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  • THE CALLED SHOT

    Filed at 7:32 am under by dcobranchi

    Thursday was my birthday. No big deal and I wouldn’t mention it at all except it’s a necessary detail for the story. Jonathan had a 9-10 baseball game scheduled for that night. As we were heading out the door for the game, my dad called with birthday wishes. He told Jonathan to hit a home run for me.

    Now 9-10 baseball is the first year that the kids pitch. It’s not exactly MLB quality. And Jonathan’s team is not exactly tearing up the league. At the top of the 4th, they were down 10-0. That’s mercy-rule territory. They needed to score at least one run to keep the game alive. The leadoff hitter walked. Then, on the next pitch, one of the stranger plays in baseball happened. A grounder to first allegedly hit the runner going from 1st to 2nd. But nobody on the field saw it and the field umpire didn’t signify dead ball (which is the correct way to handle it). Instead, he let play go on. The batter-runner was thrown out at first and left the field. That’s when the field umpire called the runner on 1st out for interference (Rule 7.09 (m) and 7.10 (a)). Then the home plate umpire called the batter-runner out for abandoning the baseline by going back to the dugout (7.08 (a)(2)). This, IMO, was a very legalistic ruling, since the field umpire blew the call and that error led to the kid leaving the field. Regardless, after all of the discussions and arguments and hullabaloo, it was now 2 outs with nobody on and Jonathan got up. One more out and the game is over. Two pitches later he hit a sharp liner between third and short. It skipped through the left fielder’s legs and rolled to the fence. Jonathan hustled all the way around the bases for a “home run” (at least in 9-10 baseball). As he crossed the plate he yelled out “Happy Birthday, Dad!”

    That really was the best birthday present I’ve ever received.

    5 Responses to “THE CALLED SHOT”


    Comment by
    Alasandra
    May 15th, 2010
    at 8:51 am

    What a great birthday present. Happy Birthday!!!!!!


    Comment by
    A proud Grandpa and Dad
    May 15th, 2010
    at 5:19 pm

    Baseball has provided me with some of my fondest memories. This one leads the list. What a birthday gift!!!!!!


    Comment by
    COD
    May 15th, 2010
    at 5:42 pm

    I note that just like famous called shot by Ruth, video evidence is sorely lacking 😉


    Comment by
    don
    May 15th, 2010
    at 10:27 pm

    That’s awesome. I’ve been to tons of youth sporting events and almost all are easily forgotten soon after. This is one you can look back on forever.


    Comment by
    Traci
    May 15th, 2010
    at 11:12 pm

    That is such an awesome story!!! Happy Birthday
    I just watched the Sandlot for the ump-teenth time tonight. That movie always reminds me of the stories my dad told us about playing ball as a kid.