Clearing the Bases
Apr
2008
The season is starting to come to a close as there is just a month until the playoffs. Yes it Tournament time and for the next four weeks, nearly all conferences will be determining who they will send to the playoff with their automatic bid.
By this weekend, we will have two playoff teams identified one from the SCAC and the other from the USA South as they have their tournament this weekend. The CAC have started their tournament but the CAC does not have an automatic bid. Salisbury has all but punched their ticket and a tournament win for either Mary Washington or Wesley will be useful in getting a second CAC team into the playoffs.
The USA South tournament kicks off on Thursday with four games in the double elimination tournament. Christopher Newport is the number one seed and will play in the late game against the winner of Methodist and Shenadoah game. The USA South has good teams from top to bottom so if your near Burlington, N.C. you should try to see some of the games this weekend.
On Friday, the SCAC tournament kicks off with Rhodes playing Millsaps. Depauw, seeded first in from the east, plays Austin. The top seed from the west, Trinity (Texas) will play Oglethorpe.
April 20th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87R1YMTpBxk
Gallaudet (trailing St. Paul’s College 4-3 at home) has runners on 1st and 3rd with two outs. As the pitcher is becoming set, the runner at 1B (6′3,220 lb, Bill Jacobs), runs directly at the left handed pitcher and it looks like he’s charging him. At the exact same time the runner at 3B is running home. As soon as the pitcher makes a move on the runner at 1B, he runs directly towards 2B. The pitcher stunned, doesn’t know what to do and throws the ball late to 2B. Runner at 3B scores without any attempt on him and the runner is safe at 2B. Tie game. (you need to make sure you have the volume up high because after the play, the other team goes crazy cussing and yelling at the Gallaudet players, fans and even the umpires).
The play is called Broken Mirror but also known as the Coleman Caper to many
others. Gallaudet University Head Baseball Coach Matt Lisle takes no credit
for the play’s creation. He got it from Cliff Coleman (Head Baseball Coach,
College Park HS, Pleasant Hill, CA) and he got it from Tom Nellis (Assistant
Baseball Coach, Sierra Community College) who reportedly got it from UC
Irvine.
According to the Official Rules of Baseball: 7.08 Any runner is out when-
(a) (1) He runs more than three feet away from his baseline to avoid being
tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a
batted ball. A runner’s baseline is established when the tag attempt occurs
and is a straight line from the runner to the base he is attempting to reach
safely; or (2) after touching first base, he leaves the baseline, obviously
abandoning his effort to touch the next base. So according to the rules, the
play is legal because the runners baseline is not established until a tag
attempt is made on him and is not abandoning his effort to touch the next
base.
April 20th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I have a few comments about the legitimacy of this video. First off, why is the pitcher wearing black pants? Secondly, you would think more of an argument would ensue by the other team after they just got bush-leagued big time. If I were that pitcher, the next 3 batters would wear pitches to the dome. That’s a ridiculous play to pull off. You gotta love how the third base coach is clapping it up after they execute it to perfection.
April 20th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I don’t think anyone likes getting fooled. Gallaudet might be in the best position to get the signs in as I expect most players know American Sigh language and I doubt there is a standard sign for such a trick play.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:24 am
D3baseball.com will be broadcasting Tuesday’s game between William Paterson and No. 10 RPI.
http://www.d3sports.com/audio/