Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Joy of Keeping Score How Scoring the Game Has Influenced and Enhanced the History of Baseball by Scoring a game. Scoring a game is the act of following a baseball game hitter by hitter, pitch by pitch, with the outcome of each hitter reflected by line markings on paper. Score is kept on a special sheet of paper called a scorecard or scoresheet , marked with a grid, with columns delinating the inning and rows corresponding to slots in the batting order. It can be either pre-printed or home made. Each position is denoted by a number. They are as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Furthermore, each play has a code, which varies from one scorer to another. A fly ball out can be marked with a circle and the fielder's number inside the circle, or by the letter "F" followed by the fielder's number; in this system, a line-out can be scored "L" followed by the number, and a foul ball caught on the fly can be designated by a lower-case "f" or "l" followed by the number. A ground ball out is delineated by a hyphen, such as a ground ball out from shortstop to first base is 6-3 and read as "six to three". Double plays are written as "DP 6-4-3", such that the shortstop threw to the second baseman who threw it to the first baseman to complete the play. If the out is the result of a sacrifice, the notation "Sac" is usually added before the out (i.e. "Sac 2-3", or "Sac F9"). A player reaching on an error would be marked "E" followed by the position number of the player who committed the error, next to the base which he reached. Hits are marked on an outline of the baseball diamond on the specially printed sheet. Each advance of a base is denoted by continuing the line around the diamond. A triple would be outlined to third base and 3B would be written in the box. Should the runner score, the scorer would continue the line to home plate, then color in the diamond. An alternate way to score hits, if there is no diamond outline, would be to mark a single horizontal stroke in the lower right hand corner to denote singles (with BB in this same area for walks, HP for hit by pitch, etc.); two horizontal strokes in the upper right hand corner for doubles; three horizontal strokes in the upper left hand corner for triples; and four horizontal strokes in the lower left hand corner for home runs. A run scored would be denoted by a circle in the center of the box (colored-in for earned runs, not colored in for unearned runs). The scorer can also mark events that occured on the basepath. For example, if the batter gets a single, the scorer would write single but if the runner steals second, the scorer would make a line to second and write "SB" above the line. If the advancement is the result of a wild pitch, passed ball or balk, the notations "WP", "PB" and BK" are used. Similarly, if the batter advances to second on a hit or out by a teammate, the scorer would make a line to second, and write the position number of the player who advanced the batter. For example, if the batter advanced to second when his or her teammate, the left fielder, hit a sacrifice, the scorer would simply write the number 7 above the line to indicate an advance to second on the play by the left fielder. For pitching, some scorecards may have circles to bubble in the count. If a batter strikes out, the scorer would write a K inside the diamond given. If the batter strikes out looking, the scorer would put a backwards K or Kc in the diamond given. Another method of recording strikeouts is K if the batter strikes out looking and K2 if he strikes out swinging. Walks are denoted by a "BB". A batting player receives an RBI (run batted in) when the result of his at bat scores a runner on any of the bases. However, there are exceptions to this rule, including when the batter reaches base on an error. An RBI can be marked by a star or an asterisk next to the result of the at bat (for example 4-3* would be a ground out, second base to first base, which drives in a run). An earned run is attributed to the pitcher when a batter that pitcher faced scores without an error or passed ball occuring, or if the run would have scored even if there had been no error. Historical Note [ edit ] The numbering of positions as we know them was only fixed in the first years of the 20th Century. Before that time, there were competing numbering systems, some of which would assign number 5 to the shortstop and number 6 to the third baseman (a more logical assignment, when one thinks about it), or would number the outfield positions from right to left. Indeed, the man generally credited with inventing the concept of the scorecard, Henry Chadwick, was of the opinion that fielders be numbered according to their position in the batting order. For example, "F1" was a fly ball caught by whoever batted first in the opposing batting order. In an era when there were almost no substitutions, but players changed positions from game-to-game, this would have made a certain sense. Such a system would however be massively confusing today. Trivia [ edit ] Phil Rizzuto introduced the code "WW". When asked why he had WW in his scorebook, Rizzuto said he "Wasn't Watching". Harvest Book Ser.: The