I pulled over the car yesterday, got the Mrs some soft-serve ice cream and wondered over by a fence near a game currently underway.
Time was called for some reason… and the umpires went over to first base along with the coach from the fielding team and they had some words. Meanwhile, the third base coach called over the runners from first and second and had a small pow-wow.
As the umpires left the first base line and took up their normal positions the base runners returned to their bags… BUT WAIT… PLAY BALL was called by the plate umpire… upon which the pitcher step’d back off the rubber… ran over to second base and tag’d the base runner who was standing on second… !! The pitcher turned to the base umpire and said this base runner was on first… but when time was called he changed bases with the other runner.
He then said… according to the rules of the game… that when a base runner passes a base runner ahead of him/her … he/she’s out!!
The base umpire was lost for words… the plate umpire called time… they had a small meeting at second… and bingo… the kids out…
Now, are you ready for this… the age span of this game was 10 - 12! Can you imagine!!
I walked back to the tasty freeze stand and my Mrs saw the smile on my face… and asked if I was going to join her… "you bet!’… I’ll take a super-dupper sunday with all the fixen’s. Gott-a love that ice cream on a sunny day near a ball field.
(by the way…it’s not necessary to tag a runner for that infraction.)