Division III College Pitcher Forgets He is Playing Baseball

The things that go through people's minds these days are amazing. Take this pitcher for Hendrix College--Levi Austin. For some odd reason he thought it would be okay to just body-check the base runner from Berry College rather than have him cross the plate and score.

He nearly got a bench clearing brawl going, but I think even his team knew he did something incredibly stupid.



Now I have read a few descriptions about the play in question and wanted to throw in my two cents. His play is nothing like anything legal on a rugby pitch. In rugby you have to play the ball, not the man. Assume that the base runner is carrying the ball and its still wrong. Rugby tackles have to wrap or they don't count.

It is a lot like football though; bad form still, but a lot like it. Too many times these days you see guys trying to do just what this kid did and hit someone down rather than actually make a tackle.

So, lets review: nothing like rugby; a lot like bad football.