Did DVH have the authority to override the umpire on not putting the tarp back on? Obviously, they shouldn’t have even started the game that late, or they should have postponed after the rain delay and finished up today. Bad decisions by whoever was in charge all the way around.
The wet ball allowed Mo State to get their runs finish the inning. The game should have never continued at 1230am. Under no set of circumstances. If you allow the visitor to hit in the top of an inning and see outfielder air mail throws them I’m with DVH my team will get the same chance!!!
Dave did not over rule anyone. He protested and the ump agreed with him. If the ump didn’t want to do it, he would not have. Bascially, Van Horn argued and the ump agreed and reversed his decision.
One thing to remember, as soon as Dave was through with his argument, the rain subsided. That was a key part of the equation. It was pretty plain that the rain was letting up and a little Diamond Dust (drying agent) would suffice. They reworked the mound and home plate and around first base and the game was good to go. Now, the issues came for MSU after it started raining again later.
There is chance for rain today. At some point, they have to get these games done. And, both sides want to push through because you don’t want to head into a Super Regional on short rest. Well, it’s short rest now for all since it didn’t end Sunday. But if it rained today (and it could), you could be looking at a Tuesday finish. Not good.
Just to be clear, baseball is a sport that always is full of second guessing. If I am Missouri State, I probably left mad. Remember, Arkansas left mad Saturday night because it seemed like Luke Bonfield was hit on the leg by a pitch, yet the ump didn’t call it. Jake Arledge was hit on the arm last night, but that didn’t get called because the ump thought he raised his arm to make sure he was hit. He probably did. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be upset at that call. Arledge ended up walking, to force in a run, but I would be made about that call for sure.
They don’t have a curfew once a game is started. The tournament manual says no game can be started after 11 p.m. There is nothing that keeps you from finishing a game no matter how late it goes. Players don’t have classes in the summer. The only hardship is in the game administrators and volunteers. They have work the next day – like me.
There was an NCAA rep there on site; I think he was the retired baseball coach at Mizzou. He’s the one who made the final decision to keep playing from what I’ve heard.
When all of that discussion was occurring with the cluster of umpires over in front of the SMS dugout, there was a guy that I presumed was the NCAA rep. He seemed to have a lot to say and appeared to have on influence on the decision.
I just watched the 8th inning replay. They showed the rep talking to the umps and Alex and Lance Cormier made reference to him, although not by name that I can recall.
Unrelated to this discussion, but I think Cormier was the one working with Eli Gold on ESPN3 on the first game we played in Tuscaloosa when they went on and on about what a great game Blaine Knight was pitching. Then the SECN crew the next day turned into Bama homers (unfortunately they had reason to be homers since Bama won).
It is my understanding that SMS insisted on resuming play and not suspending play at 0030. They convinced the umpires to do so.