A GAME ENDING PLAY THAT ILLUSTRATES WHY BASEBALL IS THE GREATEST GAME OF ALL!
It happened this week - in 55 years of watching baseball I never saw an ending like this. Outside concocted ones from Hollywood.
**Situation: Bottom of the 9th inning of a brilliantly pitched 2-1 game, visiting Cal State Fullerton (with about half the crowd there) is ranked 8th nationally and has won 9 straight.
Hometown Long Beach State bats against the Titans’ brilliant but tired starter .
– First batter singles, Fullerton replaces pitcher (so that he can only win the game or have nothing to do with it) - both sides in the crowd applaud.
The relief pitcher Mike Lorenzen (who has NOT been warming UP …) trots in from Center Field! This is not new for Cal State Fullerton who have had combination slugger/pitchers in the past.
– Second batter (after a number of pitches) also singles. First and second (tying and winning runs on) none out.
– Third batter (of course) sacrifice bunts. ONE out. Tying run on third. “Winning run” on
second. (Even certain OUTS can tie the game as can non-hits like a wild pitch or past ball!)
–Fourth batter flies to medium center field (where the strong armed outfielder is now pitching … and is replaced by a lesser arm) … a running catch (coming IN toward home) is made (TWO OUTS!) … and all look to see the tagging runners’ break for the plate**
The Titan centerfielder’s throw is UP the 3rd base line – but on the mark – reaching the catcher’s glove JUST as the 49ers’ runner (Hill) was passing him and preparing to slide.
Titan catcher Jared Deacon made a sweep tag on Hill’s back – before the latter crossed the plate – but the ball POPPED free … and dropped to the ground.
Confusion Reigns
Hill completed his slide: but appeared to be
wide of the plate, not reaching with his hand – nor going back to touch.
An odd moment ensued with the*** mixed crowd cheering:
– Hill (the “tagged runner”), not looking up sauntered back towards the Long Beach bench … perhaps thinking he was out (having** felt **the “tag” before he hit home).
– while Deacon (the catcher) slowly picked up the ball and made no attempt to tag Hill
– thinking he was safe (“knowing” he dropped the ball)!!!
Confusion (and excitement) GROWS
Frantically signalling, Fullerton players called to the crestfallen catcher for the ball – then CSF first baseman Carlos Lopez **applied a belated tag to the back of Hill, **
Lopez then turned around – to see** the home plate umpire signal – * “safe”. * **
Some in attendance thought the ump had already made a “safe” call when he saw the ball fly free from Deacon’s mitt and Hill slide past home.
- (MY FRIEND sitting next to me) saw the home plate ump signal “safe” after the ball popped free …
(I, watching the play and not the ump) thought the runner had not touched the plate.
NEITHER thing mattered in the end!!!
"It Ain’t Over 'Til It’s Over" – Yogi Berra
The mixed crowd roared as Lorenzen prepared to pitch to the next 49er batter – with the
score apparently tied 2 -2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the potential winning 49er run on second.
Fervent appeals to pitcher Lorenzen from the Titans’ bench convinced the Fullerton reliever to toss the ball to third base for an
appeal play.
Titan 3b J.D. Davis stepped on the bag after receiving the throw, appealing to the 3b umpire that*** Hill had left too soon - before the catch.
The ump emphatically signalled “out”** 3 OUTS (!)** -
ERASING the “run” Hill had seemingly scored, ruling him “doubled off” 3b - leaving early/not retagging before the Titans’ appeal throw.
The sudden (and subtracted to 2-1) victory had Fullerton and its fans celebrating …
but Long Beach fans too …
– as the Long Beach confused scorekeeper misinterpreted the ruling and posted a 3-2 Long Beach final score for a moment. (!!!) wow.
It is one of the most confusing and surprising ends to a baseball game in recent memory.
The streaking and 8th ranked Titans win streak increased to 10,
they won their fifth game of the week after also sweeping Nebraska at Fullerton
– and awaited the morrow’s NCAA rankings which would probably promote them further. They did … Titans now are ranked #5.
For Long Beach, all is not lost and there is a bit of a happy ending. The games were non-league. So instead of being three games behind the Titans in the Big West … the 49ers remain “tied for first” at 0-0. (!!!) Lol.
The 49ers have played one of America’s toughest schedules with many games on the road against ranked teams. Finishing Big West play with a winning record and a 4th place or higher standing will likely get Long Beach into the postseason NCAA regionals.
Big West teams Cal Poly SLObispo (16-5) and UCI (15-5) are also in the NCAA top 25!
MORE BORING ACCOUNTS OF THE GAME - AND THE RULING
longbeachstate.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/032413aaa.html
fullertontitans.com/sports/m-basebl/2012-13/releases/20130324s016j6
embua.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/does-the-run-count/
