EKU not happy about 49-1 baseball rout (EKU won!)

Lexington Herald-Leader ^ | 4-3-09

[Renfield]

Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks used to say, "Let's play two." But after what happened in the first game of a college doubleheader, both coaches agreed: "Let's not."

Eastern Kentucky played Kentucky State on April Fools' Day, and the result was no joke: EKU led 49-1 when the teams stopped it after five innings. They canceled the second game.

"I've never seen it in my 25 years of experience," Kentucky State Coach Lamar Johnson said. "It was inexplicable, to be honest with you."

There appeared to be no hard feelings after the blowout. Johnson praised the winners for good sportsmanship, and put the blame on his overmatched team.

EKU began substituting during its 22-run first inning. Coach Jason Stein said the rout was unfortunate and would not accept a forfeit for the canceled second game.

"Our kids were very classy," Stein said.

EKU's official athletic Web site omitted the final score and game details in its recap.

The game would have set a Division I record, but Kentucky State is in Division II. The biggest rout in Division II history was a 71-1 victory by St. Francis over Robert Morris on April 2, 1996.

After Kentucky State got a run in the top of the first, EKU scored 22 times in the bottom half. EKU scored five runs in the second inning and 19 more in the third. Eastern finished with 38 hits and five homers.

After leadoff man Matt Davis drew a walk and stole two bases, Stein put up the stop sign, to avoid the perception of running up the score.

"The nature of baseball is you've got to just hit it. ... All we could do was just play station to station," Stein said.

Kentucky State made nine errors, and Johnson said that was "generous" official scoring. His team starts seven freshmen.

[ClearCase_guy]

In the new America, I think the winning coach has to be fired, right? Or is that just a basketball rule?

[Radl]

If Joe Paterno can have his team throw 60 yard bombs while up by 60 plus points in the fourth quarter and still be considered a saint by the media I can’t see why anyone should condemn any coach for running up the score in any sport.

[devere]

“In the new America, I think the winning coach has to be fired, right? Or is that just a basketball rule?”

I am sure it applies to everything now. We are a nation that is ashamed to win.

[Polybius]

In the new America, I think the winning coach has to be fired, right? Or is that just a basketball rule?

It all boils down to what was once understood as the meaning of "sportsmanship".

No attempt was made to intentionally run up the score. It just happened. The winning coach refused to accept a forfeit victory for the second game. He showed class and sportsmanship towards a team of 7 starting freshmen.

In the basketball game in question, the coach kept his first string going all-out against a school of special needs kids so he could brag about a score of 100 - 0. He showed no class and no sportsmanship. Worst of all, when his boss publicly apologized for the bad sportsmanship, he publicly repudiated the apology of his boss. THAT is what got him fired.

You behaved in an unsportsmanlike manner, you get reprimanded.

You repudiate your boss in public, you get fired.

[CommerceComet]

I played in one of those inexplicable games in a softball league years ago. On this night, we couldn’t do anything wrong and they could do anything right. In the bottom of the first, we batted for over an hour and scored almost 50 runs. After awhile it got so ridiculous that both teams were just laughing about it because no one could believe it. No hard feelings - the other team joined us at the local watering hole where most stayed until closing time.

[ClearCase_guy]

No attempt was made to intentionally run up the score. It just happened.

Makes no sense. Forty-nine runs in baseball don't "just happen".

the coach kept his first string going all-out against a school of special needs kids

Not accurate. In the basketball game, those were not special needs kids.

Mostly I've seen moonbats defend the firing of the basketball coach, but once in a while I see a conservative do so. I'm always surprised by it.

[Non-Sequitur]

His team starts seven freshmen.

And apparently no pitchers.

[mellow velo]

This blowout is less egregious than others as far as sportsmanship goes IMO, based on what's reported. It's not like EKU kept their starters in the entire game to run up the score (they started subbing in the 1st inning). After the one player stole 2 bases, the coach put the brakes on. It's not like they were laying down bunts, stealing bases, playing hit-and-run, etc. Or, as has been done in b-ball blowouts, using fast breaks and shooting 3's 'til the final buzzer. As the coach said, they played station to station. All EKU could do was put the ball in play. With at least 9 errors (the official scoring was 'generous'), what could they do? Purposely miss? If you were a 2nd or 3rd string player finally getting a chance to play, would you waste an at bat intentionally striking out?

It seems like the EK coach understood the deal and didn't take offense. Maybe his pitchers were so worn out after the first game, he didn't want to go through that again for a 2nd, thus the forfeit.

[Polybius]

No attempt was made to intentionally run up the score. It just happened.

Makes no sense. Forty-nine runs in baseball don't "just happen".

It happens at the college level where a team starts 7 young freshmen. Hell, it happened all the time at the top of the 9th inning when Bobby Ayala used to be the closer for the Seattle Mariners. ;-)

the coach kept his first string going all-out against a school of special needs kids

Not accurate. In the basketball game, those were not special needs kids.

As I recall, they were Special Ed kids. Not the sharpest pencils in the box.

Even if they weren't, what adult leader would deliberately run his first string, pedal to the metal, until a 100 - 0 score was achieved? (After it was, no further points were scored.)

Mostly I've seen moonbats defend the firing of the basketball coach, but once in a while I see a conservative do so. I'm always surprised by it.

As I pointed out in my post, the Coach did not get his arse fired for running up the score.

He got his arse fired for repudiating his boss in public.

How many conservatives would NOT fire an employee after the said employee repudiated them in public?

My guess would be "Zero".

