Still Alive
Definitely defensive obstruction #WCWS #WCWS2015 @umichsoftball pic.twitter.com/yCR3LZSCmi
— Matt Lisle (@CoachLisle) June 3, 2015 I will get to what the ump called this later; it is up top for the visual: One of the two greatest Michigan softball teams in the history of a very good program is an inch away from something, and Florida, themselves one of the best teams ever assembled, huge, athletic, merciless, focused, defensive, is literally blocking Michigan's path.
Bullets
This was a triumph. Everyone knew after Florida in the first game used Aleshia Ocasio, and relieved her with Delanie Gourley, that Player of the Year Lauren Haeger would get the melon—which looks more like an apple in her hands—in Game 2. Haeger throws as hard as anyone and has a kind of curve-change that complements it, but her primary weapon is that fastball has so much late life it's impossible to square, and even solidly hit balls die from that spin. It doesn't help that Florida's mechanical infielders are the best in the game at turning those goofy grounders into outs.
I'm making a note here: Huge Success. Sierra Lawrence welcomed Haeger by slapping a leadoff single through a left side playing tight on an 0-2 count, then beat out Florida's double-play attempt on Romero's grounder. Michigan then scored her on a single by Susalla. The rest of the night would be an all-out assault on that run. Sierra's nickname is "The Silent Assassin" because she steals third; last night her speed squeezed out a run when it seemed neither pitcher was going to give up any.
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. Haylie Wagner staged her own assault. In the course of this season, which early on suffered the loss of fellow senior Sara Driesenga, the younger Megan Betsa has been Ace A and Wagner Ace B. Both have shone most brilliantly in relief of one another. Betsa pitched Game 1 of this series and as Ace mentioned yesterday, she was tentative. All day the Florida hitters (who drew over 100 hit-by-pitches this season) crowded the plate and Betsa threw away from them.
As she had in relief in Game 1, Wagner went right after them. Every once in awhile, usually whenever Haeger got to bat again, Florida would put a runner in scoring position and Haylie would pitch out of the jam.
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| Untouchable. |
These points of data make a beautiful line. The last such came in the 6th, when Florida got on with a bunt single with 1 out and Haeger coming up to bat. After two fouls (one to deep left, the other behind the catcher) fell just out of reach, Haeger connected and off the bat there was a sickening moment when you thought this was going to bloop over the infield. Instead it floated harmlessly into Romero's glove.
One more inning and two strikeouts later, Wagner had bought the Wolverines another 7 innings by adding 7 shutout frames to a current total of 0.00 runs in 20 innings in these WCWS.
That stat is downright insane considering over half of those innings have come against this lineup—Florida averaged 6 runs per game this year in the ur-pitcher conference, and was never shut out until Wagner did so last night. The rest of those innings were against the just-as-scary LSU, and UCLA. To put this in perspective, the football equivalent would be a defense going up against Oregon, Baylor, Ohio State, then Ohio State again, and giving up just a handful of missed field goals. If there's a better offense the lefty hasn't mowed down the last two weeks, it's only because it's on her side.
[Highlights from MGoBlue's janky video.]
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We do what we must because we can. It was the third time these two teams played a dramatic 1-run game this year, and the first bears mention. It was Michigan's first game, Florida's second. Ocasio struck out 10 in that game, but Wagner kept #1 Florida to one run—off the bat of Lauren Haeger of course.
In the top half of the final inning, down to their last strike, Michigan tied it on a Christner double into right-centerfield gap. Wagner pinch-hit and, eerily similar to game 1 of this series, hit a deep fly ball that missed the foul pole by inches before getting out. In the bottom, Wagner walked the first two batters, and Florida bunted them over. Florida brought in a pinch-hitter who knocked what appeared to be a game-winning 3-run homer, except the Gators didn't properly inform the umpires she was being reinserted (they'd taken her out for a defensive replacement in the 6th). The home run was removed on the technicality. Then Wagner threw a wild pitch that ended both the game and the controversy.
At the time the Florida loss was the reason Michigan couldn't claim #1 even after romping through the rest of that month. A softball season at Michigan is kind of like a Wichita State basketball or Boise State football one: they play the first six weeks on the road in tournaments the southern teams schedule earlier and earlier (this game was on February 7th) because they can. Michigan tries to cram as many big wins as possible into that because the Big Ten season is mostly a "don't screw this up" marathon before the postseason.
