Keeping score

[SWFLguy]

one of the reasons I stopped
calling ASA rec games here----
in all my 45+ years of umpring
I never had a situation where I was
constantly asked the score---
it became so annoying that I walked
away from doing the games here !!
What a dumb policy !!

[whiskers_ump]

Check only if I feel run rule is coming up. If I know that no one has
yet scored in the game, in the top of 7th, I record the last completed
at bats number, then if Home team does not score, I also record that
number. [ITB purposes] Like Mike and others, when they line up for
hand shakes, I'm gone. Game must be over.

[tzme415]

So noone is responsible for reporting the score and who won? If you don't have an official scorekeeper and if you are doing league games, someone has to be responsible for reporting who won and the scores. If the umpires don't do it, then who does? Every league I've ever umpired for has required that the umpire turn in a scorecard.

[Girump]

In the league I work in, the teams are responsible for turning in their own scores. Which is why I question that I should be keeping track of runs.

[whiskers_ump]

Originally posted by tzme415
So noone is responsible for reporting the score and who won? If you don't have an official scorekeeper and if you are doing league games, someone has to be responsible for reporting who won and the scores. If the umpires don't do it, then who does? Every league I've ever umpired for has required that the umpire turn in a scorecard.

tzme415,

They need to pay you extra then...

Looked all through the Umpires Sections of the ASA Rule Book and
nowhere did I find that it is my responsiblty to record the score.
In our leagues home team has that responsibility. It is up to the
visitors to insure that the information is recorded properly.

I work primarily slow-pitch rec ball (with some of the big boys thrown in once or twice a week), and usually will ask the coaches at the pregame meeting if they have anyone keeping score and point out the person to me. I don't check with that person unless I think the run rule will come into effect.

As for umpires turning in scores, one league I work doesn't do that while the other does. The league that doesn't require the umpires to turn in scores asks the teams to do that via a scoreline page on their website or by phoning in the morning after. I understand if there's no score reported within 48 hours, it goes down on standings as a double forfeit until someone turns in a score. Gives the accountability onto the teams to make sure their records are right, etc.

The other league provides tons of scorecards, and drop boxes at both entrances to the complex to drop them off so the maintenance guys will collect them the next day and drop them off at the city rec offices. Nice system. But ultimately, the teams are still responsible for making sure everything's right in the standings on the rec department's webpage.

[Dakota]

While I do understand the "not my job" view of this, game management is my job.

Perhaps (almost certainly) there is a difference between JO girls and SP bubbas in this expectation of umpires, but here,

a) Nothing good can come from two mom scorekeepers who have different scores at critical points in a game (run rule, tie, etc.) It is a very small, very quick RUNS?... RUNS? question & has avoided problems many times. It is amazing how often one side missed a run, and it is even more amazing how many times the run is missed by the offensive book! For league games, I don't write the score down; I just assure both books are in sync.

b) In ASA tournaments around here, the PU's lineup/scorecard IS official. No option. I sign it and turn it in to the TD.

[mdntranger]

I also call rec-league slow-pitch and am required to report the scores to the league director (I only call for one league, and am employed by the park district who runs the league). In that sense, I do need to know what the final score is for reporting purposes. I don't, however, keep track of runs scored during play. At the end of the half-inning, I will ask for how many runs scored from their (the team who just completed batting) scorekeeper and announce it to the other team. If there are any discrepancies, I let the two teams work it out and only ask that they provide me with the 'official' count. Since our fields don't have scoreboards or league-provided scorekeepers, I will announce the score at the top of each inning. For the most part, this has worked out well for me, with little or no confusion as to what I will be reporting back to the director the next day.

[tzme415]

mdntranger - That sounds like the same procedure I use.

Ref Ump Welsh - the leagues I do have a system pretty much like what you described in the second case

whiskers_ump - I don't know if they should pay me more, the going rate here is $25-$30/game for Slowpitch depending on the Class and the town

I guess I've always had to keep track of the runs, so it doesn't bother me. It has become just one of the things I do each half inning and takes less than a minute if the books match.