Joy of Keeping Score : How Scoring the Game Has Influenced and Enhanced the History of Baseball by Paul Dickson (1997, Trade Paperback) С самой низкой ценой, совершенно новый, неиспользованный, неоткрытый, неповрежденный товар в оригинальной упаковке (если товар поставляется в упаковке). Упаковка должна быть такой же, как упаковка этого товара в розничных магазинах, за исключением тех случаев, когда товар является изделием ручной работы или был упакован производителем в упаковку не для розничной продажи, например в коробку без маркировки или в пластиковый пакет. См. подробные сведения с дополнительным описанием товара. The Joy of Keeping Score: How Scoring the Game Has Influenced and Enhanced the History of Baseball by Paul Dickson. Baseball is a game that, like chess, is built upon a progression of situational "moves" as well as upon the athleticism and fundamental skills of its players. For that reason, appreciation of the development of a game contributes a large part to the enjoyment of the spectator. The system for scoring baseball developed by Henry Chadwick is known to be sublimely elegent for its compression of game information into an easily readable, and easily adaptable format, allowing scorers to keep a running diary of the game's progress and statistics for reference during and after the game. The scorecards published for use in scoring, however, very often offend the eye with crude, heavy grids and obtuse relationships between groups of items. I wonder if you have found any scorecards to admire, or ever tackled the design for one yourself. Can an expert post some scorecard examples here, ideally with a diversity of designs and historical reach? A diversity of baseball scorecard examples, and an in-depth tutorial, can be found at http://www.baseballscorecard.com. Click on "gallery" for examples from various ballparks and leagues, ranging from MLB to youth girls' softball. When looking at baseball scoresheets, it's may be useful to keep in mind "Project Scoresheet", initially promoted by Bill James and taken up by some number of statisticians and historians to collect the data that they need. Scoresheet was about data organization, not data presentation (in particular, the casual fan will find the notation cryptic). These scorecards were essentially forms to be filled in with text data, and are read the same way. [pdf] Alex Reisner has an example, which has been glossed up a bit for commercial resale. It's blank, of course, so the layout is not obscured by the data. Thanks to Kindly Contributor Mark Kasinskas for the link to the variety of examples; some cards even track ball/strike counts. The Joy of Keeping Score: How Scoring the Game Has Influenced and Enhanced the History of Baseball (1997), by Paul Dickson gives an enthusiastic but sparse account of the history of keeping score. There are several reproductions of marked and unmarked scorecards. The Amazon listing linked above gives access to Adobe PDF files of a few pages. The grid lines are too heavy. An excellent idea in this card is: "The first thing you are likely to notice is that there is not a separate column for each inning as there is in a traditional scoresheet. Having a separate column for each inning wastes space that can be put to more productive use. Instead each column represents one pass through the team's batting order. The start of each inning is indicated by a circled inning number in the plate appearance box" For baseball buffs, see their home page: http://retrosheet.org/ Perhaps there's some data for sparklines here. I just want to respond to Danil Suits' post from July 18, 2003 and state that my scorecards are NOT for sale but are always available for free via download. Also, the above link is out of date, so try this one if you're interested: Incidentally, I showed an old version of one of my scorecard designs to Mr. Tufte in person at one of his lectures in NYC a few years ago. On my site you will also find a redesigned Project Scoresheet scorecard and some other things that may be of interest to baseball scorekeepers. Baseball Book Review: The Joy of Keeping Score. There are two reasons to head out to the ballpark. One is to passively watch the game, the other is to actively see it, and you can't do the latter without a scorecard. In this slim gem of a volume, Paul Dickson clearly explains and translates the quirky documentation system, which looks like cuneiform to the uninitiated, for recording what happens on the ball field, and why true fans are so adamant about doing it. "No other American sport has anything that genuinely approximates the scorecard - that single piece of paper, simple enough for a child - that preserves the game both chronologically and in toto with almost no significant loss of detail." - Tom Boswell in the Washington Post. The Joy of Keeping Score by Dr. Donald McKim. Keeping score at a ball game is one of the rituals that countless fans engage in and enjoy as an integral part of the game itself. This superb little book will enhance that joy as it cleverly explains and illustrates baseball score keeping. The first several chapters talking about the "Basics" of the scorecard, then advanced scoring techniques, before the chapter on "Scoring and