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For the good of all of us (except the ones who are dead). Was everybody kind of annoyed that Florida's players got a cut-video on ESPN doing a Gator chompy version of our "It's great… to be…" cheer? On one hand and 4/5 of the remaining fingers, the cheer doesn't have anything particularly applicable to Michigan except an arrogant tone, and the meter's just a liiiiitle not quite right for the lyrics, and we apparently stole it from Auburn in the 1980s, and certainly lately even when it's correct it's really not:
As long as we keep screaming we don't have to talk about how we nearly botched that two-minute drill.
On the last finger, they played that cheer with zero acknowledgement that Florida was appropriating the other team's thing. I guess anyone who would get the joke got it, and anyone who wouldn't probably thinks the Florida Gators have an arrogant cheer they're a syllable too short to be using.
[UPDATE: A guy in the comments claims Florida has been doing it since the 1960s. I'm not sure I'd trust half of what any Gator says, but the hand in favor of this cheer is down to a pinky nub].
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I'm not even angry. On the blown call, I think John U. Bacon nailed the problem:
Another great game, Michigan v. Florida. But ump blew obstruction call at third. Why mic them? Knowing their mic'ed, they'd never admit it.
— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) June 3, 2015 Other than some Florida/SEC partisans who'd believe in whatever cake serves their interests, the public was in pretty strong agreement that obstruction call, the difference between a runner on 3rd with Christner coming to bat and going into the 6th up 1-0 with Haeger due up, was blown.
I was a softball IM umpire, which is about as relevant to the Championship Series as a little league ump's experience would be to MLB, but two things I'm pretty certain are universal across the sport are 1) how obstruction is called, and 2) you never tell a fellow umpire they blew the call unless you're certain. If you're told you blew something you respect that—this is your chance to not look like a fool or become part of the game.
The umps were mic'ed so we got to hear the field umpire come in and advise the plate ump she had obstruction, and the plate umpire respond harshly "I didn't have obstruction." I bet you a delicious chocolate cake if the country isn't listening in on the huddle that ump takes the get out of jail free card. Instead he sticks with his call so he's not the guy getting corrected on ESPN. Fortunately it didn't affect the outcome.
Other than that, and kind of a muddy outside corner both teams have been taking advantage of, the umpiring has been excellent so I'm willing to give him a mulligan on this.
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Anyway this cake is great; it's so delicious and moist. Florida didn't take a loss until 26 games after the close brush with Michigan; in that loss then-#2 LSU put up 9 runs in the 1st inning and the Gators came back to tie it 10-10 before losing 14-10.
As you've seen the last two evenings, Michigan and Florida are pretty evenly matched, which is incredible if you've spent the last several years hearing how Florida is the kind of softball team a scientific testing facility would assemble if given unlimited time and resources to manipulate human bodies for maximum softball output. The prevailing wisdom had them winning the national championship this year even before they did last year.
Michigan may be frustrating to them, but it's not plucky upset frustration so much as why do these teams both have to exist the same season!? As a fan you're terrified of everything but to the softball world Michigan is nearly as much a juggernaut, the Brady to their Manning, the Ali to their Frazier, the Nadal the world was crying for since the moment Federer ascended to the top of it. The season until now was hardly preliminary, but exactly nobody is surprised it will end in a game between the Gators and Wolverines.
And end it will. By the time the Earth has spun half-way around today Wagner's streak and Haeger being allowed to play against college students, and the careers of Wagner and Lauren Sweet (we'll wait and see if Driesenga gets a medshirt), and Romero's record-obliterating season will be something to remember instead of live. The expectation was for this year to come down to these colossi, and all promises were kept.
Next game:
| What: | Michigan vs. Florida Game 3 for the National Championship |
| When: | Tonight, 8 ET |
| Where to watch: | ESPN |
| Line: | Florida –1.5 |
(via MGoBlue.com)
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It's not obstruction if you have possession of the ball.
But what you cannot see from those pictures is that the runner arrived (and the blocking occurred) before the ball arrived. Live it was pretty clear that See-Lo beat the throw and would have been safe without the block. While I would agree that you might argue the ball was there and it's a close call, I think that was a wrong call and I don't even think it was VERY close.
Still pictures don't tell the tale accurately.
