DUH...Brain Fart!
 

Second game of a FED double header...first one ended with the Home team winning 19-2. The scoreboard broke in the middle of game one, so its completely off in game two. I have the dish and we are in the bottom of the 4th inning when the visiting catcher asks me the score. I tell him that the score is one thing I don't keep track of.

It starts to get a bit darker, but not too difficult to play in the bottom of the 5th and the visiting catcher turns and tells me that the Home team is ahead of them 10-8. I just file this useless info in my brain and start counting the outs till the end of the game. Home team goes down with no more runs. Top of the 6th, and its getting even darker, still playable though. I tell the visiting coach that this will be their final at bat, due to darkness...he agrees.

1-2-3 outs, nobody scores. I tell the guys to line it up and shake hands, but suddenly I have the Home coach out arguing with me that they want their last at bats. My brain does a "why does this dude want to continue...he's won the game?" He continues to argue that I gave the visitors a time to bat, that they want their turn too. I'm thinking now that he wants to simply "pad" his player's stats. I tell him that we are done, its too dark.

He's mad and angry at how I've been so unfair. As we are walking off the field, and they are shaking hands, the official scorer comes up and asks me why I've ended the game tied 10-10! There still is light to play 1/2 inning, so me, and my stupid "ooops, sorry coach, all you had to tell me is the game is tied" go back on the field to finish the game already ended...eating humble pie!

I don't have room on my indicator for a score, and that's the last thing I want to keep track of! Shoulda checked with the books first. DUHHHHHHHHHHH!

Medically speaking...
 

If we don't release the pressure with a fart once in a while, we'll explode, right ?

Hey, we all been there, one way or another. Good lesson for us to learn from though.

I couldn't tell you how many times I've replied "I don't know" when asked the score by a parent. They always look at you like you have 2 heads.

Don't feel bad blueump, i would have made the same mistake. i dont' keep track of the score either.

Why wouldn't you have checked to see what the score was? Before I came up with a handy small form that I use to track the score (among other things) I always checked the score before ending a game.

Well Justme, what other 'interesting' things do you track on your handy little form?

I personally don't care what the score is, unless a "slaughter rule" ending is a possibility. I know that by the sore neck I have from watching players touching the plate.

Apart from that, I go home when the teams leave the field.

Bob P.

I agree with you, Bob. A good sign to look for is when the teams start to line up outside of their respective dugouts and then start to shake hands. I've been using that as a signal to leave for many years now and I haven't found myself left alone on the field yet.

I don't keep score, but if the game "feels" like a 10 run rule might be in effect, I typically ask someone, the catcher maybe, "what do you think the score is", kind of casually, at the top of the 5th. If I don't know the score, but suspect, I will wait to see if they lineup after the 5th and if they do I go home.

Exactly what "sunk my boat". The lesson I learned here is to never depend on a player to inform you of the correct score. Always check with the official score book!