Seems like this is increasingly becoming rarer, and if you’re like me and want to keep book during games but also have a “souvenir” the team store’s books are the way to go. Has anyone made a directory of which teams still do it? I know the Cubs do for $1 and it includes a pencil.
For example, if a runner advances from first to second due to a pitcher disengaging 3 times and occurring a violation, what would the abbreviation for that be? Is it simply a balk, thus labeled as “BK”?
Additionally, on a similar topic, how would you abbreviate a batter who strikes out due to a pitch clock violation, or a batter who walks due to a pitch clock violation?
I’m using a Numbers Game Pocket Scorebook so the less amount of characters/space it takes up, the better.
My first attempt, I’m sure I made mistakes.
Pretty fun, I felt I was more involved in the game and I had the opportunity to score a nice In-The Park Homerun!
Now, back to scoring this game.
These would’ve been from when my mom was teaching me to keep score. Looks like on Opening Day when we came back to tie it at 5 against Chicago we gave up on keeping score lol
Not promoting anything - Just hoping to get this opportunity/ offer out there. Looking to find a few people who are skilled in score keeping to help gather live time data.
Willing to send participants tickets to any game of their choosing. In return looking to collect data via an app i’m building out (again - not listing name as I am not here to promote). Let me know if anyone is interested in hearing more and we can get in touch
Cheers
I like going to professional ball games, partly because the interactions you get at ball games can't be replicated at home.
That said, I've been surprised that more fans interact with me at games with my scorebook than without my scorebook.
The most common interactions are high fives, which is pretty sweet.
The next most common interactions are inquisitive about what it is that I'm doing, since scoring isn't the most common thing for fans to do at ball games. I've even gotten some fans to ask me if I'm some sort of scout or if I get paid to do this. These people are usually a bit confused that I'm doing this for fun.
My most recent scorebook related interaction was an attaboy from a dad....afterwhich the dad's son asked his dad to explain what it was that I was doing.
While the dad was explaining, I quickly interjected "IT'S LIKE PLAYING BATTLESHIP".
What are some of the interactions you have due to your scorebook?
So I was watching the Guardians-Astros game last night (it was actually a really good one for scoring), and the above stuff happens in the top of the seventh.
Cam Smith leads off the inning with an infield single, then Yainer Diaz hits a hard grounder to third that eats up Jose Ramirez. A tough-ish play, but one that he and most third basemen usually make. Error on Ramirez. The ball bounces to Brayan Rocchio, so no one makes a throw and everyone is safe; Smith at second, and Diaz at first. The inning continues with a sac bunt, a pitching change, an HBP, and an RBI single from Carlos Correa. After the sac bunt I figure without the error it's Smith at third with two out. (Side note: I'm looking forward to maybe some team unearned runs at this point.)
Smith's run has gotta be earned, right? Nope. The announcers claim it's unearned; I consult the MLB app and it says unearned. I wrack my brain about it for a while, wake up this morning and check the play-by-play, and realize the official scorer put Diaz on on a fielder's choice, and moved Smith to second on the error. Smith's run is unearned because it is assumed that Smith would have been put out on the play.
Since when do we do this? What I learned, and what's been reinforced for decades, is that on an infield grounder the default assumption is that the fielder is going to throw to first and not some other base. Assuming a throw to second makes even less sense in this specific situation because an outfielder is running to second and a catcher is running to first. How can we assume a fielder's intent when he doesn't even attempt a throw? Is this standard practice now? I think it's bullshit, and I'm not doing it. Going out to yell at clouds now.
$20 tickets for row 1 in section 418 and it was a great birds eye view of the game.
I'd love it if you'd share a photo of a sample if you do it differently than others already mentioned.
When a position player is substituted in the lineup, but into the same field position, how do you show the substitution in the inning?
Back to back cubs games with animals on the field.
Glad to finally get this beauty out to the ballpark!
I don't personally know anyone that manually keeps score, so I've had to learn a lot on my own.
Some examples of conventions I use that I learned from trial and error, as opposed to scoring example: (apologies about the wall of text):
Square around a number in a batter's box: combined pitch count for the past two batters. used to reduce the number of additions I do for pitch count at the end of an inning by fifty percent.
Diamond around a number in a batters box in the upper right hand corner: total pitch count for any plate appearance where the pitch count > 10.
R on the right side of a batter's box: relief pitcher's first batter of an inning, if the reliever didn't actually start the inning. Used to make it easier for me to know which batter's pitch counts go with which pitcher. This could break down if a reliever comes in the middle of a plate appearance.
Horizontal line under a specific inning for a pitcher: indicates which inning a pitcher has been relieved, for ease of calculating their total pitch total. This may break down for leagues where pitchers that were relieved can reenter the game, such as spring training.
11 (as a position in the batting lineup): Pinch hitter
12 (as a position in the batting lineup): Pinch runner
Do you have some nonstandard symbols/conventions that you use for your scorecards?
It’s one of 162, but this one was brutal. It was honestly tough to continue to score this one once De Jesus threw it away to continue the 7th. Tough.
I will say, it was great to see Rog get his first career K on the mound, as well as some continued fight in the bottom of the 9th. McGonigle continues to impress me with his competitive ABs.
Let’s flush this one and get back at it with Casey on the bump, tomorrow!
I used the wrong scorecards, so I had to rearrange a bit.
I wanted to track pitches to tell the full sequence, but got a little tripped up with challenges. How do you score ABS challenges (if you do)? If you do track pitch count, how do you do it? Do you track fouls, swinging strikes, etc.? How do you score wild pitches/passed balls?
I also wrote field position numbers to show who advanced runners, but that's not a good way to do it I don't think. This game didn't have any sac's or lesser seen plays, so the rest was pretty straightforward.