The Nuthouse

When I found out the extra-inning format for the Olympic baseball tournament, I hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t play its way into a game involving the United States. I knew I would be watching a lot of the USA’s games, and I didn’t want to have to see a rule enforced that sounds like it was made up by an elementary school P.E. teacher.

Here it is — when the game reaches (I think) the 11th inning, each half inning starts with runners at first and second base and the manager being able to choose which part of his order he wants to come up. Is that the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard? Well, probably not. But it’s got to be in your Top 10. As I said when I first heard and as was also said by my friend Scottie when I told him — “That’s not baseball!”

So sure enough, it happened yesterday in the USA’s game against Cuba. They’re calling it a loss by the USA because Cuba scored two runs in the 11th and our Americans couldn’t score. But a loss in what sport? Because, again, this isn’t baseball. Does this affect our win-loss record? Maybe we can give the loss to a sport we don’t have a chance in. Like kayaking. But how do you lose in kayaking? Now I’m just rambling.

But anyway, this whole thing got me thinking. There has to be some strategy involved, right? Since you get to pick which runners you put on base and which part of the order you want to come up to bat. I decided I’d let my No. 9 hitter bat and bunt the runners over to second and third.

Conceivably, the next batter would be intentionally walked to load the bases and set up the double play. Then you’d have the middle of the order up with a couple chances to drive in runs. This seems to make the most sense in the game of non-baseball that we’re forced to be playing. If this is how baseball gets treated by the Olympics, it’s probably better that there will be no baseball in the 2012 games.

I enjoyed the National Baseball Congress World Series championship game last night, which saw Santa Barbara (Go Gauchos!) beat Seattle 2-0. The game was actually a nice little side attraction to what actually turned out to be the Bob Homolka show. Yeah, so he’s been the showy, look at me umpire for a long time. But I’ve never seen it, and knowing that certainly didn’t stop me from gagging a few times when he made those ridiculously over-the-top strike calls. Seriously, Bob …. Seriously.

The Wingnuts return home tomorrow and not a minute too soon, according to manager Kash Beauchamp, whom I interviewed for the season-ending road trip advance for Sunday’s paper. Kash said he was talking to Dustan Mohr, a former major leaguer, and Mohr doesn’t remember anything longer than a 10-game road trip during his time in The Show. This one lasted 14 days and took its toll on the ‘Nuts, who are still mathematically alive for a playoff spot.

But those playoff scenarios are way too complicated. Even I don’t understand them all. But Wichita needs to win and then needs a lot of help in order to have Sioux Falls win the second half while the Wingnuts finish with the second-best overall record. Sioux Falls won the first half so it has already locked up a playoff spot.

Finally, I read today where Aaron Crow, a first-round pick by the Nationals out of Missouri, didn’t sign with Washington before Friday’s deadline and inked with the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association. Just an interesting note as Crow, a pitcher who was briefly discussed as a possibility for the No. 1 overall pick, becomes the second draft holdout or non-signee to join the Cats in the last three seasons. Two years ago, Luke Hochevar played with Fort Worth before finally agreeing to terms with the Royals.