10U Little League All Stars. State semi-final game. We go down 2-0 early. Fight our way back on good hitting. We are leading 5-2 going into the bottom of the 6th. 3 outs to get. Has been cleanly played game on all sides. Our starting pitcher had cruised for 5 innings. Gave up 2 hits. Had 7Ks. Couple walks. Never really been in trouble the whole game and had only 75 pitches through 5. The manager decided to bring in a "closer" to go through the top part of their order, which was coming up for the third time. Top of their order had done nothing against the starter. The "closer" had pitched one inning in the quarter final game (a blow out win) about 6 hours before. You know where this is going...
Closer has control issues from the start. Added to that are a couple hard luck balls and strike calls. Now it is 5-3 with the bases loaded and one out., the closer just having walked the last batter. They bring the starter back in. She proceeds to K the next batter. 2 outs. Bases loaded. Full count on the batter. Walks her. 5-4. Passed ball on ball 4. Tying run now coming around 3rd. Catcher throws to pitcher who is running to cover to try and make play at plate. Throw is wild. Ball rolling around infield. First basemen runs and stops it with her foot. Winning run now coming around 3rd. First basemen trying to make play at plate about launches ball over the backstop. Lost, 6-5. Opponent scored 4 runs on 1 hit that inning, the hit being a bunt single that should have been allowed to roll foul. Never seen anything like it. A complete and total disaster at absolutely the worst possible time.
The girls went 4-1 and had a great tournament, but should have had the opportunity to play in the finals. IMHO, the manager overthought the situation, perhaps paniced. I have no idea why you would take out a starter who was pitching as well as ours had. Let her start the 6th clean. And give her a quick hook if need be. Instead, you bring her back into about the worst situation you can imagine and let her "lose" the game. (and, no, I am not the pitcher's dad). Of course, the girls got over it in about 10 minutes. I kept going over my scorebook last night looking for answers while drinking a 1/5th of Jack Daniels...
My older DD is on the 12U LL all stars team. Hope the above was not foreshadowing....
Closer has control issues from the start. Added to that are a couple hard luck balls and strike calls. Now it is 5-3 with the bases loaded and one out., the closer just having walked the last batter. They bring the starter back in. She proceeds to K the next batter. 2 outs. Bases loaded. Full count on the batter. Walks her. 5-4. Passed ball on ball 4. Tying run now coming around 3rd. Catcher throws to pitcher who is running to cover to try and make play at plate. Throw is wild. Ball rolling around infield. First basemen runs and stops it with her foot. Winning run now coming around 3rd. First basemen trying to make play at plate about launches ball over the backstop. Lost, 6-5. Opponent scored 4 runs on 1 hit that inning, the hit being a bunt single that should have been allowed to roll foul. Never seen anything like it. A complete and total disaster at absolutely the worst possible time.
The girls went 4-1 and had a great tournament, but should have had the opportunity to play in the finals. IMHO, the manager overthought the situation, perhaps paniced. I have no idea why you would take out a starter who was pitching as well as ours had. Let her start the 6th clean. And give her a quick hook if need be. Instead, you bring her back into about the worst situation you can imagine and let her "lose" the game. (and, no, I am not the pitcher's dad). Of course, the girls got over it in about 10 minutes. I kept going over my scorebook last night looking for answers while drinking a 1/5th of Jack Daniels...
My older DD is on the 12U LL all stars team. Hope the above was not foreshadowing....