A proposal to put an end to the current way district and playoff games are decided in high school fastpitch softball was put to a vote this past November at Oxford High School’s auditorium.Instead of using the international tie-breaker that is currently in place, a proposal made by former LHS softball coach Cay Papagolos to decide these specific games like baseball was shot down by the MHSAA and executive director Ennis Proctor at the meeting, despite the fact it was supported by the vast majority of coaches in the area.
I’m sure there are some readers out there that are wondering what the international tie-breaker rule is and why should we care how extra-inning games are decided.
The international tie-breaker rule that is now used supposedly speeds the game up when a contest is deadlocked after seven innings. Instead of starting an inning like normal, a runner is placed on second base when the inning starts and a batter enters the box. The runner that was the last out of the prior inning is usually the one who starts on second, but coaches often substitute for a faster player because the game can be won on a couple of pitches in the dirt.
I covered my first international tie-breaker game two years ago when LHS took on New Hope at New Hope in the first round of the playoffs. I didn’t like the fact that the game suddenly changed to something you see settled in a little league contest. I didn’t like the fact that the girls that play the game one way for seven innings suddenly have to adjust to a completely different style just so the umpires could get home a little earlier.
The Lady Commodores were unfortunately subjected to another international tie-breaker this past weekend in the first game of their series with North Pontotoc that they lost 4-3. After leading the majority of the contest, LHS found itself tied (3-3) with NPHS at the end of seven innings. Instead of continuing to play the game the way the Lady Commodores had built their lead or North Pontotoc had rallied, the tie-breaker entered the scenario and completely changed the outcome for the Lady ‘Dores, who were already reeling momentum wise after giving up two runs in the seventh.
Instead of being able to re-capture that important intangible the way they’ve been coached to do more than any other way, the tie-breaker only compounded issues for LHS.
Integrity gone
To me, you can’t change the integrity of the game just to save time like the MHSAA has allowed with the tie-breaker to be in place. If umpires are so worried about finishing a little earlier, then maybe they don’t need to call the games at all.
In short, the tie-breaker cheats the girls who play the contest.
Instead of speeding up the game to come to an end, it cheapens the product, the sport and sends a bad message to all in attendance that getting done quickly is better than doing things right. A lof of people call that being half as-, well you know.
Softball has evolved enough over the years to where the tie-breaker doesn’t need to be around. In the old days of fastpitch softball, a pitcher could dominate a game a little easier, but that’s not the case anymore with the circle pushed back and the bats that are being used to hit the ball. Using the “old fashioned” tie-breaker isn’t needed. It doesn’t allow the game to be played the way it should be played and it’s not in accordance to the way baseball teams decide extra innings.
Could you imagine the outrage from baseball coaches, players and parents if a runner was suddenly placed on second base to start the eight inning of a high school game? Instead of a 2-0 count to a batter with two pitches in the dirt, a baseball team could lose because of that stupid rule. That’s not baseball and it shouldn’t be softball of the future.
The MHSAA is famous for not doing a lot of things that are equitable for sports that are similar in nature. They often show a discontent for  schools with the way they operate in general, so why should softball be any different?
Softball consistently doesn’t have three umpires assigned to playoff games like baseball does. Playoff games aren’t decided over the same number of days like baseball, and until a proposal was approved at the April meeting of the executive council, there was one less team in the playoffs compared to baseball.
All of this are issues that need to be resolved. They aren’t in accordance to the way the MHSAA should be operating and organizing. It’s a disrespect to the sport, the players, the parents and fans who watch the games to have to settle for less.
–johndavis@oxfordeagle.com (May 3, 2011, Page 6)

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