Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Dennis in Boston on May 2, 2008:

Are you kidding me? The real lesson is that these psychos cannot tell which is more important between treating an injured child and a GAME!

Sheesh!

Posted by DaMomb, Oklahoma on May 2, 2008:

I was just concerned about how long she lay on the field writhing in pain while all these discussions were going on....
But the ending was truly Good Sportsmanship at its very best. I totally agree with Don on this one.

That one act on the part of one selfless individual (on the opposing team no less) will be remembered by those watching forever, and that is what I call having an IMPACT!

Posted by George from Chicago on May 2, 2008:

It's a good counter to the trend of predation to win at all costs. Sports have many good points to be explored, but few are exploring the sensibility of morale that plays an important part of our psychological make-up. Too often, the Will to win crushes someone who needs just a moment to take a breath to get to the next point in their life.

Posted by Paul, Hutto, Texas on May 2, 2008:

It sounds as if there should be a different, more obvious lesson than what the narrator stated, but I have no idea what it would be. If this story is true as described (was there NO ONE in the stands with a video camera to catch this?), then they are truly remarkable young ladies. I'd be willing to bet a hefty sum that they did not learn this from their professors or coaches. Their parents should be very proud. Thanks for giving me hope that not all athletes subscribe to the "If you're not winning, you're a loser" ideology.

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I'm sure there is video, but it's not likely to be public domain so someone could use it in a video like this. So how do you tell the story? Without it. Frankly, it's likely more powerful this way. -rc

Posted by Steven from Orlando on May 2, 2008:

On one hand, it was a great display of sportsmanship but, on the other hand, you have to wonder about a game that penalizes coming to the aid of someone who is injured.

Posted by Joe, NY on May 2, 2008:

I'm not a baseball expert, but as I understand it, they could have brought in a substitute runner, so the team would have gotten the point but Sara would not get the credit. So the only effect the help had was to give the run credit to Sara and not the substitute runner.

If this reasoning is correct (baseball fans?) Mallory's act was clearly a generous kindness, but also primarily an act of fairness, not sacrifice. I would nevertheless applaud her decision. Playing fair is always a good thing, at least in theory.

Posted by Yasha, New York on May 3, 2008:

I agree with Don's message: if you feel good at the end of the day, then you've won.

Also, if I understand correctly, helping Sara across the bases gave Sara's team one point, which wouldn't have made a difference in the final score anyway (4-2). So, after all is said and done, the team that would have won anyway won, except thanks to Mallory, everyone has an uplifting example to follow!

"If your enemy falls, do not celebrate. If he trips, let not your heart rejoice." (Proverbs 24:17, thanks Google!) Thank you, Mallories of the world, for doing just that (surprisingly literal example). I know it couldn't have been easy, voluntarily helping your opponent, but the counter-intuitive thing to do from a sports perspective was the right thing to do from a human perspective.

Posted by Piet in Durban on May 3, 2008:

Many more people around the world will remember these girls, than who will even know which university eventually went through to the next round.

Winning a match, is a fleeting and not a duplicatable inspiration, but this example of winning over adversity, is of an enduring and duplicatable nature.

I hope it inspires many people around the world to go the extra mile.

Posted by Andara, California on May 3, 2008:

It's a great story.

I don't feel that it's quite so singular an act so much as an incredible set of circumstances. Even Holtman believes that anyone would have done the same in her place; she thinks that her knowledge of what was allowed is the only thing that set her apart from anyone else on the field that day.

Graham Hayes wrote an outstanding article that I recommend to anyone interested in all of the details, including a sidebar with the actual rules regarding such events, which turn out to be not quite what anyone on the field that day thought they were.

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Graham Hays is a writer for ESPN. His article on the game is here. -rc

Posted by chris, Oregon on May 3, 2008:

Living in the Pacific Northwest (Portland,Oregon), this is human interest story that I have seen many times. I must agree that a prominent role of adolescent sports deals with character building. This would encompass sportsmanship, team play and achieving individual goals. I applaud the actions taken by Miss Mallory and her teammates on the field. The politics of real world, off-field activities frequently don't have a official handbook of 'rules and regulations'.

That said, in deference to this particular You-tube commentator, I would add these facts. The game being played was a NCAA Div.III softball game. Rules that may apply would be covered under Base Runners (12.0.+) and could be interpreted by plate umpire.

Women's softball is currently not a professional sport in the USA, but as of 2004 has been officially recognized as Olympic competition. The Summer Games in China, hopefully, will reflect the values of competition and sportsmanship.

Posted by Carl from Provo, UT on May 3, 2008:

According to the NCAA softball rules, none of this was necessary:

8.5.3.2 If an injury to a batter-runner or runner prevents her from proceeding to an awarded base, the ball is dead and substitution may be made. The substitute must legally touch all awarded or missed bases not previously touched.

See 2008 NCAA Softball rules (PDF file)

The ball over the fence constitutes a dead ball, with home plate awarded, and the substitute could legally enter, touch all bases, and score the run. The batter's home run would still score, as would the RBI. I suspect that the run scored would go to the substitute.

If the umpire had remembered this rule, we'd have missed the opportunity for a sportsmanship display.

Posted by Mike, Georgia on May 3, 2008:

I'd substitute this comment instead:

"Winning is much more than the final score - it's how you treat your opponent during the game."

