Poor sportsmanship

[4 girl's dad]

I just watched it again and there is no way that either runner was going anywhere but to the plate, and to see it otherwise is a bit skewed. For sure the catcher should have been ejected and it shows a major flaw in the umpires calling of the game. When I first saw the video, I gave him benefit of the doubt on missing the play but after watching it again, he saw enough of it to make a call and didn't.


Imagine if that hit had ended the career of the runner. I try not to be too dramatic but this deal is just too much.

 

[abbygale]

Where's Taylor Hoagland when you need her?

 

[Cannonball]

Something must be lost in translation here: the base path has nothing to do with the foul line. USSSA and ASA hands books on hand neither even remotely mentions the line. Only the well known "imaginary" direct line between the runner and their next base. I don't have my NFHS rule book with me but I'm fairly certain there is no mention of the line in that rule set either.

USSSA Definitions: BASE PATH. A base path is a direct line between a base and the runner’s position at the time a defensive player is attempting (or about to attempt) to tag a runner.

Nothing being lost in translation at all. Do you not think that the front of the plate, the line and the area just foul constitute the base path? All would constitute a direct line. My post was in response to another that seemed to suggest that foul territory area was the base path.

 

[MTR]

I find it hard to believe there are people actually defending either of the events. Catcher should have been gone after the first one and I think the umpire saw enough of it. He certainly saw the second one and cannot imagine why he got that assignment.

The catcher did not belong there, period. It is OBS and her actions were assault and battery. I certainly hope neither of those runners were hurt.

 

[Rocketech1]

The other issue is that it's a very selfish act because she could have easily been kicked out of the game for her actions and her team would have lost their starting catcher for the rest of the championship. It's a shame....I have watched 100s of softball games and have never seen a catcher do this to a defenseless base runner coming home (let alone twice in the same game).

 

[CJ D]

I agree! And what gets me is all the folks on here, who proclaim to have been around softball a bunch, who don't know where the lines are painted, and what "allowing a path to the plate" means. Good Lord. The outside edge of the foul line is flush with the outside (back edge) of home plate. Her foot is on the line totally, and in doing so, is totally blocking any path to home plate, other than one that requires the runner to go around her. 10" past the lines to the back of the plate? Do what?

 

[Momo'sDad]

Military, LEO etc teach this move to redirect an attacker-its an akido move.

So because the police and military do it, it should be considered "normal" or acceptable in softball? I know that there are different levels of crazy out there, but I, for one, am not excited about the prospect of seeing softball teams being militarized.

 

[chinamigarden]

In the first hit, the girl in the background to the far right looks to be the one who got leveled in the second hit. I would definitely agree that the catcher is blocking the plate and throwing a hockey-style body check on both, but it appears to me that the runners weren't doing much to minimize the collision, either.

Thats like blaming the victim of a robbery because they were out at night

 

[Eric F]

Thats like blaming the victim of a robbery because they were out at night

My intent is not to "blame the victim". I think the actions of the catcher are inexcusable. That said, the girl in the second hit appears to have had a front row seat to the first hit, but yet follows the same path/pattern with the same result. Most kids I know tend to avoid that kind of thing, if they can. It makes me wonder if these girls were given instruction to run through the catcher if she was blocking the plate.

 

[MandM]

Early in DD's state tournament play-offs this year- first team they played. Opposing team down 2-0, one of DD's teammates lays down bunt to move baserunner over, pitcher fields it and lays a vicious tag on hitter, knocking her 3 ft off the base path leading to a significant fall, and player has to be helped off the field. The behavior was really uncalled for but resulted in no comment from blue.

I was shocked when I saw this thread's video- but after watching it a few times I see two things that bother me and prevent me from laying all of this on the catcher- one, the first runner lifts her arms as she approaches the plate and it looks to me like she is bracing for an impact- which suggests she is intending to go at the catcher, but the catcher acts first. In the second one, I think the second runner tries to take the catcher on in retaliation- and goes right at her, but the catcher just knocks her right over.

I do not condone the catcher's OR the runner's behaviors, as these are the type of actions that easily could result in an unintentional significant injury and I believe that the initiation of an intentional, deliberate collision should result in sanctions against the players involved.