Maybe I goofed up.. or not?
 

Pretty intense last inning NFHS Var game.. teams have gone back and forth.. routine grounder F6 to F3 for the out. Next batter is in the box, I hear the score keeping sitting behind me saying something like "what was that I missed tat, what happened?" .. So pitcher takers her spot and scorekeepers says "time out" .. I ignore it, pitcher is taking her sign and basically getting ready to go, I've gone set, the score keeper is now yelling loudly "time out time out time out" so I call time and stop the pitch and turn around and say "This better be good what is the problem?" She looks at me with a stupid look on her face..

I'm now close to her waiting for whatever her problem could possibly be; although if I had to guess, it was going to be a scoring question on the grounder (which btw, I know nothing about).. I tell her intensely (I was clearly irritated) "quick". "Forget it I'll talk to the coach".

Anyway, over all I was irritated with her, and was kind of rude.. but I could just tell this was some stupid score keeping thing and I was not interested in her stopping an intense game for BS.. but maybe I could have been more tactful.

I dont give scorekeepers much "time out" request authority, and especially to insist on it during an at bat by obnoxiously yelling over and over. If that goes on I'm expecting to see a baby on the field or something, not some stupid question. .. but maybe I'm wrong.

No you didn't!
 

A "Time out" can't be called by anyone other than the umpire. It can be requested by no others than players and coaches.
An official scorer can only speak when umpires and players go wrong by changing the turn at bat with less than 3 out. And on request by the umpire. If he want to know what inning we're in or if the mercy-rule is in effect, etc., etc. ...
It sounds to me the pig in your game wasn't focused on her job.

The amount of latitude I give depends on the GLM factor. If that factor is exceedingly high, THAT is when I call the game from the bleachers just like the parents -- seated, of course, next to the scorekeeper.

If they're coyote ugly or worse, or some guy, then just like Wade, I give them very little latitude. I don't think you were out of line at all. If they're gonna pull that obnoxious crap, then it best be for a very good reason.

All that and she pulls a Roseanne Roseannadanna on you??

She probably wanted to point out that the wrong batter was at the plate :eek:

My "favorite" scorekeeper is the one who yells, "Blue, they're batting out of order!"

And yet, she didn't understand why it's not her job to bring it to my attention...

Was the home team losing at this point? Maybe the scorekeeper and coach have some secret agreement. :eek:

Very low GLM factor this one. By VAR, the GLM factor gets pretty low in any case, with scorekeepers having the lowest GLM probability of them all IMO.


I dont think anyone was batting out of order because the coach never said anything.

I think I hear her ask at some point in the game "What was the count before that hit".. I'm not sure who she was asking, if it was me, that was ignored.

Since coach had no issues, I'm almost convinced this beezy did that just to ask me a score keeping question. Very idiotic.. I treated her that way too. Just was kind of guilty for doing so.

Another solution could have been: Coach, take care of your scorekeeper and continued play without time being called. (Unless the GLF came into play.) If the GLF is in play, you're on your own!;)

One queston, one comment:

Did her constant screaming of "time out" affect the game or its participants in any way? If not, then why even bother acknowledging her?

Without being there and seeing how you interacted with her, it does sound like you may have been a little rude. Understandable, given the situation.

Personally, I try hard in those types of situations to at least appear courteous and professional. Somebody on this site once had a signature line that said not to go looking for trouble, trouble will find you. If the game is already intense, your response to the scorekeeper (GLM factors aside) may have upset a coach or player and potentially escalate a situation that needn't be. Who knows, the scorekeeper may be the coach's wife and/or girlfriend or the mom of the hothead star player or both.

Or all three! :eek:

Very very true.. I've actually had it happen before.. so I should have known better.

Good points. It was impossible to ignore her just in case there really was something that required a time out... probably a live and learn deal.

Wadeintothem,

Remember, if the GLF (getting laid factor) comes into play from a GLM you're on your own.;)