Monday, May 24, 2010

Brass Balls

Sometimes things on the field just don't go as planned.   FUBAR becomes the norm.

My congrats go to a guy who stuck to his guns and didn't hide from a situation that a lot of guys would have run away from like a little girl.

The situation was in Evansville, IN a couple of weekends ago at the Midwest regional for D2 hosted by Southern Indiana.

Southern Indiana was in the championship game against Grand Valley State from Michigan.  7th inning and USI is ahead by a score of 11-4 when the leadoff hitter for USI tries to bunt his way on base to lead off the inning.  Guess where the next pitch went?  You guessed it...right behind his head.

Home plate umpire Shane Friebe issued warnings to both benches and the rest of that inning continued without incident.  With USI up 7 runs headed into the top of the eighth...that should have been the end of it.  Get your 6 more outs that you need and dog pile on your home field and celebrate going to the D2 World Series.

But-----That isn't what happened.

Leadoff hitter for GVSU in the top of the eighth gets plunked with a fastball right in the middle of the back.  Pitcher and Head Coach ejected.  That should have been it.  Get your six more outs that you need and dog pile on your home field and celebrate going to the D2 World Series.

But-----That STILL isn't what happened.

After getting the next two guys out...the catcher for GVSU (who apparently had been mouthing off all day) walked up to the plate.  First pitch to him---Fastball in the middle of the back.  Pitcher and Assistant Coach ejected.

Then USI decided to go ahead and get the final 4 outs and dog pile on their home field and celebrate going to the D2 World Series.

Without their #1 and #3 starting pitchers for the first 4 games of the World Series and their Head Coach and lead assistant for the first game in the series.

Seriously...I couldn't make this shit up if I tried.

Shane could have ignored the situation and let it get TOTALLY out of control and have a madhouse on his hands.  But he nutted up and did what he HAD to do to get control of the situation.

USI did appeal the decision and tried to get the suspensions waived.  THANK YOU NCAA for not doing that and upholding the ruling.

My congrats to Shane for stepping up and DOING THE JOB!!!! 

Next beer you have with your partners, how about sharing this story and having a toast to a helluva umpire.

And just in case you are a bleeding heart liberal who thinks he should have ignored this crap....Check out the video.  He got it right!!!

http://www.wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=12496799

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