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Coach Wolan addressing the media to annouce make-up game agreement (DiBattista)

The semi-final game between “Up To Date” and Verdasys will go down as one of the most memorable. After playing six solid innings of softball, darkness had overtaken the field, forcing the game to be called. With the two teams locked in a 12-12 tie, it was obvious that the winner would not be declared on game day.

What followed was a discussion between the two teams and the commissioner on how to settle the tie. While it might not seem like a game, but for all practical purposes the end result made it feel like another playoff game. At stake was the continuation of the Verdasys’ 2009 season. A good agreement will give the team a fair chance at continuing the season while a bad deal could force the team to forfeit.

Missing Run?

After the game, the team’s statistician noticed an irregularity in the stats. Specifically, it appeared that two runs had scored in the first inning and not one. If true, it would mean that the game actually ended 13-12 Verdasys instead of a 12-all tie.

So where was the confusion? The question was whether or not Gregorio scored during Lijun’s at bat in the first inning. Refer to the scorebook and pay particular attention to the part in the red box. If you replayed the first inning based on the data in the scorebook, the inning would play out as follows:

• (1) “Mike-O” leads off with a pop-up to the free infielder. One Out
• (2) Aleksey makes a base hit. Alex on first.
• (3) Gregorio hits a double. Alex to third. Gregorio on second. (By “double” we mean the player reached second by the end of the play.)
• (4) Darrell hits an RBI single. Aleksey scores. Gregorio to third. (Scorebook says he is still on second. Highly unlikely as Darrell tends to hit the ball cleanly into the outfield.)
• (5) Lijun hits into a fielder’s choice and gets an RBI. Darrell is forced out at second. Gregorio scores. (Scorebook did not record run.) Two outs
• (6) A-WOL hits a pop-up to short. Three outs

Thus, one would conclude that that both Aleksey and Gregorio scored in the inning.

Given what was at stake, coach Wolan conducted an investigation to double check the data in the scorebook. Player accounts were recorded and pieced together to form an accurate picture of what happened that inning. Below is how the first inning really played out:

• Starting pitcher: Gregorio
• (1) Mike O’Connor leads off with a pop-up to the free infielder. (Guy near pitcher.) One Out
• (2) Aleksey makes a base hit. Alex on first.
• Pitching change: A-WOL
• (3) Gregorio hits a double. Alex to third. Gregorio on second.
• (4) Darrell hits an RBI single. Aleksey scores. Gregorio to third. Darrell on first.
• (5) Lijun hits a pop-up. Base runners do not advance. Two outs
• Pitching change: Lijun
• Pitching change: Mike O’Connor
• (6) A-WOL hits a pop-up to short. Three outs

As a result, only one run score that inning and not two. Game ends in a 12-12 tie.

So what happened? Coach Wolan explains:

“I originally had Darrell listed to bat 5th in the line-up. However, since Bergstein came late, I put him in the back of the order and bumped everyone else up by one. Normally, this would not be a problem, but because I had to go and pitch for Gregorio while recreating the line-up, I did not get a chance to properly update the line-up sheet. This lead to confusion to the poor folks which were asked to update the score sheet while I batted. As a result, stats got entered in the wrong spot.

Specifically:

1) Darrell was moved from the 5 spot to the 4 spot. However, the score sheet at the time listed Darrell twice: once in the 4 spot and once in the 5 spot with his name crossed out. The person keeping score at the time mistakenly wrote “single” and “RBI” in both spots. Thus, Lijun had “single”, “RBI” and “out” written in his box when all that should have been recorded was “out”. (I guess I tried to quickly remove that stat by crossing it out, but I later interpreted it to be a stray mark.)

2) The same thing happened with Gregorio’s at bat. The score keeper put “double” for both Gregorio and Darrell. He was not sure how to record this, so he made a bubble on 2B for both players.

So, when we went to review and clean-up the score sheet last night, I incorrectly interpreted “single”, “RBI” and “out” with “fielder’s choice”. Darrell’s score box showed a line from home to 1B with a bubble on 2B. I took that to mean “forced out” at second. In reality, the “bubble” on 2B should not have been there at all. And to make matters worse, since Gregorio did not score, no one cared enough to update his box to show that he advanced to 3rd base during the inning.

As you can see, this was an honest error. Hey, we’re only human. :-)

The Rules

According to league rules, tied games are allowed (rule 17) and any game called due to weather or lighting conditions after the fourth is considered a “complete game” (rule 18). Obviously, there two rules do not provide guidance for the playoffs as a winner must be declared. According to ASA rule 5 section 3F “Games that are regulation tie games shall be resumed at the exact point where they were stopped.” In other words, the ASA rules call for a one inning make-up game. Furthermore, only the players from the make-up game are eligible to play with the battling line-up continuing where it left off.

Neither coach Wolan nor the players of Verdasys Softball were interested in such a game. The reason was because it was rather pointless to change and drive to the field just to play for 10 minutes and, win or lose, go home. Coach Kimball of “Up To Date” agreed.

Instead, coach Wolan offered the following suggestions:

As for the game date?

The original date of the consolation tournament was Monday Sept 14. Because of the make-up game, the date has been pushed to Wed, Sept 16 with the make-up game being played on Monday. Tuesday would be reserved as a rain date in case it rained on Monday. However, it was later pointed out that the New England Patriots will be playing a football game on Monday night. With a 7pm kick-off time and the benches of both softball teams comprised of Patriot football fans, neither team would be able to convince anyone to come to the make-up game. As a result, the game date was pushed to Tuesday Sept 15.

Post-Discussion Reaction

On Friday, Coach Wolan held a press conference and stated that after some long negotiations, the two teams had reached a deal. He said that while he feels the 5-inning game is a fair option, he would rather have gone with the “unity” team suggestion. “Playing two games back to back will be difficult for either team, as will finding players to play in both games” said Wolan. “However, the commissioner made her decision and we will go with that.”