Baseball History from A to Z" takes us through the alphabet with an appropriate "letter" for the many dimensions of score keeping. The final chapter gives us fascinating pictures of "Scorecards of Historic Games" such as the 1951 Giants-Dodgers playoff, Nolan Ryan's 300 th victory, Don Larsen's 1956 perfect World Series game and Cal Ripken, Jr.'s record-breaking 2,131 st straight game on September 6, 1995. Dickson, author of The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (1989) and The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary (1999) as well as a host of other baseball books, is a great guide through the basics of how to score a baseball game. A whole variety of systems are in place from the intricately complex to the astonishingly simple. Any system involves the fans more closely in the game and tends to ratchet up the enjoyment level. Score keeping has evolved as baseball itself has evolved and as the compilation of records and statistics has grown. The scorecard has been called the "membership card into baseball." Dickson quotes the Washington Post's Tom Boswell who wrote: "No other American sport has anything that genuinely approximates the scorecard-that single piece of paper, simple enough for a child-that preserves the game both chronologically and in toto with almost no significant loss of detail." Dickson shows us a variety of scoring systems as well as the advanced techniques so that the game "lives on" through the scorecard. The march through the alphabet explaining some aspect of the scorekeeper's joy is a clever way of approaching the subject. Dickson is rich in historical detail as in his "E is for the Eisenhower-Coolidge Continuum." President Eisenhower is known as "the most celebrated scorer among great public figures." But it was first lady Grace Coolidge who was known to keep a "perfect scorecard" and to "stay in the presidential box at Griffith Stadium long after the President had slipped away." In fact, reports Dickson, "President Cal didn't see the point. He was so indifferent that at the opening game of the 1924 World Series, he rose to leave when the score was tied at the end of the ninth inning. Grace Coolidge had to literally pull him back into his seat by his coattails." Dickson also notes that this Eisenhower-Coolidge pairing is interesting because "it emphasizes a point that scorers have long observed: women are as likely to score as men." "K is for K as in Strikeout" tells us that this symbol for "strikeout" comes from the "back rather than the front of the word 'strike.'" Baseball pioneer Henry Chadwick, who was the New York Herald's first baseball editor, first used the symbol in 1868 in Beadle's Guide of which he was the editor. He often said that the abbreviations he used were linked mnemonically to the movements described. As far as he was concerned, the letter "K" is the "prominent letter of the word strike," adding that "the letter K in struck is easier to remember in connection with the word, than S." Other aspects of Chadwick's system, however, have dropped out, such as "L" for "foul" and the use of letters, not numbers, for defensive plays. "Z is for Zamboni on Field and Other Zany (but relevant) Scoring Notations" completes Dickson's alphabet and includes fascinating descriptions: An unofficial scorecard sold outside Camden Yards in Baltimore lists team rosters and each player's salary. Sportswriter Red Barber told of Henry McLemore whose wife created immense score sheets for the 1938 World Series and used the classic notation HWHI for "He walked him intentionally." Hall of Famer Phil Rizutto introduced "WW" into his scoring when he was a Yankee announcer. It stood for "wasn't watching." Great pictures from the glory days of baseball illustrate this book along with photos of various scorecards, ballparks, and baseball programs. Featured on the cover and in the book are photos of the venerable Connie Mack who famously waved his scorecard from the dugout to position his players on the field. A six-page bibliography completes the book. "Y is for Year-by-Year Timeline of Scoring Rules Changes" traces the evolution of how the rules of scoring have changed over the years. Yet what hasn't changed and what Dickson's book so charmingly conveys is this essential joy in scoring a baseball game. Past, present, and future generations will continue to delight in this activity and Dickson's book helps add to this joy. The Joy of Keeping Score. Click For Details. Harvest Books. July 1997. 