The final score will be forgotten. The opposing team's girls did a great kindness to an injured fellow player by finding a way for her to get credit for her home run. That's something that will never be forgotten by anyone who was there, or by anyone who watches this video.

Posted by Andre, Canada on May 3, 2008:

Reminds me of: "Canada's most notable event in Olympic sailing competition was from the 1988 Seoul games, where Larry Lemieux was racing towards a certain medal finish, but stopped to help two Singaporean sailors whose boat had capsized during the race. Lemieux was later presented an award from IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch to honor his act of bravery". I remember it as being his act of SPORTSMANSHIP. I can only hope that Mallory Holtman's act has been honored in the same way.

Posted by Cheryl, Pennsylvania on May 4, 2008:

I played this clip for my ten year old son and can tell you he too was near tears. These are the type lessons I want him to remember. The score is not the only determining factor in the game, although it is counted and important for the standings. The way we play the game and treat those giving it their all is what matters when the lights go out. I attend children's games and am appalled by the parents' behaviors. The kids can teach all of them a lesson. Support others, play your best and hope to win by being the better player not a loudmouth pushy person who plays dirty.

Posted by Sarah, MA on May 4, 2008:

Sorry, Randy, I have to agree with Don's take on this. I sure wish that more young athletes displayed this sort of attitude - true sportsmanship includes compassion, even at the cost of a win.

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No apology needed: I agree with what you say. But what does that have to do with "feeling good at the end of the day"? -rc

Posted by Frank , Tasmania Australia on May 4, 2008:

WOW, Bravo, a lesson for all of us. What a fantastic display of integrity, Mallory. I salute you.

Posted by Mike from Dallas on May 4, 2008:

The lesson learned? Good thing that Mallory could demonstrate leadership because apparently not a single one of the officials could do it. In boxing and other martial arts, an official can throw in the towel on behalf of contender who needs medical attention. The contender may not like it; certainly the contender will forfeit the competition. But it sure beats standing around with a thumb up the anatomy wondering whatEVER shall we do??? No matter what decision a leader makes, some will agree with it and others will disagree. But no official would make such a decision; the teachers, the coaches of the next generation of our successors.

The lesson learned here is that leaders ARE born, not made.

Posted by Steve Chicago on May 5, 2008:

Technically, she did hit the homerun so if I was on the opposing team, I would give it to her.

Posted by frank - Pennsylvania on May 5, 2008:

touching story - it's just too bad the speaker isn't a baseball/softball fan. Only a non-sportsman would call a RUN a "point". And anyone hitting .318 in the majors makes million$; someone hitting .418 would make mega million$.

Posted by Olen - Highland, CA on May 7, 2008:

A friend once said to me, "Nice guys always finish last," to which I responded, "I guess it depends on where you put the finish line." I might have ended the video with, "Winning isn't everything; it's being true to your values that matters most."

Posted by Jim, Glendale, CA on May 7, 2008:

Games are "zero sum", so one side wins at the other's expense. Everyone -- spectators, players, officials -- agree to this formula for many reasons, including the pleasure of playing and watching. The injured-runner problem was a chance for everyone involved to transcend the win-lose process with a creative solution that satisfied both sides. The rules allowed another player to substitute as base runner, but that wouldn't have given credit where due; the team could have touched the injured runner to help alleviate her pain, but that would not have satisfied _her_. The solution transcended the limitations of the rules -- and all rule systems have these problems -- in a creative way.

Perhaps someday this "outside the box" thinking will solve the crises in the Middle East, Ireland, etc. "Winning _can be_ much more than the final score: _sometimes_ it's how you contribute to your world." ... Randy: you've been coy! Will you finally give us YOUR viewpoint?

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What, and risk ending the great discussion? No way! -rc

Posted by Randy in Seattle on May 7, 2008:

Maybe ... to answer Randy's question ... "feeling good at the end of the day" is inartfully expressed. What I would say is: "When in doubt about what to do, take a Gut Check. If you're going to look back and feel proud, then that's what you do."

The language of "feeling" is squishy and silly; very little in sports or in life should be about "feeling good". But everything you do in life should be something you can be proud of.

Posted by Tom at Tucson, AZ on May 10, 2008:

The point here: It's not who wins or loses, but how you "play" the game. Mallory played the game in a true spirit of sportsmanship.

Posted by Bill, Potomac, MD on May 10, 2008:

Wow! What an incredible display of sportmanship (sportspersonship?). Your friend is right in that actions like this by our college student generation bode well for the future of our world.

My only cavil is that the narrator should know a little bit more about the sport he is telling us about - those are "runs" not "points."

Posted by Josh in Colorado on May 13, 2008:

For those wondering about the technicalities of this.

A home run is indeed a dead ball, but home plate is not "awarded" to the runner. "Awarded" bases are those given in cases such as balks, walks, and interference fouls- the opposite of awarded in this sense is earned. A home run is an earned base. During the course of a homerun, all normal baserunning rules apply, except that obviously there is no way for the opposing team to tag you out. It is possible (and indeed has happened) for the runners to get "out" in several ways- touching a teammate is one of them.

In the event that a runner cannot finish the base run during a dead ball (this includes ground rule doubles too) the play resumes with that runner at the last base touched. In this case, we can assume the poor girl touched first as she collapsed in pain (since she missed it first pass). Any pinch runner put in for her would have begun the next play on the last base touched, ie first base.

Posted by Tiffany, Philippines on May 16, 2008:

Well -- results are everything. I'm sorry to say but it's true.