Game Called? Seriously?

[TwinsGuy11]

So I'm a little upset. So I was playing at CHW with the Twins. Top of the 8th I'm down 6-4, I put together 3 hits to get to 6-5, runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out.


Then the game is called! I mean it's just one game in a rare instance, but that is pretty absurd. No way would a game be called in that situation.

[OldFatGuy]

I agree that IRL every effort would have been made to complete the inning, but, technically speaking, I don't think it meets the requirements for it to be a suspended game, so therefore, if the weather had become so horrible as to warrant stoppage and it didn't improve, then I believe it would indeed have been called.

It would have been controversial though, no doubt about it. But if some deluge of rain happened that made playing impossible and since I don't think it meets one of the (6??? IIRC or maybe 7) tests to become a suspended game, then it would have been official. Really does suck though.

[sreem]

It would if it was raining in sheets, with no end in sight.

[MorseMoose]

I lost a game like this...was pissed until I read the game called rules.

[The Wolf]

"Depending on circumstances, a called game may either end immediately or be suspended and continued later. Games are always suspended if they must be called because of curfew, time limit, darkness (in a park with legal restrictions on the use of lights), or lighting or mechanical failure. Games called because of weather or darkness (in parks without lights) are normally over immediately. An exception is when the game has become an official game by being played for 5 or more innings and the score is tied or the visiting team took the lead in the top half of the current inning and the home team has not yet retaken the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Forfeited games are never suspended. The statistics from a called game count if, and only if, the game was official when it was called."

[TwinsGuy11]

I understand the rules and get that the game is counted after 5 innings. But like it has been said, IRL the inning would have been played out.

Again, whatever. Still love the game and I probably won't come across it again, but man it sucked.

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by TwinsGuy11

I understand the rules and get that the game is counted after 5 innings. But like it has been said, IRL the inning would have been played out.

Not if the weather got bad enough, it wouldn't. That's what you're just not comprehending.

[gads]

Technically, the inning does not have to be played out. The fact that IRL the inning gets played out is irrelevant. What matters is OOTP's 100% adherence to the rules.

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by gads

Technically, the inning does not have to be played out. The fact that IRL the inning gets played out is irrelevant. What matters is OOTP's 100% adherence to the rules.

If there is lightning, sheets of rain, or strong hail, that inning is not going to be played out.

[ra7c7er]

Back in the days of little league. The team I played for had the based loaded no outs and down by one. The second a rain drop fell. I'm talking one rain drop from one cloud in an other wise clear sky the umpire called the game.

Turned out the umpire was the uncle of the home teams coach and father of one of the kids on the other team. By the time the league reviewed the call it was to late the season was over. The umpire and coach were suspended though for not disclosing their family status to the league.

[Mortimer]

I actually remember a real world example, my Kansas City Royals, I think the 2013 season, were playing a game in St. Louis and during the top of the 8th or 9th inning the Royals pulled ahead and then the rain opened up and they had to stop play.

By rule if the game was called they would have reverted to the score at the start of the inning, thus taking the runs off the board and giving the Cardinals the win. So to avoid that mess they tried really hard to get the game in, and ended up finishing the game at like 4 am.

So yes by rule the umpires could have called it just like in TwinsGuy's game here, but it would have been such a controversy, that the umpires did everything they could to ensure the game was completed.

[The Wolf]

I played in a game in college where it was raining steadily but the game didn't get called until a lightning bolt hit a nearby power pole.

[Le Grande Orange]

From the 2014 Official Baseball Rules:

Originally Posted by Official Baseball Rules - 2014 Edition

4.12 SUSPENDED GAMES.

(a) A game shall become a suspended game that must be completed at a future date if the game is terminated for any of the following reasons:

(1) A curfew imposed by law;
(2) A time limit permissible under league rules;
(3) Light failure or malfunction of a mechanical field device under control of the home club. (Mechanical field device shall include automatic tarpaulin or water removal equipment);
(4) Darkness, when a law prevents the lights from being turned on;
(5) Weather, if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead; or
(6) It is a regulation game that is called with the score tied.

