One of the greatest plays I've ever seen

[mcloven]

At least in terms of timeliness.... :-) Thought I'd share it.

Here's the situation, our team was playing the #3 overall seed at Cooperstown in bracket play to make it to the sweet 16 (out of 104 teams). The team was undefeated and had given up only 1 run a game during the tournament. We had started this game the night before and had been up until 1:30am playing, but the game got suspended in the fifth inning (at 1:30am) due to fog and had to be completed the next morning.

The game was back and forth from the beginning. We were down 5-4 after 5 innings. We then scored 4 runs in the top of the 6th, but gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to tie the game at 8-8, sending the game to extra innings.

We didn't score in the top of the 7th. In the bottom of the 7th inning, our opponent's first 2 batters walked (and the lead off batter got to 3B on a passed ball). With runners on 1st and 3rd, we intentionally walked the bases loaded.

So, to sum it up: no outs, bases loaded, bottom of the 7th, with the winning run on third base at Cooperstown against one of the top teams in the tournament, and then this play happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7paAcpRx0&feature=youtu.be

Just when I thought I'd seen everything...a triple play with the walk off run at 3B in extra innings in bracket play. Talk about a memory for a lifetime.

We ended up scoring 2 runs in the 8th inning and won the game 10-8. I'm going to Vegas.

[Jake Patterson]

At least in terms of timeliness.... :-) Thought I'd share it.

Here's the situation, our team was playing the #3 overall seed at Cooperstown in bracket play to make it to the sweet 16 (out of 104 teams). The team was undefeated and had given up only 1 run a game during the tournament. We had started this game the night before and had been up until 1:30am playing, but the game got suspended in the fifth inning (at 1:30am) due to fog and had to be completed the next morning.

The game was back and forth from the beginning. We were down 5-4 after 5 innings. We then scored 4 runs in the top of the 6th, but gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to tie the game at 8-8, sending the game to extra innings.

We didn't score in the top of the 7th. In the bottom of the 7th inning, our opponent's first 2 batters walked (and the lead off batter got to 3B on a passed ball). With runners on 1st and 3rd, we intentionally walked the bases loaded.

So, to sum it up: no outs, bases loaded, bottom of the 7th, with the winning run on third base at Cooperstown against one of the top teams in the tournament, and then this play happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7paAcpRx0&feature=youtu.be

Just when I thought I'd seen everything...a triple play with the walk off run at 3B in extra innings in bracket play. Talk about a memory for a lifetime
We ended up scoring 2 runs in the 8th inning and won the game 10-8. I'm going to Vegas.

Very, very cool!!! That young man will remember that the rest of his life!

[JCincy]

Just like the coaches drew it up in practice.

[CircleChange11]

Awesome.

I love plays like this where there really isn't a "goat".

All of the players pretty much did what they should be expected to do at their age level. Even the runner at first wasn't doing something that he shouldn;t have been doing. Big kid likely got a good jump on a play that was hard to tell if it was a liner or short hop.

It happens.

[Ursa Major]

Well, the 1st base coach was pretty brain dead. He should have explained to the runner at first that his run meant nothing and he didn't need to even break up a double play. The only thing that that runner could have done wrong was to wander away from the base on a line drive or pop-up, which he did. And when the ball was caught, the coach simply waved the kid back rather than shrieking hysterically, "Back, back!"

[Ursa Major]

Duplicate post.

[CircleChange11]

Well, the 1st base coach was pretty brain dead. He should have explained to the runner at first that his run meant nothing and he didn't need to even break up a double play. The only thing that that runner could have done wrong was to wander away from the base on a line drive or pop-up, which he did. And when the ball was caught, the coach simply waved the kid back rather than shrieking hysterically, "Back, back!"

1. The runner had to break because the 3B stabbed the liner just off the ground. If it was a short-hop he could have easily stepped on 3rd, threw to 2nd, and possibly to 1B for a just as deadly triple play.

2. I'll give the 1B coach the benefit of the doubt in that sometimes you yell "Back! Back!" so loudly that you draw the throw. But, yes, I still prefer a demonstratively vocal 1B coach.

[Ursa Major]

1. The runner had to break because the 3B stabbed the liner just off the ground. If it was a short-hop he could have easily stepped on 3rd, threw to 2nd, and possibly to 1B for a just as deadly triple play.

I'm not blaming the runner, though he should still have been minding the 'freeze on a line drive' mantra. That's what the coach should have told him. No coach is going to pull back on his advice on the off chance that a LL team is going to turn a 5-4-3 triple play. Even in hindsight, if the 3B shorthopped it and stepped on 3rd, the runner at first was going to be dead at second anyway; the only issue is whether the batter beats the throw to 1st.

2. I'll give the 1B coach the benefit of the doubt in that sometimes you yell "Back! Back!" so loudly that you draw the throw. But, yes, I still prefer a demonstratively vocal 1B coach.

While the runner at first isn't in the frame, I'll assume that he had his back to the coach and thus the only cue available was a verbal one. And, yes, there are times when you as a coach in a quiet, mid-season game don't want to alert the defense to something. But, in the last inning of a tie game at Cooperstown, there were probably fifty other people closer to the 3rd baseman than was the 1st base coach, so keeping quiet so as to avoid adding your voice to the mix is probably not a good excuse for keeping quiet. First base coaches don't have many important duties, but that is one of them.

It reminds me of the time I was helping to coach a 12u summer team. One of the fathers was Mexican-American with a very heavy accent. Most of our players were African-Americans from Oakland. He'd constantly stand behind the dugout shouting out instructions to our hitters, who had no idea what he was saying, but he seemed to enjoy imparting his wisdom loudly and consistently. One Saturday, I was the only coach available for a game, so I asked Eduardo to coach first base for us. First time one of our players got on first, I look over, and Eduardo is huddled quietly against the fence about 20 feet away from fist base, while the runner is gesturing asking him for guidance. Turns out the guy loved to coach when no one really paid attention to him, but was scared to death of making a mistake if everyone was looking at him. I have to give him a pep talk between innings to get him to take charge a little more.