden monsoon weather...

 

UK7Dook3,,,,,, are you serious about the Caldwell player taking off his helmet and waving it on his homerun trot? ...wow.

Yes I can see clearly how that could wake up the Cherryville kids and swing the momentum fast...

In my playing days and coaching days,,, I've always lived by the theory that if your playing well and beating a team that you know is dangerous,,, you just quietly go about beating them and go home. You "NEVER" do anything during that game to wake up a sleeping giant...