The first game of the day was at noon on Saturday – Maine vs. Rhode Island. The crew for this game was
HP – Dena
1B – Rich
2B – Colin
3B – Bill
I didn’t see much of the game – it was hot and I decided that I didn’t want to bake in the stands before baking on the field. Rhode Island went up 5-0, but Maine clawed back. The final was 5-4 Rhode Island.
The 2:30 game was Delaware vs New York.
HP – Steve
1B – Bethany
2B – Paul
3B – Me
This was another tight game. Delaware won 3-2 mostly thanks to a play in which the catcher apparently thought that there was a force play at the plate when there was not – she caught the ball and stepped on the plate, but didn’t tag the runner. I had a couple of fair/foul calls on line shots down the third-base line, and a tag-out call on the back end of an “out at the plate, out at third” double play.
I will confess that, as much as I agree with honoring Kevin Holden, the armband was a minor distraction. The only thing I ever wear on my left wrist is my watch, and I kept having “OMG, did I forget and wear my watch out onto the field” moments. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
For the 5:00 game between Pennsylvania and New Jersey:
HP – Colin
1B – Bill
2B – Rich
3B – Dena
Pennsylvania won this game 6-0.
After the third game, at 7:15, they had the “opening ceremonies.” All ten teams and the umpires paraded onto the field and were introduced. There were several guest speakers, including a local politician and a representative of Little League International. It all moved along, however – it was done by about 7:45.
The final game of the day was scheduled for 8:00, although we were a few minutes late getting started.
HP – Bethany
1B – Paul
2B – Me
3B – Steve
Connecticut jumped all over Vermont in this one. The final was 18-0. I had very little action at second base, but did have one “controversial” play. With a runner on first, the pitch was in the dirt, and the runner took off. As instructed (and logical) I was on the “B” side of second base. The catcher made a strong throw, and the shortstop caught the ball in plenty of time. She put the tag down with both hands. The runner slid, and, in doing so, pushed the glove through to the other side of the base, spinning the fielder around. I took a peek around the pile, saw the ball still in the fielder’s glove (with her throwing hand on top of it) and so called the runner out.
You can probably predict what happened next – the offensive manager came out and asked if I had seen the fielder drop the ball. I told him I had not. He said he was certain she had, and (politely) would I please ask my partner at third. Given that I had not had the ball and glove in view the entire play, I called the crew together. It turns out the ball had come out briefly and been hurriedly pulled back into the glove by the fielder before I’d had time to get around the pile of players. So I reversed the call to “safe” and we went forward from there. (No argument whatsoever from the defensive manager – perhaps he had the same view they did.) The rest of the game went without incident.
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