Video: The ultimate act of sportsmanship
posted at 12:36 pm on May 1, 2008 by Allahpundit
Yes, contra Tom Hanks in “A League of Their Own,” there is occasionally crying in baseball, a fact learned long ago by Mets fans and now known to softball aficionados. The video gives you all the basic details but read the story anyway, which captures the atmosphere in the stands better and stresses how important the game was to both sides, a fact which makes CWU’s magnanimity that much more impressive.
A minor inconvenient fact per the sidebar of this ESPN piece: The rules actually do allow for a pinch runner to complete the home run. The umps at the game didn’t realize that, though, and of course neither did CWU.
Blowback
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Girl power!
EJDolbow on May 1, 2008 at 12:44 PM
I would like to watch the video, but Red Lasso keeps crashing my web browser. I have updated to the latest flash and firefox.
Jungliszt on May 1, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Saw this clip on one of the morning shows.
Ted Williams smiles.
Limerick on May 1, 2008 at 12:46 PM
My computer screen got pretty blurry in the middle of that story.
Connie on May 1, 2008 at 12:48 PM
What a fantastic story. I rate it, 4 Kleenexes!
Hope some politicians learn from their example.
RushBaby on May 1, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Fabulous. Makes the weenie pros look like the babies some of them are.
Ellen on May 1, 2008 at 12:53 PM
If it were a guy, he’d probably crawl rather than be carried.
Haunchie on May 1, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I think we need national women’s pro baseball. And we need to have these young ladies running it!
hubbub2 on May 1, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Big babies!
:::sniff:::
baldilocks on May 1, 2008 at 12:57 PM
You call it sportsmanship, I call it loserdom.
As for people complaining about redlasso, the problem is microsoft internet explorer. Try downloading firefox and see if you have the same problems. Don’t be angry at redlasso, be angry at microsoft.
ThackerAgency on May 1, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Will somebody tell “the boss” to sell her stock in Redlasso so you can stop using it for the videos.
PLEEEEEEEASE.
mattshu on May 1, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Thacker,
The same idea crossed my mind too…then I realized something. Winning takes on many forms. In this case the players who decided to carry the injured player lost the game, but won an enormous amount of respect from citizens across this country. And in my world that counts as a hash mark under the W column.
evilcon555 on May 1, 2008 at 1:04 PM
Beautiful story, Thanks AP
abinitioadinfinitum on May 1, 2008 at 1:05 PM
I heard one of the players being interviewed on WCBS-AM yesterday. First question from the (male) sports reporter: could this sort of thing every happen in men’s baseball? She said no, then went on about women’s mothering instinct. I changed the station. It would’ve been nice if they had just told the story without throwing in some man-bashing.
raben on May 1, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Winning for the sake of winning is a souless exercise.
Winning in a manner that makes you proud of yourself is the only kind that matters. I suspect the girl who KNEW the rules is a girl of character and as such she simply could not not do the right thing.
EJDolbow on May 1, 2008 at 1:10 PM
greatness!
trailortrash on May 1, 2008 at 1:11 PM
ANCHOR: I don’t think the same thing would have happened in the major leagues, do you?
[beat]
INTERVIEWEES: Um, no.
spmat on May 1, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Awwwww- some!!!
Ex-tex on May 1, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Both teams won.
That brought a tear to me eye.
TheSitRep on May 1, 2008 at 1:31 PM
When did Gary Busey become a softball coach?
Great story AP, thanks
swami on May 1, 2008 at 1:33 PM
I would have ran her backwards around the bases multiple times and claimed a run for my team each time, thus creating an insurmountable lead.
exlibris on May 1, 2008 at 1:41 PM
It’s not a matter of soul vs. not. There are rules. Maybe they should change the rules. So if a batter strikes out and the catcher drops the strike three, why not just call him out because we want to make the catcher feel better?
How about Scott Hoch at the Masters when he missed the 2 foot putt? Why not just let him count it and win so that he doesn’t feel bad.
