Details, details

Originally Published: Jul 22, 2010 9:56 AM CDT

First of all, we should all follow the rules. No question. But this week there have been a couple of instances that have left me wondering about rules and common sense and when the two cross paths or not.

Tuesday night in L-A, the Dodgers were leading the Giants in the 9th inning and L-A bench coach Don Mattingly goes to the mound for a visit with pitcher Jonathan Broxton. He starts to leave, gets just off the circle of dirt, then turns back to answer a question by a Dodgers infielder. That’s technically a second visit, and the umps rule that Broxton has to leave. Next guy in gives up what proved to be the game-winning double- no warmup, no nothing. Turns out the umps should have allowed Broxton to finish with the current batter (the one who got the hit) and ejected Mattingly, then Broxton would have to leave after that at-bat.

Was the spirit of the rule different than the letter of the law? The umpires still didn’t quite get it right, and Mattingly BARELY left the mound before turning around. Details, details.

The details were the issue in the other instance, that of the OSSAA’s ruling that Verdigris forfeit 33 games (including two state championships) in girls soccer. Two sisters wanted to return to finish high school with their friends at Verdigris. Their parents owned a home in the district and lived there. The problem was as the parents waited for a job-related transfer, they also worked part time in the Houston area. That was ruled to be a violation of the OSSAA’s dual residency rule. That’s a good rule at its core, there to try to curb any sort of recruiting or suspcious "move-ins" from year to year. The problem for Verdigris? Apparently part of the paperwork that would probably have taken care of everything wasn’t filled out.

Details, details.