I saw it, and several hours after it happened, I’m still not sure what I witnessed Tuesday afternoon at Rockhurst High School, where the host Hawklets downed Blue Springs 6-3 in the Class 4 District 14 semifinals.
The score was tied 3-3 after seven innings in which the Wildcats stranded seven runners in scoring position with one out or less.
Rockhurst’s John Calhoun, who had two doubles and a single from his leadoff position, hit a smoking line drive to center field to lead off the eighth inning.
This is where it gets interesting.
Wildcats center fielder Arron Ray chased down the ball, which he swears rolled under a mesh snow fence, making it impossible to retrieve.
“I threw my hands up, like they told me to do,” Ray said, “but when I saw the runner keep on running, I tried to reach under the fence and get the ball, but I couldn’t reach it.”
Because of the nature of the play, I am purposely leaving both umpires’ names out this column. Rockhurst administrator Pete Campbell gave me the name of the home plate umpire, but when an irate fan approached me and bellowed, “I want that (expletive deleted)’s name, home phone number and Social Security number in your (expletive deleted) story tomorrow,” I figured I’d let him find another venue to identify the men in blue.
When Ray’s hands went in the air, and after Calhoun had raced around the bases, the field umpire ran to center field and signaled a ground-rule double.
A vocal group of Rockhurst fans who were sitting on the left-field hill, made the case for the home-field team, screaming that Ray placed the ball under the fence.
“No way, absolutely not,” Ray responded.
Rockhurst coach Jim DeGraw approached the field umpire, and they were met by the home plate umpire. After a lengthy discussion near the mound, the ruling was changed and Calhoun was awarded an inside-the-park home run.
“I was told, by the home plate umpire, that Arron should have placed his arms in the air and not made any attempt to get the ball,” Wildcats coach Marc Hines said. “But it’s like Arron said, he saw the kid run around the bases and there hadn’t been a ruling and he didn’t know what to do.”
Both Campbell and Hines explained the ruling about the fence in much the same way. Because of the mesh fence, which is in front of a tall chain-link fence, there is the chance a ball can roll under the mesh fence and create such a scenario.
“We know the ruling,” Hines said. “But they’re saying Arron had to kick or push the ball under the fence, and he said he didn’t. I wanted to protest, but it’s a judgment call and there really isn’t anything to protest.
“You just hate to see a great game like this one overshadowed by a decision that basically cost us a big run.”
To play the devil’s advocate, I had to ask Hines about the two other runs the Hawklets scored that inning.
“Sure, they scored two more runs, but our kids had to deal with that ruling – which was devastating, since it had already been ruled a double – and then go out finish the inning.
“That’s a lot to ask from a group of high school kids. And the ruling took so long – it seemed like it was forever. I was so PO’d, I don’t know how I would have reacted if I’d have had to go back and play.”
In hindsight, Ray should have thrown up his hands and stood still like a statue.
But how do you react in that fashion when the go-ahead run is circling the bases and no ruling has been made?
Did intimidation play a factor in changing the field umpire’s ruling?
We’ll never know, because I approached both umpires following the game.
After identifying myself as a member of the media to a Kansas City Missouri Police Department officer and the two umpires, I asked the home plate umpire about his decision making process. He kept walking to his car with the police escort close behind.
I asked again, and said, “I’ll take that (silence) as a no comment.”
He never broke stride.
I really don’t blame him for wanting to make a quick exit. He was never physically threatened, but certainly was the subject of some verbal abuse as he left the playing area.
I guess we’ll never know what the home plate umpire was thinking.
Will we?
But we certainly know what Hines was thinking.
“You know what I hate?” asked Hines, as he made the long, slow trek to the team bus. “I just hate to see a great group of kids have a hell of a good year end like that.”
Reach Bill Althaus at bill.althaus@examiner.net or 350-6395.
