[MD Longhorn]

Had an odd one pop up on Saturday.

After top of 1, I ask SC how many runs. She says 2. My immediate reaction was, "Really, wow, sure seemed like more" visitors weren't keeping a book near me that I could see, or I would have verified.

Later, entering top 4(league has 5 run limit per inning and 70 min clock) with about 10 minutes to go. VC asks for the score and time, so I ask for the score and get 4-2 Visitors. I go to tell VC the score and time remaining. When I say 4-2, 10 minutes, he says, "No, we have 6." Turns out they WERE keeping a book, but it was in the dugout.

We compare books, and V's book was well kept and readable, clearly showing 4 runs in the 1st inning, as well as having batted 10 - 3 outs, 3 LOB, 4 runs = 10. Home's book is a freaking mess, showing 2 runs, but also showing 10 batters - no way to tell what really happened.

I realize that 4 in the inning is almost definitely right, so I ask home scorekeeper to read me the at bats in order and what happened on each at bat (since I can't read her chickenscratch). Walk, Walk, Walk, Single with RBI and player thrown out at home (I say, "That's one out"), walk, Strikeout (I say "That's 2), Fly Out ("That's 3"), walk - 2nd run, Ground out at 1st (That's 4), Ground out (That's 5). Still can't convince scorekeeper (or coach, who's now milling around behind me) that the book's messed up, that she has 10 batters and only 2 runs, with 5 outs in the inning, and that can't be right.

All I hear for the rest of the inning, and then especially when I called ballgame and walked off after V scored 2 to make it 8-2 and time expired, is "The home book is official!!! The home book is always right!!!"

So ... how to handle better next time? And when the book is obviously wrong, is it still right?