A man would have rolled around the bases. It’s not soulless, it is a GAME. There are RULES. There is no ‘moral victory’ in losing. Why not fight a war and let the other army win if they put up a good fight? After all they have a family too and they are admirable too, right?
As I said, it isn’t sportsmanship when what you do causes you to lose a game. It is a GAME. She is not required to win. It is not life and death, and the RULES say she has to touch all the bases. Why not just count it when the ball goes over the fence? RULES are RULES.
ThackerAgency on May 1, 2008 at 1:41 PM
Sheesh, that wouldn’t happen in my son’s Little League, much less the MLB! Well, I guess it might if they were up by enough runs that it wouldn’t matter.
::sigh::
kirkill on May 1, 2008 at 1:46 PM
If carrying her around the bases so she could get a home run didn’t cost the game, I might say OK. But really, doing something that will cause you to lose on purpose is not something to applaud. As I said, why not just appeal to the umpire to change the rules and count the home run? Why go through the show of carrying her? It caused them to lose. . . end of story.
ThackerAgency on May 1, 2008 at 1:47 PM
I don’t understand – the written story said she did touch all of the bases, and that it wasn’t against the rules to have the other team assist her. My mom used to play softball, and I’m surprised the umpires didn’t know about the pinch hitter rule (something similar happened at a game my mom played in).
Good on them, and here’s to a speedy recovery – knee injuries blow donkey chunks.
the goddess anna on May 1, 2008 at 1:48 PM
I wish I could share that optimism. Too many teams and coaches are far too cut-throat to be do the decent thing in a situation like this. Too much emphasis on rules instead of sportsmanship (sportswomanship?). This wasn’t about the final score but, rather, the idea that something in sports transcends rules and standings.
I think that spirit is missed most times these days.
highhopes on May 1, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Great story, thanks for ‘runnin’ it today.
.
Baseball! ( ok, softball too)
.
America’s sport.
The sport without a clock.
The sport where the defense has the ball.
The sport that allows for sportsmanship.
It IS the greatest sport ever and for all time. It does bring the best out of people.
Congrats ladies, you were all winners in our eyes.
shooter on May 1, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Although it is a touching story and displays great character, I think it also falls into the “there are no losers” mentality. I’m leaning Thacker on it…..
MarkABinVA on May 1, 2008 at 1:54 PM
You heckle at five-year-old’s soccer games, don’t you?
You say CWU’s players betrayed their team because they let the other team score. Your caveat that it would have been okay to help if the score allowed sets up a conditional compassion that really isn’t compassion at all.
I say CWU won far more than they “lost” because helping somebody in pain can never be the wrong thing to do. My prediction is that this will help CWU recruit players because they have proven that they care about more than simply “winning.”
highhopes on May 1, 2008 at 1:57 PM
It is a game so more doing the right thing and less kicking when someone is down.
Come to think of it when its not a game too.
Good on them.
Speakup on May 1, 2008 at 1:59 PM
It is not just about the rules or even the game.
Why does the coach make the players shake the hands of the other team after the game?
Why are loud mouths thrown out of games?
Why are there rules against low blows and playing dirty?
Why is there a rule that states players from the other team CAN touch the downed player?
EJDolbow on May 1, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Did you peek in the freezer?
exlibris on May 1, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Unless I’m mistaken, it didn’t, at least not by itself. The score was 4-2, so they would have lost anyway.
I also wish people would quit complaining about redlasso, but it’s not a problem limited to internet explorer users. I use firefox and have install all the latest updates and latest flash updates, but I still sometimes have problems with it.
Usually, if I just hit refresh and press play immediately once it’s loaded I’m fine, but it does still mess up on me routinely.
Esthier on May 1, 2008 at 2:09 PM
The Mets, eh? Don’t you remember that the Braves carried Robin Ventura around the basepaths when Todd Pratt stopped him on the way to second base?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_Single
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on May 1, 2008 at 2:11 PM
Not to bash this one (I do like where you’re going with all of it), but from what I read and saw, it’s not that there is a rule that says the opposing team can help, only that there isn’t a rule against it, which could have been out of negligence.