[devere]

” How many conservatives would NOT fire an employee after the said employee repudiated them in public?
My guess would be “Zero”.”

Actually, those of us whose responsibilities are larger than our egos retain our most talented employees, no matter what they say about us.

[Ditto]

Actually, those of us whose responsibilities are larger than our egos retain our most talented employees, no matter what they say about us.

So you think the Cowboys should have kept TO?

[Polybius]

” How many conservatives would NOT fire an employee after the said employee repudiated them in public? My guess would be “Zero”.”

Actually, those of us whose responsibilities are larger than our egos retain our most talented employees, no matter what they say about us.

How does running up a 100 - 0 score against a bunch of Special Ed kids constitute "talent"?

After the Headmaster of the school made a statement regarding the official position of the institution, how does repudiating that official statement in public constitute "talent"?

This guy's position was, "My fragile ego first. The official position of the institution second. Hey, people! Look at me! I beat a team of Special Ed kids 100 - 0!"

You know what we always say around here, "Jim's house. Jim's rule"?

Once Jim has laid down the law on FR, you either abide by his decision, write an opus and leave or get The Zot.

So it is when you work for a company or an institution or the military.

Once the Powers That Be decide to speak in regards to the official position, you either keep your mouth shut or resign. You repudiate your own company or institution in public and you are out of a job.

[Billthedrill]

Hell, it happened all the time at the top of the 9th inning when Bobby Ayala used to be the closer for the Seattle Mariners...

I cannot believe somebody beat me to that one. If you ever saw Ay-Ay-Ayala pitch, and it looks like you did, my deepest sympathies.

Hey, you know, the M's are looking for a closer. Bobby Ayala - he's tanned, rested, and ready... ;-)

[Defiant]

It is very hard to score 49 runs, 22 in one inning, no matter who is pitching. Line drives go right at people, you miss a pitch and pop it up, you hit a hard grounder to first. You could normally bring in aunt Sally and still get 3 outs eventually, before 20 runs. I suspect a lot more errors than were recorded, and an unusual amount of luck.

My freshman year, we started 6 freshmen on a Division I team, and got beat a lot, so I saw it from the Kentucky State side, but even on our worst days, we never lost by more than 10 or 12 runs. There are times in a double header where you lose by 10 and come back and win the second game. And we played some Div. 2 and Div. 3 schools, and the difference is not that great. Some of the D2 schools were very good. We also played Class A minor league teams, and the difference was not that great, except they had better pitching.

[Polybius]

"Hell, it happened all the time at the top of the 9th inning when Bobby Ayala used to be the closer for the Seattle Mariners..."

I cannot believe somebody beat me to that one. If you ever saw Ay-Ay-Ayala pitch, and it looks like you did, my deepest sympathies

Remember how, after still another blown save, the Seattle radio stations would play "Why, why, why ..... Ayaaala?" to the tune of Tom Jones' "Delilah"? :-)

And remember when Griffey was the jerk and A-Rod was the saint? :-)

[Billthedrill]

Lookie what I found. Jim Street's column, 1997:

"At times you would like to see more consistency from Bobby, but he has a good arm and I'm very comfortable with him,"' Piniella said last night. ``I know he can do the job."

Ayala experienced another clunker in Monday night's loss to the New York Yankees, absorbing the loss in Seattle's one-run defeat. Four of the nine batters Ayala faced rapped hits, including catcher Joe Girardi's go-ahead homer leading off the eighth inning. After 13 appearances this season, Ayala has a 2-1 record, 5.63 ERA and, perhaps more ...

Gods of Baseball, have pity! Haven't we suffered enough?

[Isabel C.]

If Joe Paterno can have his team throw 60 yard bombs while up by 60 plus points in the fourth quarter and still be considered a saint by the media I can’t see why anyone should condemn any coach for running up the score in any sport.

Actually there's no such thing as "running up the score". Sometimes one team is just head and shoulders above the other team in talent, or just happens to be playing a better game on that particular day, and that usually results in a lopsided final score. It is unnatural for athletes to not try their best when they're in the game. What's a coach supposed to do, tell his players "don't try to get another hit, or don't try to score another touchdown, or don't try to make another basket"? For those who would say put in the second or third string players when you have a big lead, sometimes even those players can't help themselves from playing well and scoring more points.

[Burma Jones]

The problem with the 100-0 game was that it was a Christian school that got the 100. To a Christian school that actually has a mission and tries to live up to it (i.e., not “Christian in Name Only”), winning is not the only, or even the primary, goal of the athletic teams. He may not have realized it at the time, but in the span of an hour, that coach effectively ruined the school’s mission. I would think that any employee who, through his boneheaded efforts, makes national news demonstrating, or at least allowing a national audience to conclude, that his employer’s values aren’t what they purport to be should expect to be fired.

[devere]

“You repudiate your boss in public, you get fired.”

Most of the time. I did it 10 years ago, and survived because I was really valuable. My action wasn’t really praiseworthy because it was mostly driven by annoyance ( however justifed ) and ego. I’m still working for the same company. The boss I contradicted is long gone.

But Coach Micah Grimes was entirely correct in contradicting a public statement by the School President and Board that he and his team were “shameful”. He defended his own honor, and that of his players, in preference to keeping his job. Well done, coach.

Slaves all had steady jobs, and servitude isn’t something to aspire to. Doc, if your hospital ever issues a statement to the press calling you “shameful” for saving an excessive number of lives, I know you will not worry much about publicly contradicting them, and losing your now suddenly worthless job.