The never ending inning.

Did your team ever have an inning where bad thoughts crept into your mind? Thoughts like, Will we ever make an out? What will happen if we don't? Will we just have to keep playing until the game is called for darkness? Would we better without a middle infield?

Seriously, my DD's rec team (ages 10-12) actually keeps me up some nights worrying that something like this might happen. Could the girls on the other team suffer from exhaustion at some point from too much base running?

The team has two girls that play travel ball, DD being one of them, and another four who could play travel ball, but are falling behind the curve a bit as they put down the mitt and bat after the season is over. There's one other girl who can field a grounder and and make the loopiest throw from second to first you ever saw and one other girl who can catch that you put comfortably on 1st base. God bless the rest of the girls, they're great kids, but they're lacking in experience and athleticism.

The team manager very nobly has a policy that every girl must play at least one inning in the infield of each game by the third inning. Which is great in that it gives girls experience, but it doesn't help us win much.

We had a play the other night that is somewhat typical: ball hit to edge of infield right up the center. The rolling ball goes right under the center fielder's glove and between her legs. Then she turns and runs after it (I think she's running, is that running?) and when she finally catches up to it she falls down trying to pick it up resulting in a Little League "home run".

Anyway, have you had innings or game like this? What is the longest inning you've ever seen?

At least once a year we have an inning where I want to run on the field and grab the ball and stop the play. Every player is frustrate that the other player cannot make a play as the ball flys all over the park.

Longest inning was when DD was pulled pitching after the other Team scored 5 runs and ended back pitching in the same inning. Can we go home?

At a TB friendly last weekend, my DD's team gave up 15 runs in the first inning. The OF girls were kicking the ball all over the place. Our SS threw 3 routine grounders into the fence or into the feet of 1B. We finally managed to get 2 outs. The 3rd out came, with the bases loaded, on the 21st batter of the inning. The opposing HC had his runner on 3B leave early.

Later the same day, we nearly did the same thing to another team, scoring 11 in the top of the first.

Even decent teams have bad days.

Our JV team routinely gives 5 and 6 outs an inning...but a few days ago the other teams scored probably 8 or 9 in the first and I think I counted 8 or 9 easy outs (I'm talking pop up to 3B, dropped third strikes, SS two steps from touching 2B for the force but instead opts to overthrow 1B and on and on and on...it concerned me for a second that we might never get 3 outs....jk of course but it is painful to watch.

Happened to my MS team last week. Playing a top school, holding them to 5 runs through 4 when the wheels come off bottom 5: dropped pop flies (as in 2 girls staring at it as it falls between them); booted grounders; just-missed fly outs with lots of chasing afterwards; overthrows all over the place. Ended up getting run-ruled. That game almost got called for darkness, and that's about 8:30 here. I don't worry about it in advance, but it keeps me up nights after.

My DD played a middle school game last week in which they scored 14 runs in the first inning with the opposing team recording only one out. The other coach abandoned the inning (forfeiting the game) rather than continue the beating. We played two more innings as a scrimmage with our pitchers pitching to our team and vice versa, and won 16-2.

Last Thursday I had an inning where I had consecutive walks turn into HRs when they rounded first and my pitcher fired the ball to second base only to discover that my F4 was hypnotized by the beauty of the sky behind home plate and F6 was covering her face with her glove because the sky behind home plate was terrifying to her. After the second time I told my pitcher that I bet she couldn't hit the center field fence the next time. Unfortunately, the first base coach didn't send the runner on the next walk so we didn't get to find out. On the bright side, the throws from the pitchers were absolute darts that crossed right over the bag at second.

This Monday I had a strike out turn into a HR when my catcher dropped the third strike and promptly fired the ball over the right fielder's head.

I think I know the type of innings you mean.

I've found a creative way to address these innings under the guise of charitable contributions on my 1040 Schedule A. No feedback from the IRS. Yet, that is.

This thread needs to be deleted. We were up 15-2 and lost 25-15 after giving up 17 in the third. Had to go to my #4 pitcher (hint: I have 2 pitchers) and my #3 catcher (I have 2 of those, too). Frak.

Not necessarily a long inning but was watching a MS game a couple of weeks ago. Ball hit deep left field but foul. Rolls way foul and girl in left takes forever to get it and get it in. Umpire tells her to just leave it next time. Next hit lands in shallow left and rolls foul. She leaves it as she was told. Batter scores easily.


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