Esthier on May 1, 2008 at 2:12 PM
This is why women will never rule the world, unless it is ceded by men (which is a real possibility).
Don’t get me wrong: I couldn’t be happier there are two sexes. But the pervasive feminist ‘equality’ mantra (“Women can & should do everything men can, except for brute strength”) is laughably ridiculous and ultimately destructive to civilized society.
Splashman on May 1, 2008 at 2:19 PM
Compassion. Empathy. Fair Play.
What a bunch o’ p*ssies. Tough it out. Walk it off.
Women. Go figure.
~There’s something in my eye……
locomotivebreath1901 on May 1, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Maybe we should be thankful they didnt jump on her and beat her then post it on you tube. There is hope, I dont think the younger generations are quite as bad and moraly deprived as we make them out to be.
gator70 on May 1, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Must be some kinda virus because mine did it too!
gradyman on May 1, 2008 at 2:43 PM
I say it’s a great story, and would be no matter which league it occured in.
Pretty scary, though, that a college-age woman injures her knee running the bases.
I have microsoft IE, and redlasso works fine.
Bigfoot on May 1, 2008 at 2:48 PM
It’s not about whether or not this would have happened in the Majors! It’s about the hope that it would! That for once, money would not be the prime motivator! That, after all the hype and fame and glory, sportsmanship would win out in the end.
Regardless, as these kids demonstrate, there’s hope for this county in our youth; in sports, in politics and in life. Thank God!
Look for them in the gallery at the next State of the Union!
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on May 1, 2008 at 2:55 PM
Thank you for the great example, ladies.
It also apparently answers a question I’ve been wondering about for 20 years: What would have happened if Kirk Gibson hadn’t been able to complete his circuit of the bases when he hit his famous one-legged pinch hit home run? Some hardcore fans here apparently already knew the answer, but I’ve always liked to imagine the entire country watching Kirk, fading in and out of consciousness, struggling to drag himself hand over hand around the bases, over the course of hours if not days… (Given his personality, he might have preferred that to a pinch runner or help from his opponents.)
CK MacLeod on May 1, 2008 at 3:01 PM
Red Lasso just stinks. Not everyone has access to the latest flash player, especially in the corporate world (Yes, I’m slacking at the moment; it keeps me close to sane).
michaelo on May 1, 2008 at 3:11 PM
I’m sure plenty here understand. I do.
I feel guilty about it since I’m hourly, but I regularly make up for it by taking work home.
Esthier on May 1, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Wrong. I am using Firefox, and it still doesn’t work.
Face it, RedLasso is a piece of garbage.
HYTEAndy on May 1, 2008 at 3:27 PM
I use Firefox and it simply won’t play. It doesn’t crash my browser, though. Suckage.
Redhead Infidel on May 1, 2008 at 3:42 PM
That was just too damn cool! This Washingtonian is glad this is getting national attention.
TeeDee on May 1, 2008 at 3:53 PM
I disagree with the use of the term “sportsmanship” in the headline. “Compassion”? Certainly. Befitting of the female sex? Definitely. But when in competition, deliberately contributing to the success of your opponent is not sportsmanship.
Splashman on May 1, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Heartwarming story, indeed.
Exit question: How would this have gone over at Shea Stadium?
Kid from Brooklyn on May 1, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Any team would do this. Nobody wants to win because of an injury. Now, if she wasn’t injured, all bets are off.
faraway on May 1, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Well, I was wondering if this story would get people to stop bashing athletes for a while but judging by the comments I’d have to say no.
srhoades on May 1, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Rub some dirt on it.
VikingGoneWild on May 1, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Here’s another example. Chris Webber in the basketball national championship game. . . Michigan vs. Carolina. Webber has the ball and the lead with 10 seconds left and calls time out. They don’t have time outs so it’s a technical foul (as opposed to merely not awarding him a time out he doesn’t have). Carolina gets free throws and the ball and the championship.
Rules might be stupid, but they are rules and they do have consequences.
