Losing track of the count.

Where was the official scorekeeper?

Yes, I've seen it happen. Yes, I have had it happen to me. Its embarassing to say the least....To your post, it most often happens on just such a play as you described where some action (steal) diverts your attention away and the umpire forgets to move the indicator wheel....

Hopefully your field umpire is backing you up with a count. But if not, there is nothing you can do about it. NFHS rules do not allow us to go to any videotape to help with calls.....

The only time I see official scorekeepers is in the playoffs....so regular season games we just handle the count ourselves........

It happens, I just saw this in a D3 game in Florida, the crew gave a batter 4 strikes......

Well, it was a factor in costing my son's team the game.

Piaa_ump is correct on this. But in reality it did not have an effect on the game.

Your coach should have been more upset that the batter was not called out for interference.

How do you figure it did not have an effect on the game?

And, the coach was very upset with the umpires on the batter interference, but didn't get that call either.

Losing track of the count:

Been there, done that, felt very embarrassed.

OK. The situation is I, the home plate umpire, have a 1-1 count and it should be 1-2. I check with my field umpire and he has a 1-1 count but the coach is adamant that it should be 1-2. I am going to check with the official scorer if we have one. If they all say the count is 1-1 it is over. If I have no official scorer, I check with the coaches/persons keeping the book for each team. If they differ, the count is 1-1. If they both say the count is 1-2, the count is 1-2.

By the way, I have had those situations occur and I have never had a scorekeeper for the team that might "benefit" from the wrong count lie about it because I have never had a different count from both scorekeepers in that situation. Says a lot about the integrity of the game, does it not?

TW344

It's happened at every level in every sport.
We've all seen the 5th down in football, the foul called in basketball on the wrong player.
It can and will happen, though quite rare, IMO.
Did blue think it was a checked swing and missed the 2-1 count? Nobody asked him to check with his partner? It is rare, but with all you say was going on, this all takes the umpires attention else where.
I personally make sure I know who the score keeper's are, make them my best friends if I can. I must ask though, how did this one pitch cost your team the game?

Keller Dad-

The reason I am saying it had no effect on the game is in reality it probably did not.

By you accusing the umpire that they cost you the game, then you are saying thay your team executed every opportunity 100%.

No errors, no miscues, no base running mistakes, no hanging curves balls that were hit for extra bases, no passed balls, etc.

As an umpire we have all lost count and it is embarrassing. But it did not cost your team the game.

I didn't say it cost my sons team the game, I said it was a factor.

The first strike was a foul ball, no check swing.

The next pitch by the new pitcher was a swing and a miss, should have been a K.

It's one thing to have a bad strike zone, or to miss a bang bang play. But unforgiveable to me to lose count of balls and strikes. Umpires didn't even ask to see the scorebooks of either team.


It prolonged the inning and that is where the game was ended up being lost. This was a game in extra innings and the score was 1-1. Not some 12-8 game with 8 errors, but a very close game where this kind of mistake did have a very big factor in the game being lost.

"Not some 12-8 game with 8 errors, but a very close game where this kind of mistake did have a very big factor in the game being lost."

"But unforgiveable to me to lose count of balls and strikes."

Some very experienced umps have all voiced the fact that this does happen. It seems other than this "mistake" the umps must have done a near perfect job.

It sound like a typical parent, if we can win lets blame the umps. That dog won't hunt with me.

Please pirate fan, so you must be the atypical ump that doesn't care if he makes a major mistake in a ball game that changes the outcome of the game?

You must be one of those umps that think the game is about him.

How about that for generalization?

There is NEVER EVER an excuse for an umpire not know what the count is !!!!

Correct, it is the umpires job to have the count...its why we use indicators and hopefully have back up with our base umpires.........

but it happens...

just like players forget how many outs there are and forget to tag up, and forget to hit the cut off man......its unfortunate, it shouldnt happen....but it does.

Over the years I've missed pitches, missed tags, called balls foul that were fair and other mistakes.....and I've dropped the count....I'm not proud of it, but man enough to admit it.........just like any other error made by a player or coach, its just baseball.......

Amen piaa_ump. Amen.

piaa_ump

PERFECT RESPONSE!!!!

Umps are human, we do make mistakes, and I personally try my best to be as accurate as I can when I'm on the field.

But I can not except any player, parent or coach blaming the outcome on a game on an umpire.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
There is NEVER EVER an excuse for an umpire not know what the count is !!!!

My thoughts exactly.

At my game the other day, my coach kept tellin us the batter had 2 strikes, he missed the next pitch and we ran off the field.
Ump said it was strke 2.
Who is right on this?

OTC

Need a liitle bit more information to determine the situation.

Coach said batter had two foul balls,but the ump said that was the other batter. We went back on the field.

As a coach if an umpire makes a mistake admit it. Get the call right. I once had an umpire make a mistake. I went to him and argued my case. He was a young I was at umpire school guy and he was obnoxious and told me to get off the field. I conferred with the other umpire and he got it right. Later in the game the young guy missed a call. I chirped. Nothing offensive just normal baseball stuff he tossed me.