IDAHO GOES DOWN Only two persons at Melaleuca Field saw less activity than Jordan Beckstead, the operator of the Chukar scoreboard, during Tuesday night’s great pitchers’ battle between the Glacier Range Riders and Idaho Falls Chukars.
The national anthem standoff in Major League Baseball occurs once or twice a season.
In order for the national anthem to be played before the game, two players—one from each team—will stand alongside their teammates. However, the two players will stay, hat over their hearts, staring down the opposing standoff participant or the flag after the anthem, after everyone else has gone back to their dugout or bullpen.
Before one or both players finally give up, the stalemate typically lasts a few innings. However, Steven Ordorica of Idaho Falls and Luke Cooper of Glacier were both totally devoted on Tuesday night.
RELATED | Drop series begun with Glacier, and Chukars can’t back Harrison jewel
After the game, Chukar manager Troy Percival, a bullpen pitcher with 14 seasons of Big League experience, stated that he thought about calling off the game after learning about the standoff in the second inning.
The skipper stated, “I was going to stop it, but I thought, You know what, they’re not hurting anything, let them do their thing.”
He went on to say that he thought Glacier manager Todd Pratt, a former catcher who played in the Major Leagues for 14 years, enjoyed it just as much as he did.
“I’ve never witnessed a standoff last this long,” Percival remarked.
Luke Cooper is in the front, looking at Steven Ordorica standing in the bullpen. On EastIdahoSports.com, Kalama Hines
Cooper was called in to provide relief as the evening grew into night and the ever-present winds grew stronger. However, a teammate wearing a jacket took his place throughout the standoff. Cooper went back to his position in the visitor bullpen after completing his four-out appearance, during which he gave up one run to be scored by Chukar.
Players started to leave the field when Glacier’s 5-3 victory was announced, just over three hours after the playing of the national anthem. However, neither Cooper nor Ordorica were prepared to concede.
When the two relievers tipped the cap to each other and headed to their respective clubhouses, the standoff eventually ended long after the game was over.
On Wednesday night, Cooper and his Range Riders will play game two of the six-game set against Ordorica and the Chukars.