The other thing is that if the 3b is backed-up 6-8 inches, Sierra is in there pretty clearly ahead of the ball, instead of the messy situation where she is blocked. That can throw an ump off-kilter, as well.
Keep in mind, at that level, a lot of what the ump is doing is going by a rhythm and learning from 100s/1000s of past plays that are of the bang bang variety. Plays at the plate are more often than not easier because the ump is expecting peculiarities. Not nearly as much as out on the bases.
You'll notice that even routine grounders to short, the SS has to move much quicker on her mechanics to get the out... That shorter distance means almost everything in the infield is bang bang and the umps have to be very good. At my daughter's high school/travel level, a lot of them seem to make their mind up fairly randomly. It can be pretty mind-bending.
There is no way that "about to receive a thrown ball" could be construed to cover the entire time a ball is in flight to that defender. It would completely vitiate the rule.
I'm 99.9% certain they use ASA rules or something closely resembling them. Agreed if the defensive player is holding the ball she can block the path to the bag. In this case she was obstructing as the runner began her slide, made contact with the runner, then caught the ball.
The way I learned to call this was to keep it simple: if the runner is trying to get to the bag and a defender is obstructing BEFORE she gets the ball, it's obstruction. If she gets the ball then obstructs it's fine, but you really don't have to worry about that as much since by that point the defender will be applying a tag.
As an umpire if you're in position like you should be, you will be able to plainly see if the defensive player is making an obstructive move before the ball comes, and she plainly was.
The umps were mic'ed so we got to hear the field umpire come in and advise the plate ump she had obstruction, and the plate umpire respond harshly "I didn't have obstruction." I bet you a delicious chocolate cake if the country isn't listening in on the huddle that ump takes the get out of jail free card. Instead he sticks with his call so he's not the guy getting corrected on ESPN. Fortunately it didn't affect the outcome.
This is incorrect on a couple accounts. The HP ump had no call to stick to. It was the third base ump's call and, as you point out, an ump will only correct another ump if theyare 100% sure. So, why does the HP ump need a get out of jail free card? It's not his call to make and he cannot change the call unless he's 100% sure the field ump was wrong. He doesn't have a call to stick to. I don't think she was far enough off the bag for a secondary ump, with a worse view, to be sure enough to overturn a partner's call.
I don't think the mics played into it other than this: As soon as they started to huddle the HP ump knows in his mind he is either going to change the call or isn't. There's no discussion to have, really. Either he's 100% knows it was wrong and he fixes it, or he's not sure and he leaves it. So, knowing he's mic'd and knowing he's not changing it, he simply and factually states: I didn't have obstruction.
It's the wrong call, but that's on the 3B ump more than the HP ump and I think has nothing to do with them being mic'd. In fact, many umps would LOVE to be the guy that correctly overturns a massive call in the championship game.
/Speaking from years of umping
Typical of an IM ref to make things up (jk). Funny coincidence, when I worked for MRec, there was an atrocious ref/ump named Seth.
Nadal symbolizes most of what is wrong with the ATP today.
He continually violates the time limit between points on his serve.
He also has a terrible habit of not being ready when the opponent is ready to serve.
He made it "okay" for men to bring the exaggerated grunt/scream over from the WTA.
He is abusive to chair umps, linespeople, and ball kids.
In short, he was not what the tennis world wanted as a foil to Federer.
I hate these games. Always sad to see them go. Thanks Seth for putting it in perspective.
Testament to the site that I've never been this invested in the outcome of a sport I've barely followed for over a decade. Obviously the team playing so well and being in a do-or-die game 3 amps up the suspense, but the coverage here has made it feel even more epic.
I fully expect both Florida and Michigan to throw everything they can out there tonight. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wagner get an inning in relief if necessary, and you have to think Florida will roll out Haeger as well in similar circumstances.
It will be extremely surprising if Wagner and Haeger don't both start, and I have a hard time envisioning a circumstance that gets Haeger pulled (although I don't follow Florida so I could be off base in my thinking there).
...but I would dance with glee if Haeger DOES get pulled!
Just trying to say that even if she gets into (relative) trouble, with no tomorrow to worry about and everything on the line I think you have to keep her in there.
They did have Ocasio warming up last night, and she has done better against Michigan than Haeger did.
well I understand that Haeger took the loss but she only gave up 4 hits (and 1 run) in 6 innings. Plus she is clearly FLA's best pitcher. So I think you have to go with her.
