This story of a baseball game goes back more than 50 years, but something brought it to my mind.
Before the well-organized Big Eight league (which had contact with major league football as well as baseball) the Homer Oilers were in a league that played on Sunday afternoon. On this Sunday we were playing Vivian there.
The score was tied along about the sixth inning when the manager of Vivian, though not in uniform, insisted on challenging the umpire. He refused to leave and allow the game to proceed so the ump had no choice but to declare a forfeit and the game over.
As we picked up our equipment and went to leave for home, we were challenged by women waving baseball bats, demanding we take the field and resume the game or there would be a fight. Homer fans disagreed on whether to resume playing or go home. I was for resuming the game and avoid a fight while some argued that if we returned to the field, the forfeit would not count. We did go back to playing, leaving after two innings and the game still tied.
Days later at a league meeting officials determined that because we had resumed the game, the forfeit did not count. I still hold the decision to re-start the game was the right decision. Those women swinging bats meant their threats of violence.
Before the well-organized Big Eight league (which had contact with major league football as well as baseball) the Homer Oilers were in a league that played on Sunday afternoon. On this Sunday we were playing Vivian there.
The score was tied along about the sixth inning when the manager of Vivian, though not in uniform, insisted on challenging the umpire. He refused to leave and allow the game to proceed so the ump had no choice but to declare a forfeit and the game over.
As we picked up our equipment and went to leave for home, we were challenged by women waving baseball bats, demanding we take the field and resume the game or there would be a fight. Homer fans disagreed on whether to resume playing or go home. I was for resuming the game and avoid a fight while some argued that if we returned to the field, the forfeit would not count. We did go back to playing, leaving after two innings and the game still tied.
Days later at a league meeting officials determined that because we had resumed the game, the forfeit did not count. I still hold the decision to re-start the game was the right decision. Those women swinging bats meant their threats of violence.
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