I forgot/lost the count. Oops.

[Jocko]

I owe you a cold one, Steve. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[scrounge]

It's actually rather easy to extend your fingers with an indicator, you just use your thumb to hold it against your palm. Frankly, I don't understand the animosity and, often, the sneering that takes place about BU's using an indicator. Of course it's the PU's job to keep the count - does that mean you go out of your way to not help him if for whatever reason he loses it? It's just a tool, like any other - it can be used properly or misused.

Do what you do in your area. In ours, base umps - ESPECIALLY at the sub-varsity level, are strongly encouraged to have an indicator and to use it properly. Meaning, discreetly and accurately. We're not lesser umpires for doing so.

[noumpere]

First, many groups discourage using an indicator in the field. It just looks bush. They don't do it in MiLB, MLB, or college baseball, so why does anyone think they should do it at lower levels?

.

Because the umpires at the lower levels and the scoreboards at the lower levels and the players at the lower levels arent as good. Im not saying I agree with using it just explaining the reasoning some have.

Oh and for the record I dont use one but I dont care if my partner does use one when I am behind the plate as long as he uses it correctly.

[mstaylor]

Obviously if you have a partner, you can go to the partner -- without a partrner would anyone check with the scorer, or is that verboten? (Or do you just figure if it's a game that you don't have a partner your scorekeeper is going to be suspect or biased anyway?) Just curious.

Who says your partner's count is correct. Just like getting help from more than 100 feet away on a pulled foot or someone coming off the bag quickly when you "are not" straight-lined and only 15 feet away.

True, he may have it wrong too, but it apples and oranges when you compare it to helping on a pulled foot. I really don't understand why guys think the BU bears no responsibility to keep the count. There are only two of you out there, two things that you both can easily track are outs and the count. Why anybody would abdicate that responsibility is a mystery to me.