Hamilton Post 31 Manager Rick Freeman talks things over with the home plate umpire.  Photo by Michael A. Sabo

Hamilton Post  31 Pitcher David Stec took to the hill in Monday’s matchup against West Deptford looking to do what he does best – throw strikes, let his team play defense and give him run support.

For the top half of the frame, he did just that at Moody Park in Ewing for the New Jersey American Legion State Final pool game. 

Then things got weird. 

As the West Deptford Post 100 pitcher took the mound and began to warm up officials started talking with both coaches in the dugouts.

They in turn, ruled the game a forfeit by West Deptford by violating a rule of eligibility of a player. 

The West Deptford pitcher, who was the first batter of the game was ruled an ineligible player by Frank Calandrillo, the American Legion Department of New Jersey Baseball Chairman.

Clandrillo explained the following:

“Dual participation shall in no way interfere with a player’s responsibility to his American Legion baseball team,” Calandrillo read. “Once department championship play has begun, the department baseball chairman cannot grant permission to participate in any other baseball events, baseball tournaments, exhibition games, showcases or combines. Any player missing any game of an American Legion national tournament because he participated in another baseball event, exhibition game, showcase or combine shall be ineligible for post-season tournament play.”

Calandrillo clarified that a player could miss a game if attending college orientation or workout, only if he gets advance permission.

The chairman then gave the reasoning for the forfeit, saying the player in question “Played in a tournament or a showcase, I believe it was in Arizona.

“We have written proof given to us,” he continued. “It just happened he led off the game. Once he led off the game, was announced and stepped up to the plate, he became an ineligible player because he was not here yesterday while West Deptford was here playing in our championship tournament.

“As a result, it made him an ineligible player. The national rules are if an ineligible player plays in any American Legion game, he’s been declared ineligible and the team shall forfeit that game. In tournament play, once you forfeit a game, you’re out of the tournament.”

So like that….Post 31 had been declared the winner, without even swinging the bat or scoring a run.  It also ended West Deptford’s season as they were disqualified from the tournament.

Hamilton Post 31 manager Rick Freeman had no idea that West Deptford had an ineligible player and would have just played the game, were he never informed.

Freeman was none the less not happy about how the whole scenario played out.  “This is just … it’s embarrassing to American Legion baseball,” said the irate manager, who has given a lifetime of dedication to legion. “It’s not the way you want to win the game.”

Since Bordentown is 2-0 in the American Division pool and its last game was to be with West Deptford, it automatically wins the division at 3-0 and will play the National runner-up in Wednesday’s semifinals.

Hamilton and Flemington are now both 1-1 and play at 1 p.m. Tuesday. The winner takes second place in the American and meets the National winner Wednesday.

That didn’t stop Freeman from calling the whole thing “embarrassing.”