128 pages. Baseball Almanac has an informative scoring section which includes free downloadable scorecards. Buy the book, download the cards, learn to score, then share (upload) you scorecards with us. Cool Papa Bell recalls in the book, "I remember one game I got five hits and stole five bases, but none of it was written down because they forgot to bring the scorebook to the game that day." Please consider ordering The Joy of Keeping Score, and future books, through our links as your Amazon purchases help Baseball Almanac continue to grow. Baseball Programs and Scorecards. Frank Ceresi and Carol McMains, formerly of the National Sports Gallery in Washington, D.C., currently run FC Associates , a museum consultation and sports appraisal business. They have also lectured, appeared on television, authored many articles on sports history and studied countless sports artifacts that can only be described as "national treasures". Baseball Almanac is pleased and honored to present an insightful column written by the former curator of the National Sports Gallery and current president of FC Associates . "If you happen to be digging around grandma's attic and stumble upon a simple baseball scorecard that looks old, is dated '1903' right on the front cover, and advertises for the 'World's Championship Games' between Boston and Pittsburg, then you have found the first and scarcest of all the World Series programs." - Frank Ceresi. BASEBALL PROGRAMS AND SCORECARDS. Ever since baseball's earliest days, souvenir scorecards and programs have been a staple at the ballpark. Because they typically not only list the rosters of competing teams but also contain interesting articles and advertisements, baseball scorecards and programs not only are historical records but some are extremely collectible. Have ballgames always been a place where the fan could purchase a program? How did these items become as common at the ballpark as peanuts and crackerjacks? Several people have contacted me regarding the value of some of their old programs saved from a game long ago. This article will tell you a bit about the history of baseball scorecards and will also touch on aspects of the game souvenirs that affect their value. Why a Scorecard? From baseball's earliest days, spectators of the game followed their favorite team with pride and gusto. As the game spread from cities into rural areas in America, and the attending crowds began to swell, entrepreneurs began to come up with clever ideas to . . . well, make a buck! One of the early pioneers who successfully tapped into baseball's money tree was an immigrant salesman from Ohio by the name of Harry M. Stevens. For those of us who collect scorecards today, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mr. Stevens for when he frequented ballgames and could not tell one player from another, Harry had the idea of producing a roster card to help the fans keep track of the action! He developed his idea and approached several team owners with a proposal for printing and selling publications to be sold at the ballpark. He called the items "score cards" with the players names preprinted on the card and room for the fan to keep score as the game unfolded. Most important, posited Harry, was that the publications could be printed cheaply and there would be plenty of room for businesses to buy advertising space! Many team owners bought the idea, Harry charged a licensing fee, created space for advertisers to "show their wares," cornered the market and the rest is history! From this humble beginning there has developed today in virtually every professional ballpark a souvenir program available for a few bucks at most to help the fan keep score and to provide interesting information on the teams and players. Naturally, consistent with almost everything else connected with our national pastime, some programs have become quite collectible and are highly prized. Scorecards As Collectors Items. Okay, what about the scorecard from yesteryear hidden in the bottom of your dresser drawer given to you by a relative . . . are they prized collectibles? What is it about a particular scorecard or program that makes it valuable and collectible? As Curator of the National Sports Gallery , since I am surrounded by great artifacts every day at work, I resist the temptation to collect too much sports memorabilia. Besides, it's so expensive today, particularly if you love the old historical artifacts of yesteryear. But I do have a penchant for collecting scorecards, so I can tell you some tips about vintage programs as a collectible. Although there are many different types of scorecard enthusiasts, some collect only programs from their favorite team or featuring their favorite player while others collect only vintage programs from a particular year, era or event. There are several general rules that can be applied across the board: Generally, the design and attractiveness of the cover enhances the value of the program. This is especially true if the cover adorns a popular player or team. Some of the scorecards from as long ago as the late 19th and early 20th century are heavily illustrated and in color! Also, of course, the advertisements hastily assembled years ago with hardly a thought are now considered quaint and interesting. As with most paper products that have an element of collectibility, condition is vitally important in determining a program's value. Most collectors of vintage programs are only interested in those publications without torn pages or inserts grossly separated from the program's spine. Also, of course, stains and unsightly spots adversely affect a program's value. This can be especially problematic to the finicky collector as one can well imagine what could happen when a fan purchases a program at the ballpark -- it can become folded and creased, stained with mustard from a hot dog, and generally treated quite shabbily. It is not unusual to see scorecards decades old with a