Poor Sportsmanship during ASA States

I would just like to say that there was an incident that happened during one of the games that we played at the ASA States in Charlotte. We were playing another team In the inning that the incident happened in....there was one out in the inning, the batter for the other team had a good hard hit to our 3rd baseman who checked the runner and then threw to 1st for the 2nd out,...the runner on 3rd broke for home and our 1st baseman made an excellent throw to home, where our catcher caught the ball and the player from 3rd ran right over her, with no attempt to slide!!! Our catcher held onto the ball even after being bowled over and made the out! If the player from the other team had made the choice to slide, she would have been safe and scored a run for her team. The umpire should have ejected this player from the game and warned the coach of any other incidents such as this in the future! As a result of this type of play, our catcher spent some of the remaining night in the ER and it has resulted in her chipping a bone in her elbow and will now be unable to participate for several weeks in some other major tournaments that our team has scheduled! Now I know that injuries can occur, HOWEVER I feel that THIS one could have been avoided! Our girls have always been taught to play hard and give 100%, but not with a " Win at all costs attitude." As far as I know, not once did anyone off of the team approach our coach, our players, or the catcher's parents to ask how she was; instead I understand that the next morning when our catcher was walking in with her mother, several girls with The other team began laughing and someone said Hey, there's that girl you put in a cast (or sling) last night....I cannot believe that type of behavior would be allowed by coaches, let alone any of their parents within ear shots distance of this...but apparently there has been a change in the philosophy or attitude of this team since we have played them in the past and have had not been shown any such type of behavior. I think that we need to remember class and good sportsmanship. Setting good examples for these girls playing the sport is afterall key since they are the not always on the ball field, but need these skills in everyday life.

 

We spoke to a head ASA umpire and he said without a doubt the player should have been ejected from the game! I would like to see a set rule that everyone coming into home on a play should always slide no matter what! This could have been a lot worse, and we thank God that she is ONLY out 4 - 6 weeks! Even though 4 - 6 weeks seems like a lifetime to her, as much as she LOVES the game, it is tearing her up! We are trying not to dwell on the fact she is missing a couple of our major tournaments!! I also would like to express the importance of showing good sportsmanship, it not only makes you look bad when you don't but your entire organization as well!

 

Not making any excuses and I agree the player should have been toseed but do you think this might have been learned from TV? Every time there is play at the plate in major league baseball, the runner's only intent is to run over the catcher and make them drop the ball. If you ask me, in many cases, the runner is trying to hurt the catcher as most of them don't even come close to touching the plate. These collisions always make ALL of the highlight shows...

 

You do see this rule enforced at the younger ages, but not too much at the older ages. If the runner, with great force and while staying on her feet, ran over the catcher she should at least be called out. If, in the umpires judgement, it was flagrant the runner could also be ejected. I believe a good rule on this would be the position of the head. If the head is lowered and contact is made then the runner is out. If the runner is straight up or feet first then the play stands as it happened. Now, I do believe the catcher does play a role in this. If she totally blocks the plate there is not much of a way for the runner to get to the plate a collision is probably going to happen. If catchers, as well as others, would give the baserunner a piece of the bag/plate for the runner to touch the collisions should not happen as much. If the ball beats a runner by enough there is no question the runner would be out...a collision is unwarranted in my opinion. I would just attempt to slide by or run by and hope the catcher missed the tag if the ball beats me there easily. Now, with a National Championship or something like that on the line I guess I, as a baserunner, would make the umpire make the call. In other words I would have a score at all cost mentality, but it would be only in hopes of dislodging the ball and not hurting the catcher.

 

Ways to Prevent

Umpires rarely call this but If they would make the obstruction call when the catcher is up the line or at the plate without the ball this could prevent some collisions. Ejections should still occur if the offensive player lowers their shoulder with intent to bowl over catcher. Otherwise it is a no call.

 

Tough Call

I totally agree with you ChaChaCha.

Everyone look at the 11th photo taken in the 16u/18u NSA State Tournament discussion. The girl is sliding home and the catcher is blocking the plate. I have seen girls sliding get their ankles broke because of this type block. It's not always the catcher that get's injured. I agree until rules are inforced your always going to have both ends at fault for protection. Whoever is the girls in the photo do not take it personal. I was just using that photo as an example.

 

same tourny.....

I do not have a dog in the fight, but my DD does catch. In the NSA State 16u, I noticed a play at the plate IN A POOL GAME where the catcher was bowled over in a close play. It looked like a pulling guard blocking on a trap play the way the catcher went after contact. No call was made by the officials other than telling coaches to remain calm and not argue across the field.

***I did not put names as both are great teams and the names are not inportant****

 

Slide into home rule...

.....in theory might make sense but it won't work. My DD slid into home/catcher, maybe she was blocking the plate or maybe not, the ump did not call obstruction. Anyway, DD buckled her ankle and had to sit out 3-4 weeks.

Any fielder, catcher, 3rd, etc MUST allow a base runner a path to a base. In a catchers example, say a runner leaving 2nd rounds 3rd and comes home.....the runners path will be outside/foul side of the field right?....so if the catcher sets up without the ball with her right foot in the field of play, and her left foot at the 3rd base corner of the plate, then she has given a proper path to the runner even though technically is in the base path. The problem occurs when the throw home is off line and the catcher has to move up the line etc. then when a collision occurs its the catcher who is actually in the way. I'd like to think that if my DD was running home and the catcher had to move to recieve the ball, DD would slide by.

 

I won't add names either, but will add this: The catcher in question injured her hip to the extent that catching was out of the question the remainder of the weekend. And in this same instance, the player was not ejected. During this same game, a player sliding into second was near tackled, literally rolled over during her slide resulting in numerous cuts as well as reinjuring a previously injured thumb.

We need to remember that this is a game and it is not win at all costs. This game we love is meant to taught respect, honor, sportsmanship. And when incidents such as these go unaddressed by officials, we risk jeopardizing the most important lessons of the game.

 

Don't mess with the rules. Softball is a contact sport and risk of injury is always there. Outs cannot be made without contact. Sometimes contact is little, sometimes its extreme. The situation that started this thread cannot be avoided by making more rules. If incompetent umpires can miss basic rules violations like this, making more rules will just result in more missed calls. Let's don't rule the game to death.

Collision injuries occur with or without sliding. A rule requiring sliding is not only unnecessary, it would also increase the injury rate. Sliding improperly into a bag causes many more injuries than player collisions where no slide was made.

Check out this photo series of the ultimate play at the plate. Top notch catcher, top notch base runner, two of the finest and best coached teams there are... and yes the call was correct. http://www.alexrosato.com/41908acwb/