National Association Leagues may also adopt the following rules for suspended games. (If adopted by a National Association League, Rule 4.10(e) would not apply to their games.):

(7) The game has not become a regulation game (4½ innings with the home team ahead, or 5 innings with the visiting club ahead or tied).
(8) If a game is suspended before it becomes a regulation game, and is continued prior to another regularly scheduled game, the regularly scheduled game shall be seven innings in length. See the exception described in Rule 4.10(a).
(9) If a game is suspended after it is a regulation game, and is continued prior to another regularly scheduled game, the regularly scheduled game shall be a nine inning game.

Rule 4.12(a)(5) is the one that applies to the situation described in the opening post. As his club were the visitors and had not scored enough runs to take the lead during the inning in progress the game was not eligible to be suspended.

In real life, I would expect there'd first be a rain delay, probably a lengthy one, to try and get the game finished rather than calling it.

[The Wolf]

That would depend on how big and how dangerous the storm was.

[gads]

Originally Posted by Mortimer

I actually remember a real world example, my Kansas City Royals, I think the 2013 season, were playing a game in St. Louis and during the top of the 8th or 9th inning the Royals pulled ahead and then the rain opened up and they had to stop play.

By rule if the game was called they would have reverted to the score at the start of the inning, thus taking the runs off the board and giving the Cardinals the win. So to avoid that mess they tried really hard to get the game in, and ended up finishing the game at like 4 am.

So yes by rule the umpires could have called it just like in TwinsGuy's game here, but it would have been such a controversy, that the umpires did everything they could to ensure the game was completed.

No, the rule is that it would be a suspended game. The runs don't get chalked off. If the top team takes the lead and the bottom team did not regain the lead, it is a suspended game.

[r0nster]

maybe the owner was worried about lawsuits LOL like what happened at a race track last year where someone was hit by lightning and the family sued the stadium owner .... results of court case is unknown YET.

[OldFatGuy]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

From the 2014 Official Baseball Rules:
Rule 4.12(a)(5) is the one that applies to the situation described in the opening post. As his club were the visitors and had not scored enough runs to take the lead during the inning in progress the game was not eligible to be suspended.

In real life, I would expect there'd first be a rain delay, probably a lengthy one, to try and get the game finished rather than calling it.

9.... okay, so I was off a little.... lol. (6 was close....)

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

That would depend on how big and how dangerous the storm was.

Certainly. But if the weather forecast showed a bad one coming, I'd expect in real life they'd call the game at a point where it could have been suspended (or outright postpone it). Once a game is started, I'd expect they'd be prepared to wait several hours for the storm to pass in order to complete the game. The only way I could see that not happening is if one or both clubs had to catch flights out of town for other games.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Mortimer

I actually remember a real world example, my Kansas City Royals, I think the 2013 season, were playing a game in St. Louis and during the top of the 8th or 9th inning the Royals pulled ahead and then the rain opened up and they had to stop play.

By rule if the game was called they would have reverted to the score at the start of the inning, thus taking the runs off the board and giving the Cardinals the win.

No, those are the (rather) old rules. If a game was called during an inning and the visiting team had either scored to tie the game or take the lead, and the home team had not yet completed its half of the inning, then the score would revert to the last completed inning (which could mean a victory for the home club depending on what the score was).

That rule was changed so that such games became suspended instead. If the home club is ahead in its half of the inning when the game is called, as long as it's a regulation game, it becomes a final result.

[gads]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

No, those are the (rather) old rules. If a game was called during an inning and the visiting team had either scored to tie the game or take the lead, and the home team had not yet completed its half of the inning, then the score would revert to the last completed inning (which could mean a victory for the home club depending on what the score was).

That rule was changed so that such games became suspended instead. If the home club is ahead in its half of the inning when the game is called, as long as it's a regulation game, it becomes a final result.

Thanks for confirming that I was right.