slight crease in the middle as they were often folded and stuffed into one's back pocket. Babe Ruth "Called Shot" Program. Vintage programs from games when records were tied or broken or when a significant event occurred obviously command premium prices in the open market. Thus, a 1995 Baltimore Orioles regular season program is worth only a few dollars but if it is the program from the game in which Cal Ripken, Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record, the value of the program increases tenfold. Similarly, although a World Series program from 1956 is quite valuable on its own and worth $200 to $300, if the game covered happened to be Don Larsen's "perfect game" from that Series the value increases dramatically. Perhaps there is a game from this year's Subway Series that will become historical? Only time will tell. Similarly, programs and scorecards from championship teams command higher prices, as do these items from a team's inaugural year, last game or other significant event. Interestingly, there seems to be added interest attached to defunct teams and other scarce programs such as minor league scorecards featuring the early years of an eventual major league superstar. Like any sought after collectible, the old rule of thumb applies . . . the scarcer and nicer programs have the most value. The Holy Grail: The 1903 World Series Program. If you happen to be digging around grandma's attic and stumble upon a simple baseball scorecard that looks old, is dated "1903" right on the front cover, and advertises for the "World's Championship Games" between Boston and Pittsburg, then you have found the first and scarcest of all the World Series programs. You have also found a valuable relic. I have only known of two or three of them that have surfaced in the last 25 years and the two examples that have been publicly offered at auction were sold for tens of thousands of dollars. I have always been partial to this particular example, not only because of its true scarcity (the "crowd" that appeared at the first World Series numbered less than 10,000 patrons per game so you can only imagine how few of these relics have survived), but also because I was able to display the finest first World Series program known at the National Sports Gallery in Washington, D.C. The scorecard itself is rather plain looking on its face but is so historically significant that it is highly prized. Like any great antique, the program tells a story and, in reality, represents a time when life was simple and baseball was truly the National Pastime. For when one gazes at the 1903 program they are enjoying an antiquity that was virtually created when the "modern" World Series originated. Late in the 1903 season, the owners of the two first place clubs agreed to play a best of nine World Championship Series. Though 19th century baseball produced many "championship" games, it wasn't until the 1903 World Series that the Fall tradition we know today really sprang to life. The 1903 World Series, won by the Boston Americans in eight games, was the inauguration of the post-season championship play between the National and American Leagues and the first World Series of the 20th century. During the hard fought series, the Boston Americans overwhelmed the Pittsburg Pirates on the strength of their pitching staff led by future Hall of Famer Cy Young. Admission was pegged at $1.50 per person and the players for both teams received two weeks pay plus a share of the gate for the eight game series. How pricey is the 1903 program? The example that we displayed was subsequently auctioned for close to $50,000 two years ago. That would be a nice find, wouldn't it? Well, guess what? It was found in grandma's attic only five years ago . . . and the finder almost threw it out thinking it was worthless paper! It's unlikely you'll stumble onto the 1903 World Series program in grandma's attic, so you may develop an interest in scorecards of the recent past. They do make nice collectibles and you'll find that modern programs are quite affordable. If you enjoy these little gems and would like to learn how to score a ballgame next time you are at the ballpark, I would recommend reading Paul Dickson's "The Joy of Keeping Score: How Scoring the Game Has Influenced and Enhanced the History of Baseball." It came out in 1996 and is published by Harvest Books , a division of Harcourt Brace and Company . It is chock full of interesting baseball trivia . . . the kind of information of great interest to readers of Baseball Almanac ! Do you enjoy baseball history? Scorecard and programs information? If so, Baseball Almanac invites you to take part on our message board today. Frank Ceresi and Carol McMains, formerly of the National Sports Gallery in Washington, D.C., have formed FC Associates, a business that specializes in Museum Consulting and Exhibit Planning, the development and creation of spectacular sports related exhibits and objective and professional Appraisals of sports artifacts and memorabilia. If you do not know how to score a game, Baseball Almanac URGES you to first examine our scoring section. After that, purchase Paul Dickson's The Joy of Keeping Score and you may be thanking us sooner than you think.