OK, team. The day started out just great with an 11-2 win at the 10am game. Then a short break before beginning their sixth game of this weekend at noon. I know, for some of the hardcore softball Mom’s and Dad’s out there, that doesn’t sound too tough, but by noon it was around 91 degrees and the second team they played today had only played 3 games all weekend. Interesting.

I’ll just give you a few pictures so you can get an idea of how the second game went from the perspective of the umpires.

Abby stealing second.

Ball bobbled just before Abby hit the bag.

Base ump called her out and told our coach that she slid too early.

What does that even mean. Is that really a rule? These pictures covered about 1 second of time in that game.

Another really bad judgement call was by the home plate ump. It was a passed ball for the catcher so our runner was sent home from third. The catcher got the ball to the pitcher about the same time our runner slid and collided with the pitcher. The pitchers mitt was on the ground under our runner and the ball came out of her glove. This was visible to everyone on our team, but not the ump who was on the other side of the play. He stood there for about five seconds, without moving around to see what was going on, enough time for the pitcher to pick the ball up and bring her mitt out for the ump who then called our runner out. That was about the fifth inning and would have given us a 2-0 lead.

There was an uproar from everyone on our side which resulted in admonishment from the home plate umpire that we weren’t allowed to question his calls. Even bad ones, apparently.

The game went to the bottom of the seventh inning where the opposing team scored two runs and the game was over, 2-1.

Now that I’ve said all that, ensuring that you just KNOW I’m a whinnie loser, let me add this. Our girls team is not a tournament team. They are a composite group of selected players from two different recreation teams in St. Helens. All the other teams who played this weekend are tournament teams and our girls beat three of them quite handily. They held the last team, an all-star team, scoreless for 6 innings.

I understand that the umps can only call what they see, but sometimes you just have to wonder if there isn’t a little bias going on. A little lack of effort to “get it right.” Know what I mean. Of course, the same is true for all sports where judgement calls can sway the course of a game.

Gotta quit now. Sorry for ranting. Please forgive me. The girls played just great and we’re proud of them. An, honestly, had those bad calls been against the other team, I would have honestly commented on decision. It wouldn’t have changed anything for them, just as it didn’t for our girls.