Rice-UT Baseball: On “The” Call

It seems that Tuesday night’s win by the Rice Owls baseball team over the Texas Longhorn’s is going to be marred by Longhorn fans because of “the” call. This call involved a Rice runner at second base (Chad Mozingo) Rice batter, Anthony Rendon at the plate, and UT outfielder Russell Moldenhauer. Rendon hit a deep fly ball to the wall that Moldenhauer had to run and lay flat out to catch. The field ump signaled a trapped ball and Mozingo scored a run. UT protested, which they should have, and the call was over-turned to an out, but the run scored by Mozingo was allowed to stand. The ump maintains that he saw Mozingo tag up, I don’t agree with this, I was there, he didn’t get more than half-way back to second before the ump signalled a playable ball. Chad trusted the ump’s call and ran home.

And there is the dillema, do they send Chad back to second? Because, with his speed even tagging up he would have made at least third. UT fans argue that the speed of Moldenhauer’s throw in from the wall would have caught Mozingo at third if he had tagged. Except that Moldenhauer did throw the ball in and Chad did score, which indicates that he probably would have beat the throw to third. But, even then, there’s no real way of knowing. So, Chad would have either stayed at second or advanced to third, and, the very next batter hit a single, that would have scored Chad regardless of whether he was at second or third. The boy is a fast runner. Anyways, the score would have been 6-3 at the end of the inning regardless of this call.

And the game ended with that score. UT had more opportunities to close the gap and they couldn’t convert the runs. For their fans to say that this play threw the game for them is sour grapes. I understand it was a momentum change, but why didn’t they use their indignation at the call, which again wouldn’t have changed the score, to rally and score runs?

Was the call a good one? The answer is no. Moldenhauer made an amazing catch, and props to him for that. It has to be one of the best plays I’ve ever seen, in that regard. Second, Chad did not tag up, but, if it had been signalled a catch he would have either returned to second and stayed, or more likely, beat the throw to third, because he is fast. So, the umps probably should have sent Chad back to third, in which case he would have scored on the very next play. And, it’s not like this was a bottom of the ninth, squeaked out one run win by Rice. Even if they hadn’t scored that run, they still would have won the game. The only way the call could have been worse was if the umps had called Mozingo out on a double-play after signaling that the ball was in play.

So, let’s not tarnish what Rice accomplished, knocking off a top ranked team for the second time this season, by saying they would have lost except for this call, because, it just isn’t the case.

~The Countess~

To Rice Baseball

A toast. A raised glass, solemn word, and heartfelt message.

To an imperfect masterpiece. A team that shouldn’t have won, but did. A team that shouldn’t have lossed, but did. Players who shouldn’t have stepped up, shouldn’t have returned, shouldn’t have recovered, shouldn’t have made the play, or hit the home run.

To a great season. Some amazing wins. Sweeping A&M, Sweeping both the regionals and super-regionals. Some heart-breaking losses. If 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth of an elimination game isn’t heart-breaking than I don’t want toknow what is. To the seniors and juniors who were drafted and are leaving. To the returning players.

To the many hours spent at the field. In the hot, humid, Houston summer. In the freezing cold season openers where even blankets and jackets didn’t take away the chill. The change felt in the air as we switched from those freezing evening games to the sweltering heat of Saturday and Sunday afternoon games. The smell of hotdogs, nahcos, hamburgers. The sweet relief of an ice-cold soda or a snow-cone. Escaping down the third-base line for a beer. In the beer tent, even team rivalries were set aside so that fellow fans could enjoy a beer…regardless of who they wanted to see win. From batting and fielding practice to the final balls signed at the end of games.

To the fans of the game. Those hardcore fans who froze in the beginning and burned in the end. To those fans who remembered their tickets only at the end of the season. Those fans who banded together to drown out Longhorn fans in the final game of the regionals. Those fans who gave a standing ovation to pitchers pulled for getting the team in trouble. Those fans who cheered for a senior who struggled all year and then brought it big when it counted the most. Those fans who brought their children, those fans who loved the children that weren’t theirs. The friendships made, forged under the duress of cheering for a team prone to exciting wins. The opponents and their fans, who can make the experience by giving up an extra ticket, just so that it will be used.

To the great sport of baseball. The all-American sport. The student-athletes. The fans, old and young. The food, good or bad, always expensive. The stadium wide cheers. “Those people” who shout all the time but endear themselves to those around them.

Baseball is the American experience. It is the blood, sweat, and tears that make the dream. People of all ages, races, cultures, religions, and political persuasions unite over rooting for one team and against another. It is the pot that melts the differences away and unites the fans. Skin color fades away as it is covered by team logos and colors. Language barriers fall as fans scream out the names of their favorite players. In baseball we become bi-partisan Americans…at least as long as we’re all rooting for the same team.

It’s been a great year Rice. Beyond the amazing statistics. Beyond beating the odds. This year, this experience, has forged the fans and teams into a sub-culture that breaks down the barriers around it. So here’s to you Rice Baseball ’08. Next year in Omaha.

~The Countess~

 

Omaha Ramblings

One thing that is going to come across very quickly is that I love sports. Because I do. I love baseball, basketball, football, and just about anything else that involves movement and a ball. :D College and Pro just about equally hold my affection with college slightly edging Pro out. I’m a fanatic.

I blame this love of sports on my Lady Mother. The Lady Mother is a knitter, idle hands and all that jazz, and so she always had sports on while she was knitting. So I grew up watching sporting events while sharing an evening discourse with my Lady Mother. All of this resulted in turning me into a sports fan.

While I love to watch sports there are a few teams that I am fanatically attached to:

Duke Basketball, UT Football, and of course Rice Baseball. I have made almost every home game for Rice this year and even traveled up the road to A&M for that away game. I have had an absolute blast yelling encouragement to our players (I’m Rick Hague, coach and The Final Countdown being two favorites), taunting the other teams, and harassing the umps when they forget which team is supposed to get all the good calls. All of this has culminated in an obsession. And now the Owls are off to Omaha for the College World Series after sweeping both their Regional and their Super-Regional. I cannot wait to see what surprises Coach Graham’s imperfect masterpiece has in store for us. It’s going to be a fun ride!

Rice fight, never die

Blue, gray, in the sky;

Stand, cheer, drink more beer:

Go, go, go Rice!

~ The Countess ~