By Rafal Bednarczyk
Last weekend, Centaury Warszawa drove 300 km to Osielsko for two games. The first game was completed in record time. Four of the team’s players arrived at the field 14 minutes before the scheduled start time. The umpires decided that they arrived too late and awarded the home team a victory by forfeit. Polish league rules allow umpires to make other decisions regarding problems related to travel, but they chose not to take advantage of these rules. It’s also worth noting that forfeits in Poland cost the forfeiting team 500 €.
The second game was played half hour after the umpires’ decision. Centaury won this game 3-1 and maintained second place in Ekstraliga.
What are your thoughts regarding the umpires’ decision? Please comment and share your most unusual forfeit situations in baseball or softball in your country.
This was another case of a forfeited game in Poland. In May, a team from Slask wasn’t allowed on the field in Kutno (Centaury Warszawa play their home games there) because of a penalty imposed on the club for consuming alcohol at the property, which is owned by Little League.
Last Saturday and Sunday, the Polish Softball League played a five-team tournament format. This time Delfiny Skarbimierz hosted the tournament (each team hosts a tournament during the season). Of the ten games played, Centaury TV showed three. In the most interesting game MKS “Szóstka” Brzeg defeated the defending champions, Warsaw Diamonds 14-4, with the help of an inside-the-park-homerun by Klaudia Rudyk.
All games from the previous weekend can be watched on Centaury TV:
Centaury Warszawa @ Deby Osielsko 3-1
MKS Stal BiS Kutno – Softball @ MKS “Szóstka” Brzeg 16-8
Szóstka Brzeg @ Warsaw Diamonds 14-4
Delfiny Skarbimierz @ Hrabiny Softball Wrocław 17-1