Deleted Posts

[sixofdiamonds]

I deleted 2 Facebook posts— one about 1-pitch manager sign-ups and the other pertaining to an issue a couple of league members had with the league time limit rule. I do not know what happened to the post about championship hoodies and t-shirts.

I want to address the league time limit rule— a rule that’s been in existence for close to 20 years. Every so often, someone from the team on the losing end will take issue with it. I have never, not once, had anyone from a winning team complain the game was stopped due to time.

The rule as it is written states the following: No new inning shall begin within ten minutes of the start time of the next scheduled game or the 75-minute time limit. It does not state: No new inning shall begin within ten minutes of the start time of the next scheduled game or the 75-minute time limit unless it is a good game. In the case of gray area or extenuating circumstances, the decision to stop or continue a game will be left to the umpire’s unbiased discretion. Extenuating circumstances might include injury, power outage, and the like. Umpires must abide by this rule by the letter of the rule and for good reason. Not doing so could open up a giant can of worms. Allow me to explain and give a couple of examples.

Team B is leading Team A 24-20. It’s the bottom of the 6th and Team B is batting. When Team B is finished with their home ½ of the inning, the time is within 10 minutes of the next game or the 75-minute time limit. Whether it’s by 9 minutes or by 1 minute, according to the rule, time has expired and the game must end.

Let’s suppose the umpire decides to allow the game to continue in spite of the fact the time limit should have ended the game. Team A scores 10 runs in the top of the 7th and beats Team B. Now Team B has an issue. The game should have ended and Team B should have won, but because the umpire went against league rules and allowed the game to continue, Team B lost and they are not happy. Team B cries foul and they have every right to.

Here’s another example of action/reaction. It’s the last game of the season. 3 teams (Team A, Team B, and Team C) are fighting for a playoff spot of which only 2 of the 3 will make it in. Team B is already in, win or lose. If Team A loses, Team C gets in. In the same situation as above, the game should have ended and Team B should have won, but because the umpire went against league rules and allowed the game to continue, Team A wins and knocks Team C out of the post season. Team C is pissed off and they have every right to be.

Unfortunately, the time limit is a necessary evil. Listen, I get it. Close game. Your team has a chance to win and BAM, time's up! Yep, that sucks. We adjust the time limit in the post season with the IF/THEN rule, but we can't do that for every game. Hatfield and Stover have time restrictions. Stover lights are on a timer. Out at 11:00 pm. Period! Without a time limit at the Quarry, it is conceivable the last game of the evening could start at 11:00 pm and end at 12:30 am. Do you realize how angry the people living in the houses just beyond the outfield tree line would get-- hearing screaming and hollering in the wee hours of the morning? As it is now, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, i.e Warrington Township putting in a lights-out ordinance. If that should happen, 2 teams from every weeknight league will have to find another place to play their softball.

I’ve been running this league a long time. I learned a lot and a lot of it I learned the hard way. Rules must be followed and I am a stickler for that. I’ve lost friends because I would not bend a rule. As outlined in the above examples, exceptions to the rules have serious consequences.

I am not an ogre, nor is Curt (League Umpire in Chief). I am not unreasonable, nor is Curt. We listen to what league members have to say. If you have an issue with a league-related something, come to us. If you have an issue with a league official, go to that league official and talk it out. Curt and I talk about this all the time. Why can’t people just talk it out instead of throwing a tantrum or posting on social media without knowing the facts?

League members came to Curt and I last year and wanted us to take a look at the Slide or Surrender rule. We tested a variation of the rule in last year’s Tuesday Men’s summer league. It didn’t work out, but not from a lack of effort. League members commented on how much they like the ball/strike mat. We will continue to use it. A lot of league members didn’t want to run out an over-the-fence home run. You now have that choice. I could go on and on, but I won’t bore you any longer. The point I’m trying to make is there’s no need to shoot first and ask questions later. Want to understand the reason for a certain rule? Ask! Want to understand why things are done they way they are? Ask!

If you want to post inflammatory remarks, do so on your own Facebook page, not the Softball America page. I opened SBA Facebook to replace the Game Line for game cancellations, to post action photos and important league announcements. Non-factual comments posted for the sake of drama will be promptly deleted.

[TK15]

Speaking only for myself, being on the losing end of the game in question, and also not involved in the deleted post... I wasn't angry we lost a game. It was frustrating to have the most competitive game I've played this year to date be ended early due to seconds if not one minute. Didn't "shoot the messenger" at the time, really just voiced frustration to myself out loud and went home.

And I really was over it until I read this post.

Since there was no game after this one, the rule as you stated would be you can't start a new inning after the 75 minute mark? This particular game was called at 11:20pm on the dot. I know that because at the time I thought the rule was 65 minutes and I looked at my phone the minute the game was called. But now I realize a 10:15pm game that started on time has until 11:30pm to start a new inning? That makes it even worse.

[TK15]

Also, none of this ever had anything to do with the umpire.

[sixofdiamonds]

No new inning shall begin within ten minutes of the start time of the next scheduled game or the 75-minute time limit.

You can read the rule 2 different ways, but the essence of the rule is no new inning can start within 10 minutes of the start time of the next scheduled game or within 10 minutes of the 75-minute time limit. I guess I will have to amend the wording of the rule.

The wording of the rule has been amended to read:

TIME LIMIT: No new inning shall begin within ten minutes of the start time of the next scheduled game or within 10 minutes
of the 75-minute time limit.

[sixofdiamonds]

All I'm trying to do is clarify the rule as it's written and the consequences of not following the rule. Regardless of what the circumstances were on Tuesday evening, we can't pick and choose which game to let go and which game to stop. If the time limit is up, we need to call it. If not and things play out as in example #2 where Team C wasn't even playing the game, the league has seriously wronged Team C.

[TK15]

Totally understandable. Gotta have rules and follow them. Just want everyone and I mean everyone to be held to the same level of accountability.

[sixofdiamonds]

You lost me there, TK. Who has not been held accountable and for what?