The Other Near Detention

I wrote yesterday of how I almost got a detention in high school for something I totally did but totally got away with because, well, my good (at the time) reputation proceeded me.

The only other time I came close to detention was in my freshman year. But doggone it, I was in the right that time.

It was May and we were in Gym class and it was warm, so the instructor took us outside to play softball. I'll call the gym teacher Miss Cloyce just to give her a name, and because, yes, I'm still upset about the injustice 47 years later. I suppose I can hold a grudge.

Be all that as it may, in my first at bat that day I singled. The next batter hit a ground ball to the kid playing first. Now, in baseball, when you're on first and there's a ground ball you have to run for second base. It's called being 'forced': because it's a grounder the batter has the primary right to first base. This means a runner already occupying that base is forced to vacate. Make sense? If not, take my word for it. But you can look it up if you like.

Now in this case, the first baseman fielded the ball, took three steps, and touched the base. That meant the batter was out. But since the batter was out, I no longer had to surrender first. I could have returned to it because there was no longer a runner behind me, the batter being out. I was no longer forced. That means that in order for me to be put out I had to be tagged, because I had two safe spots I could choose between. 

After the opposing player touched first, which I obviously saw, I continued towards second anyway. She threw to second. The second baseman caught the ball and touched the base. I slid; he did not tag me. So I was safe, under the rules of the game.

Miss Cloyce called me out because the throw from first beat me (which it did) and the kid touched the bag ahead of me with control of the ball (which is true). But neither address the rules of baserunning.

I took exception. I pleaded my case, arguing to a degree which likely shocked my peers (believe it or not I was a quiet kid at least in ninth grade) that no, I was safe because a tag was required because the force was off. Miss Cloyce said I was wrong. I was not. I insisted upon this point quite vehemently.

I kept it up until she said, "Say one more thing and you get detention." I sputtered and stammered, but went to the bench, muttering.

To be fair, I know you can't argue too harshly with a teacher, so I do admit that Miss Cloyce had to play the detention card, for the sake of discipline and respect. But dammit, I was safe.