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Hey, batting orders are confusing
Even the umpires were confused by this one:
“That’s the first time I’ve had it and this is my 23d year,” home plate ump and crew chief Dale Scott said of the Reds batting out of order today in the ninth inning against the Mets New York Mets , a little snafu that was resolved in what seemed like a matter of hours. “It’s one of the more confusing rules. That was why it seemed to take an eternity because we wanted to make sure we got it correct.”
That’s right, the Reds somehow managed to go to the plate in the wrong order while trying desperately to get to baseball’s bottom. Although not the worst major-league team record-wise, the Reds will still face plenty of laughter on this one, kind of like the kid who gets a wedgie in the middle of the lunch room.
Here, basically, is how it happened:
The confusion began when David Ross, who had been inserted in the sixth inning as the replacement catcher batting ninth, led off the inning in the spot that should have been the eighth batter, Corey Patterson, who had been inserted as the center fielder in bottom of the previous inning.
Randolph appealed after Ross had flown out to right field, but before the first pitch was thrown to Patterson.
“Obviously there was a little confusion there,” Randolph said. “I was right on it, we were right on it, but we could have gotten two outs if Patterson had actually seen a pitch.”
Now, with the Marlins coming into Cincinnati, you wonder what the Reds will do for an encore. Misplace their gloves? Send two third basemen out for the first inning? Forget there’s a game at all?
At least the Reds aren’t the only ones scared to death of playing games in Cincinnati.
“We tell our guys to stay with their approaches because it can go out anywhere,” (Marlins) manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Anybody who comes to the plate can hit it out there. I get ulcers managing there. No lead is safe.”
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