Why does the following not work? (errors reported after code, sorry for the huge code dump)

package MyProg;

use strict;

use IO::Socket;
use IO::Select;
use Tie::RefHash;

sub new {
    my $proto = shift;
    my $class = ref($proto) || $proto;
    my $self = {};
    bless $self, $class;
    $self->initialize();
    return $self;
}

sub initialize {
    my $self = shift;

    $self->{main_socket} = new IO::Socket::INET(
        LocalAddr => '127.0.0.1',
        LocalPort => 8096,
        Listen    => 5,
        Proto     => 'tcp',
        Reuse     => 1);
    die "Couldn't create main_socket: $!\n" unless $self->{main_socket
+};
    $self->{readable_handles} = new IO::Select();
    $self->{readable_handles}->add($self->{main_socket});
    $self->{players}={};
    tie %{$self->{players}}, 'Tie::RefHash';
}

sub cycle {
    my $self = shift;
    my (@new_readable) = $self->{readable_handles}->can_read(.1);
    foreach my $socket (@new_readable) {
        if ($socket == $self->{main_socket}){
            #new connection
            my $new_socket = $socket->accept();
            #Make it non-blocking
            #fcntl($new_socket, F_SETFL(), O_NONBLOCK());
            $self->{players}->{$new_socket} = {
                read => 0,
                message => ''
                 };
            $self->{readable_handles}->add($new_socket);
            print "Added new connection\n";
            #added to list of connections
            #may not have data yet
        } else {
            #check for connection closure
            if (not eof($socket)){
                my $message = '';
                my $read_count;
                #Read from socket
                #First, get size
                #1) Does this always work?
                #2) How can we get rid of the hardcoded sizeof(int)?
                $read_count = sysread($socket, $message, 4);
                if($read_count < 4) {
                    print "Nope, can't guarantee getting message_lengt
+h\n";
                } else {
                    #store length of incoming
                    #Note that we'll have to use pack/unpack to make i
+nt
                    $self->{players}->{$socket}->{read} = unpack("l",$
+message);
                    $self->{players}->{$socket}->{message}="";
                    print "Got incoming length: $message\n";
                    $read_count = sysread($socket, $message, $self->{p
+layers}->
                    if($read_count < $self->{players}->{$socket}->{rea
+d}){
                        print "Only got $read_count of $self->{players
+}->{$sock
                    } else {
                        print "Got message: $message\n";
                        $self->{players}->{$socket}->{read}=0;
                    }
                }
            } else {
                #closed socket, remove from list
                $self->{readable_handles}->remove($socket);
                print "Another closed socket\n";
            } #end checking for socket closure
        } #end checking for main/non-main handle
    } #end foreach
}

1;

# THis is the server program:
#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use strict;

use MyProg;

$|=1;

my $server = MyProg->new();
my $count=0;
while(1) {
        $count++;
        print "Ping\n" if $count > 10;
        $count=0 if $count > 10;
        $server->cycle();
}

#THis is the client program
#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use strict;

use IO::Socket;
use IO::Select;

my $main_socket = new IO::Socket::INET (
        PeerAddr => '127.0.0.1',
        PeerPort => 8096,
        Proto    => 'tcp'
        );

die "Can't open client main_socket: $!\n" unless $main_socket;

my $bytes_sent;
my $message = pack("l","9");
print "Sending message (",unpack("L",$message),") length of ",length($
+message),

$bytes_sent = syswrite( $main_socket, $message, length($message), 0);
if($bytes_sent != length($message)){
        warn "Problem sending message length\n";
} else {
        $message="Connect!!";
        $bytes_sent = syswrite( $main_socket, $message, length($messag
+e), 0);
        if($bytes_sent != length($message)){
                warn "Problem sending whole message\n";
        }
}
my $line;
while ($line = <STDIN>){
        if ($line=~/quit/i){
                close($main_socket);
                last;
        }
}

#This is the server output:
Ping
Ping
Added new connection
Got incoming length: Conn
Out of memory!
#crashed and exited to shell

#This is the client: 
Sending message (9) length of 4
#hangs
[download]

It appears that my length message does not get read by the server, but I'm at a lost to explain why. I've fought with it all weekend, but I've only been able to create different crash/hang conditions :(

Thanks in advance!