Home book is official!

[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?

[Dutch Alex]

I think you better have a family-member brought onto the field. So this one can keep the scorebook, fair and straight. Better have the league appoint scorekeepers...

It sounds like you're talking about kids playing in a competition. Parents, coaches and all the other adults involved in minor-games shall always give the good, honest example!
As the umpire you have to rely on that. I would, in this case, call both coaches together and explain that Homebook can't be trusted. Therfore home-scorer is to be thanked (for nothing) and be excused (= leaving dug-out!!!). Scorebook that can be trusted now is official... Play on.
Home coach is having problems with that? Call it a game; if a team won't play fair, we aren't playing at all!
Make sure you collect all the needed papers, i.e. scorebook sheet from both teams. No one can complain about you at the league director. You did what had to be done. Show the books at the director, he will forfait the visiting team...

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Dutch Alex

I think you better have a family-member brought onto the field. So this one can keep the scorebook, fair and straight. Better have the league appoint scorekeepers...

It sounds like you're talking about kids playing in a competition. Parents, coaches and all the other adults involved in minor-games shall always give the good, honest example!
As the umpire you have to rely on that. I would, in this case, call both coaches together and explain that Homebook can't be trusted. Therfore home-scorer is to be thanked (for nothing) and be excused (= leaving dug-out!!!). Scorebook that can be trusted now is official... Play on.
Home coach is having problems with that? Call it a game; if a team won't play fair, we aren't playing at all!
Make sure you collect all the needed papers, i.e. scorebook sheet from both teams. No one can complain about you at the league director. You did what had to be done. Show the books at the director, he will forfait the visiting team...

You seem to have made the assumption that the scorekeeper was trying to pull one over on everyone. If I wrote it that way, my apologies. I have no reason to believe this was intentional. I truly believe she was just confused and disorganized. Additionally, this book was in the stands, not the dugout.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

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

The home book is official (different word that correct or right), unless the head official declares otherwise.

If I had any suspicion of inaccuracy, I would ask that scorer to compare with the other book and let me know any difference, right away ( 1st inning in OP).

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

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?

Simple. Take the book, write the other teams name on it with 7-0 underneath and ask them if the home book is still always official

[mdntranger]

We don't have scorekeepers at our facilities. What I've done is after each half-inning ask the batting team how many runs they've earned. I then announce that to the other team and consider it 'official' if nobody questions it. Should they question it later, I ask the teams to get the books together and let me know...otherwise, the score reported is the score that stays.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by mdntranger

We don't have scorekeepers at our facilities. What I've done is after each half-inning ask the batting team how many runs they've earned. I then announce that to the other team and consider it 'official' if nobody questions it. Should they question it later, I ask the teams to get the books together and let me know...otherwise, the score reported is the score that stays.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mdntranger

We don't have scorekeepers at our facilities. What I've done is after each half-inning ask the batting team how many runs they've earned. I then announce that to the other team and consider it 'official' if nobody questions it. Should they question it later, I ask the teams to get the books together and let me know...otherwise, the score reported is the score that stays.

I don't care about the score. If somewhere along the way it is discovered there is a difference of opinion, I tell the teams to get the books together and stay out of it as best as I can.

[bigsig]

I had this happen a few years ago and learned my lesson. I now keep a little score card and verify score with both teams every half inning also. Easy to do and saves a lot of problems later.

[NDblue]

Here, the umpire is the official scorekeeper so every 1/2 inning, I ask the team that just batted what they scored (if I lost track) and let the other team know what I got. If they question it then, we get it straight and if any questions are asked about it later, I try to get it straightened out but sometimes books are kept correctly so my score card is the official "book".

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

I don't care about the score. If somewhere along the way it is discovered there is a difference of opinion, I tell the teams to get the books together and stay out of it as best as I can.

Similar to:
"If I had any suspicion of inaccuracy, I would ask that scorer to compare with the other book and let me know any difference, right away ( 1st inning in OP). "

[bniu]

Originally Posted by bigsig

I had this happen a few years ago and learned my lesson. I now keep a little score card and verify score with both teams every half inning also. Easy to do and saves a lot of problems later.

me too, in my slowpitch league, they had the umpires keep score, and a trick i learned was to use the "inning" wheel on the indicator to keep track of runs scored and then record that between innings. even though NFHS doesn't require it, I still like to keep track of the score myself because it's useful in late innings where we may have a winning run situation (can be earlier due to mercy rule), nice to know where potential plays will be...

[Dutch Alex]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

You seem to have made the assumption that the scorekeeper was trying to pull one over on everyone. If I wrote it that way, my apologies. I have no reason to believe this was intentional. I truly believe she was just confused and disorganized. Additionally, this book was in the stands, not the dugout.

After scorer started crying that home book is official and ingoring your counting the outs above 3, yes I assumed she was pulling your legs!

In our league, I don't have to worry about scoring; we have official scorers, appointed bij our federation It's nice to have the group officials large, ump's and 1 or 2 scorers. The second scorer is for the Live Play-by-play...
Extra ears and eyes are always welcome...

[Andy]

Originally Posted by bigsig

I had this happen a few years ago and learned my lesson. I now keep a little score card and verify score with both teams every half inning also. Easy to do and saves a lot of problems later.

When anybody asks me what the score is, I tell 'em....

Hey, I have a hard enough time with balls and strikes, I don't keep score!