ThackerAgency on May 1, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Ya’ll are right. There are rules that govern the game and if you read the ESPN article you’ll see that the rules say:
By the rules, her team would still have gotten the run. It would just have had to be done by a pinch runner. What the other team did merely amounted to helping her claim the run she earned rather than having a proxy make it for her. You can’t call it showing loserdom when either way they would have lost the game. This was, indeed, a display of exceptional sportsmanship on the losing team’s part.
Rip Ford on May 1, 2008 at 4:38 PM
It’s not if you win or lose but how you play the game.
Dollayo on May 1, 2008 at 4:46 PM
Wrong. The important consideration here is motivation. Why did the other team help her around the bases? Answer: because they believed that if they did not, the girl would be denied the home run, because of the game rules. The fact that all were misinformed about the rules changes nothing — their motivation was to give the girl the home run in spite of the rules, not because of the rules.
Again, I think the event was an admirable display of compassion and friendship. Calling it “sportsmanship” or “playing fair”, however, is simply misguided. If this is sportsmanship, it wouldn’t be sportsmanslike for anyone to win a competition ever. After all, your opponents might feel bad after the loss. Heaven forbid!
Splashman on May 1, 2008 at 4:56 PM
Heh. You had me going there for a second — I actually thought you were serious.
Splashman on May 1, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Give it up. When I engage in a contest of skill and ability, I want to win because I’m better than my opponent. I don’t want to win because something happened to my opponent that was out of anyone’s control.
You want to know what true losedom would be? True loserdom would be trying to deprive someone of something they earned because they were injured and then later finding out that the umpires made a bad call.
By the way, you do know that the final score was 4-2 and even without that homerun Western Oregon would have still won the game.
Rip Ford on May 1, 2008 at 5:19 PM
I’m afraid that if this was most of today’s guy sports teams we would have heard “crawl for it biatch” rather than this wonderful story of sportsmanship! Great news for a change!
sabbott on May 1, 2008 at 5:29 PM
What were the options? Tag her out and argue that the Home Run should not count? Stand around and argue whether or not the run should count? Force her teammates to to help her thereby negating the Home Run? Touching the bases after a home run is a technicality – helping her might not be easy to do if you are disappointed but certainly not ‘weak’. This is less of an issue than helping an opponent up off the ground. The Home Run is a done deal!
jerseyman on May 1, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Maybe you should drop the attitude and learn the rules. Once the ball went over the fence the only way her run wouldn’t count would be if she passed another runner on the basepaths. If she had a heart attack and died on the way to first base, the team could substitute a pinch-runner.
Really, that Donnie Wahlberg gruff demeanor you’re trying to force on us is sooooo 1988.
rjwest21 on May 1, 2008 at 7:22 PM
Seems my monitor had that same blurry thing going on. A red lasso thing, maybe?
I have IE7, and Firefox. Have to use one at some sites, the other at others. Lasso works fine for me, on IE, just takes some time to load at times. Now, if I can just get wordpress to use anything besides youtube and google videos, then I’d be happy.
bikermailman on May 1, 2008 at 7:53 PM
“There’s more to competition that winning or losing”!???!
What the heck? I must be in the minority here, but I would’ve tagged her out.
SouthernGent on May 1, 2008 at 8:30 PM
…from his jar.
otcconan on May 1, 2008 at 10:06 PM
With what? She hit a home run. And that home run didn’t decide the game at the time, there was more innings to play. In the end that home run was the game winner.
I thought it was a classy move in the spirit of respectful competition. I’ve had enough of cell phone calls from the end zone and drug riddled atheletes. Great story and post. Those two ladies lost a game, but they seem to have what it takes to win at the game of life.
Hog Wild on May 1, 2008 at 11:36 PM
The girls who helped without a second thought have the right stuff. They understand the difference between sport and the spoils of war. The team who helped out are champions whether they win or loose a game.
The umpires, and others that simply relied on the book have a myopic view and need a refresher course in common sense and creative thinking.
MSGTAS on May 2, 2008 at 9:00 AM