- Jul 2, 2013
- 383
- 43
Now that DD is in college I take in some of the local high school games as an observer and something happened at one last week that made me want to get clarification here.
During a rather long at bat (and after the batter had fouled off three or four pitches in a row) the away team's scorekeeper started to make a ruckus and went to their dugout to ask their coach to call time. He did so and the two of them started arguing that the batter should be out. Of course the batter couldn't be out after a foul ball but the scorekeeper was arguing that the batter actually struck out before she fouled the last few off. She (the scorekeeper) thought that the batter went to the dugout and the next batter was up. That's why it took her a few pitches to say something. The umpires got together for at least five minutes and discussed it before they let the at bat continue and the batter walked on the next pitch.
Honestly, I thought the batter was out when the scorekeeper did, but assumed since she stayed up to bat that I had the count wrong in my head. In any case, is it possible for the umpire to decide he counted wrong and call her out after she has seen additional pitches? Also, is the home book official in NFHS? If so, why even entertain the away team scorekeeper? Why not just ask home book what they have and move on if the umpires have the same count?
During a rather long at bat (and after the batter had fouled off three or four pitches in a row) the away team's scorekeeper started to make a ruckus and went to their dugout to ask their coach to call time. He did so and the two of them started arguing that the batter should be out. Of course the batter couldn't be out after a foul ball but the scorekeeper was arguing that the batter actually struck out before she fouled the last few off. She (the scorekeeper) thought that the batter went to the dugout and the next batter was up. That's why it took her a few pitches to say something. The umpires got together for at least five minutes and discussed it before they let the at bat continue and the batter walked on the next pitch.
Honestly, I thought the batter was out when the scorekeeper did, but assumed since she stayed up to bat that I had the count wrong in my head. In any case, is it possible for the umpire to decide he counted wrong and call her out after she has seen additional pitches? Also, is the home book official in NFHS? If so, why even entertain the away team scorekeeper? Why not just ask home book what they have and move on if the umpires have the same count?