Dirty?

(Bryon on the left, Jason on the right)

So, talking to my brother tonight, he brought up a situation from his slow pitch game last night...

Here it is, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this...

Last night, my brother's co-ed slow pitch team (East Forks Trucking), the second-best team was playing the top team in the Ceylon League, H&D.

Trailing 8-3, and with Bryon on the mound and a runner first and one out, the gal at the plate hits a top fly in front of the mound.

Bryon, thinking head's up, yells to Jason Ulrich (both Bryon and Jason are second-generation slow-pitch players), jay-jay, two two... Bryon let's the ball drop, throws it to Jason who touches second and relays the ball Darci at first for the double play to end the inning (the hitter never even left the box, assuming it was going to be an out). the other team goes ballistic, calling it a dirty play... One of them yell's at the umpire "That should have been an infield fly," to which Bryon replies "Know the Bleepin rules," and chirping ensues, they call East Forks a bunch of dirty players, blah blah blah...

Bryon ends up hitting two bombs and East Forks comes back to win 13-12. SO tell me this, is the play dirty?

I don't think so, and here is my reasoning... They're playing the top team in the league, who don't get their by luck, so, they should know to run out every play. Secondly, it's not as if Byron's team was winning 10-2 when it happened, they were down and you gotta get outs right? Finally (or D) although i don't know this for sure, but I'm sure regular season record as an effect on tournament seeding, so that being said, a win against the top-ranked team in the league will give Bry's squad a tie breaker in the end.

I've emailed fellow SID friends for their opinion and will post them below... Please leave your opinion in the comments section too...

Josh Deer, SID Concordia-St. Paul : No, hustle down the line.. I run out everything in softball, figure it out.

Paul Allan, Assistant AD/Director of Athletic Communications, Minnesota State University: Correct me if I'm wrong here. BUT THIS IS SLOW PITCH! I thought it was a great play...and likely would have told the guy who hit the ball that maybe he should have been running.

Craig Roberts, BSM High School SID: Not a dirty play but the umpire apparently screwed the pooch on the play. Per USSSA Slow Pitch rules:

Rule 9: Ball in Play and Ball Dead

Sec. 3. THE BALL IS DEAD AND NOT IN PLAY:

K. Intentionally dropped fair fly ball or line drive, by an Infielder (See 7-2H)

Rule 7. BATTING

Sec. 2. THE BATTER IS OUT IF:

H. He hits a fair fly ball or line drive that an infielder intentionally drops, with a runner on first, runner on first and second, first, second and third or on first and third with less than two outs. NOTE: A trapped ball that hits the ground is never ruled intentionally dropped.

Josh Deer, CSP, Response #2: I agree with PA - run it out, especially if it is 1 vs. 2 in the league.

Since I have little power (1 career blast), I run my ass of on everything, case and point, I hit a lazy liner opposite field just to my right of the second baseman, and it kind of just slowly bounced to the right fielder. He booted it somehow, and since I was in a dead sprint, I saw this happen as I rounded first and never slowed down, reaching third on the play.

Maybe if this guy or gal at the plate would have had even a little bit of hustle, she'd have kept things going and they would have scored the necessary amount of runs to put the game away. Every run counts, and the little things can add up to that extra run!!!

Shane Drahota, former MSU Asst. SID/USD Asst. AD/SID, Current MSU Director of Compliance and Student Services: My opinion...it's not a dirty play, but it is a little Bush League. I certainly appreciate the heads-upiness (yep, I coined that) of the younger Nelsen, and it is likely something I would have done were I in that situation, I would have probably erupted if I were the other team
as well and called him not nice names.

I am going to point out that far, FAR too much time has been spent discussing a slow-pitch softball game that none of us were within 60 miles of when it was played. As a form of revenge, expect an "Opinion Needed" from the Jackson Golf Club Championship in August as there is
almost always controversy surrounding that event.

Matt Magers, Former Chicago Cubs Draft pick, Current MSU Baseball Coach: It's a great play. The guy (on the other team) was probably pissed his wife got out...Don't take your personal problems to the field...

Nick Ferentz, Lawyer (owner of Frentz and Frentz Law Firm, 345-4505, played college ball at Mcalaster), No it's not dirty, she should have been running.