Randy Cassingham's Blog

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.