Intentional or Not?

Looks intentional to me

This is on the General Forum as well. There is a story behind the video. The pitcher in question is the brother of the starting SS on the same team. The SS is supposed to be a top national player expected to go early in the draft. In the prior half inning, the SS was called out on strikes for the third out. It was the 9th straight K by the opposing pitcher.

Either that was an intentional miss, or he is the worst HS catcher I have ever seen. Looking at the high caliber of the play and the circumstances from the previous inning, I will go with intentional.

thier playing this on CNN...

The question is, wouldn't they have done this the first pitch of the inning without runners on base? But no. I would agree that this was intentional. Even if a catcher got crossed up, he wouldn't go down as late as he did.

Intentional....the catcher is poor actor.

You guys here in the Texas forum need to get out more (into other forums that is). This is been posted and debated in the General forum for a couple of days.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Red:
The question is, wouldn't they have done this the first pitch of the inning without runners on base? But no. I would agree that this was intentional. Even if a catcher got crossed up, he wouldn't go down as late as he did.

True, but they were down 9-1 at that point, so I think they just said what the heck...

I think the saddest thing about this video is the parents cheering and clapping after it happened. Wow....

quote:

Originally posted by En Fuego:
Intentional....the catcher is poor actor.

Very poor

Had this happen to me in a game last summer betwen the Marshals and some dead beat team. I made a call at home on the opposing team that would have tied the game. The dead beat team on the second pitch the catcher let it go over his glove and it hit me in the chest; I did not eject the catcher nor coach but told both of them I could have taken that pitch without a chest protector; really ****ed the catcher off. next inning he came to bat and I called him out on three pitches about 2 feet out side. No more problems the entire game.

Don't mess with SWAC!

Isn't that your normal strikezone?

quote:

Originally posted by SWAC:
Had this happen to me in a game last summer betwen the Marshals and some dead beat team. I made a call at home on the opposing team that would have tied the game. The dead beat team on the second pitch the catcher let it go over his glove and it hit me in the chest; I did not eject the catcher nor coach but told both of them I could have taken that pitch without a chest protector; really ****ed the catcher off. next inning he came to bat and I called him out on three pitches about 2 feet out side. No more problems the entire game.

Like my mom always used to say, "Your sins will find you out!" Saw this on ESPN.com Read the bold part about the pitcher. I may have to send my 2 year old to this guy when he graduates!

LIFE OF REILLY
Brushing back a batter? Okay. But this? You have to be kidding.
by Rick Reilly


You've heard of Kill the Ump, Lynch the Ump, and Strangle the Ump, right? Well, get ready for the latest thing—Bean the Ump.

It happened on May 31 in the Georgia high school Class AAA championship game. Stephens County was losing to Cartersville 9-1 early, partly because nine straight SCHS batters had struck out. The last ring-up so hacked off superstar shortstop Ethan Martin—who had just been drafted 15th overall by the Dodgers—that he threw his helmet in protest. But that figured. Martin and his brother, Cody, who was pitching, reportedly had been complaining about balls and strikes the entire game.

So now it's the bottom of the fourth, with Ethan playing short and Cody on the mound. The catcher is Matt Hill. There are no outs. The count is 0-1. Cody winds up and flings a very high, very hard fastball. Hill comes out of his squat, puts his glove up to catch it, then does a very funny thing.

He doesn't.

Instead, the YouTube video will show, he drops to his knees before the ball gets to him. Doesn't even try to catch it. Just flops to his knees, with his head looking down at the plate. Never looks up or back. The ball, meanwhile, conks umpire Jeff Scott square in the face mask. Rocks him back. Then squirts up the third-base line.

Scott Singer, who videotaped the game from behind the plate, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "I don't know what was going through their heads but … it's like, good god!" After the game, Hill explained that he'd been expecting a curveball, instead got a fastball and just didn't catch it.

Yeah, surrrre. I used to catch a little. Happens all the time. You're expecting a curveball and instead you get a fastball so you say, "Boy, didn't see that coming. I'll just drop to my knees and wait for the next one."

What's worse is that Hill's coach, Mark Gosnell, believed him! Right, Coach. And remember that time you found the school mascot tied up in a locker with a sock in his mouth? That was definitely terrorists.

If indeed this was premeditated—take a look for yourself and decide—then maybe Cody Martin should be drafted too. Say what you want, but that's pretty good aim.

Anyway, now the ump has to get back behind noncatcher Hill, who may very well have just schemed to remove his noggin from his neck. Wouldn't you have loved to have heard the conversation as they awaited the next pitch?

Ump: Uh, any chance you might catch this one, or should I duck now?

Hill: Depends. Is it going to be a strike?

Isn't it enough for an umpire to endure all the blind jokes—Hey, ump, what's it like to get your checks in Braille?—without two players actually trying to blind him?

Cartersville wound up winning the game 13-1, and when state athletic officials saw the tape, they snapped. "The catcher did not intend to catch the pitch," says Ralph Swearngin, executive director of the Georgia High School Association. "I didn't see the eyes of the catcher tracking the pitch." He put Stephens County on "severe warning" and fined it $1,000.

Then some payback came for Hill, who was planning to walk on at Gordon College in Barnesville, Ga., next season. He got the word from Gordon coach Travis McClanahan, who said, Forget it, we don't want you. "I've seen catchers get crossed up before," says McClanahan. "But he appeared to be blocking a curveball in the dirt. I was shocked. I've never seen that happen. I've never heard of a player even suggesting doing that."

I bet Hill didn't see that one coming. Don't know, though, since neither Hill nor Martin is talking.

As for umpire Scott, he had a headache after the game and went for an MRI. Then he decided to get himself a lawyer. And I'm guessing there are two things that lawyer is checking out: the health of his client and the health of Hill's dad's wallet.

Good god, what's becoming of us?

Track star: Well, yeah, I've always hated that official, but I sure didn't mean for my javelin to go right through his spleen like that!

Announcer: But you're a sprinter.

I hope Scott does ask for damages, and that the players have to pay in a way they'll never forget: by being forced to umpire Little League games. They'll be amazed how vile parental vocabulary can be, how far little brothers can spit and how many pitched balls wind up hitting them in the thorax.

But at least the 8-year-olds won't be doing it on purpose.