MELBOURNE — CrossPointe Coast | Pineda fell behind 3-0 after the first inning but rallied soon after to secure an 8 [or 9] -3 victory over visiting CrossPointe Coast | Cape in kickball action on Sunday afternoon. In what was the first in what is expected be an ongoing series, rising superstar Trace Gobelli was named Most Valuable Player after scoring twice to lead Pineda’s rally. Later, on a key play, Scott “Father” Marsh charged across center field to snag a fly ball off the facility room in left field.“ I didn’t really want to make a big deal about it,” Marsh said. “But I knew [umpire] Joel Fair would be annoyed if I did.”

Fair, who fancies himself an elite baseball player and sometimes plays kickball for Cape, drew the ire of fans of both teams throughout the game, especially after he called a ball that rolled off the facility room and into the arms of spectator Ruby Marsh, who was seated on the dugout bench for the opposing team. She passed the ball to one of Cape’s players and Fair ruled the runner out, citing an obscure rule that still awaits verification.

"Everybody is mad at me,” said Fair, who cited recently retired Major League Baseball Umpire Angel Hernandez (sports.yahoo.com/angel-hernandez-mlbs-most-infamous-umpire-leaves-us-with-an-odd-legacy-000620358.html) as his role model. “But that’s OK because because everyone always hates umpires. I wanted to give the fans integrity in their umpire hatred.” 

The next game between this increasingly heated rivalry tentatively has been scheduled for late August. 

“We will play again at the end of summer, and that game will be for money,” Fair said after the game.

League President Jeremiah Fyffe said Fair can “expect a call from my office regarding questions of soliciting prohibited kickball wagers” on Monday morning.

Pastor Joel Fair surrenders before the might of Pineda kickball! 
(Photo courtesy of Misty Crippen)

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