I know the "It's great to be..." chant isn't originally ours, but it works perfectly with the six syllables of "Michigan Wolverine." With "Auburn Tiger" and "Florida Gator" you have to awkwardly stretch out the syllables to make it fit the rhythm.
On another note, it's amazing to me that a college team could be playing its 68th game of the season tonight.
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The Quarter Bistro has (or at least had) a fried gator appetizer. It was pretty good, cajun seasoning IIRC. On Maple over by Zingerman's Roadhouse if anyone seriously wanted some gator.
Did anybody else notice the shot in the stands framing none other than Mitch McGary cheering on his alma mater? His usual big, enthusiastic grin.
chant has been around at Michigan since at least 1990. Pretty sure it originated in the marching band and spread from there. The band most likely picked it up from somewhere else.
The cake is a lie.
Give me (pizza) pie anyday!
I have to admit, I burst out laughing in my office when I figured out the paragraph title references. Now we just need GlaDos to dictate the article.
Is softball different than baseball with regard to obstruction? In baseball it's not obstruction if you have possesion of the ball.
My understanding is it's the same for softball. That's the problem. She did not have possession of the ball when she began obstructing.
@umichsoftball @haywags17 Hayl(ie) #Hail #GoBlue #letsdothis pic.twitter.com/10GQkMklnb
— Carla Scruggs (@carlascruggs) June 3, 2015Just a note to give a bit of info. about the stadium experience, based on attending just one game, the LSU game (I am also going tonight). The majority of the crowd were fans of neither team as far as I could tell. I sat in the area behind home plate. The guy sitting next to me said he has had the same seat for 15 years and most of the people around him had their seats longer than that. He was a retiree from California who coached high school softball. He said his biggest complaint was the inconsistancy of the play call (and we had about as perfect seats as possible to see to see the pitching and their location to the plate). Most of the people were just hardcore sofball fans. Many are also OU fans. The people sitting around me would probably make better color commentators and announcers than what ESPN put on. My seat was one of two that a couple from Texas had, but had to go back home Sunday. The people around me cheered good play by either team and booed missed calls by umps and poor sportsmanship.
The fans of each team were almost exclusively sitting in the section behind the respective benches (this is where McGary was sitting as well--he said he was watching the game with his parents). There were of course other fans of each team elsewhere, but they seemed few and far between. Among the crowd I saw at least a few softball teams, girls 10-14 or so all wearing their team shirt, some with gloves, as well.
There were almost no replays shown on the screen, which seemed a bit odd, given the number of ESPN cameras around. Fortunately the weather has been good for most of this tournament and looks to be good for tonight's game as well.
It is fun to be emotionally invested in a fresh sport. I have enjoyed every detail.
OP got me fired up.
GO BLUE! WE COMIN'!
RICFLAIRWOOOOOOOOOO.GIF
My daughter was born in 2000, and along with a love of soccer developed because it was impossible to avoid in my house, the 2005 team is one of her first sports memories. Today, she's playing travel softball and soccer... and she's been a Wolverine fan all along and this season's run has so much meaning to her, because she watches the games now not just as a fan, but more as an analyst... Hard to explain how proud that makes me.
Go Mi-chi-gan, beat the Flor(i)-da Ga-tors!
(Just to keep up with the marching band chants on the way into the stadium. "It's great" definitely just sounds better with Michigan.)
Absolutely great writing man; so many fine lines. Thank you.
Re these feline ballers, call me a wimp (I prefer sensitive artist), but I almost always cry/laugh simultaneously when I read about them.
Their joy, enthusiasm, dedication-to-task-and-one-another, their youthful innocence, toughness, etc., is so inspiring . . . especially juxtaposed to the omninous crap of the world. I just try to let their evident "best of humanity" stuff roll through me.
And: HUGE PROPS TO COACH HUTCHINS!
Man, I really want them to win! But understand Florida is awesome too.
Was everybody kind of annoyed that Florida's players got a cut-video on ESPN doing a Gator chompy version of our "It's great… to be…" cheer? On one hand and 4/5 of the remaining fingers, the cheer doesn't have anything particularly applicable to Michigan except an arrogant tone, and the meter's just a liiiiitle not quite right for the lyricsWhat's wrong with the meter? I think it sounds better with "Mich-i-gan Wol-ver-ine" than "Au-burn Ti-ger."
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