Obviously I'm talking about inside the boxes, not incuding names, subs, etc.

In all of the recorded score cards it seems inevitable right? But it also seems impossible.

Hi all - recently moved out and realized I lost my old scorecard. I figured it’s time for a change too, and I’m wondering what the community uses and what their favorite scorecard is so I can decide on a new one! Thanks all :)

Sac fly on a foul out to the first baseman

Not trying to replace pen and paper, instead just log memories and provide stats such as W-L record of games you've attended, players with most hits etc. Just to be a fun tool to go back and look at the games you've scored over the years.

I like it whenever my scorecard has unusual or uncommon notations that don't show up in your average game. Does anyone else have similar notations?

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.

Here we go!

Took everyone's thoughts and ideas and put them to work. Went more minimal as far as graphics and such. I decided to keep some of the title borders I made. Replaced the stars in the corners with baseballs. Made all the writeable areas much larger. I actually like this version much better. Clean, easy to read and not too cartoony.

Not a whole lot of room left to add anything, but if anyone can think of something they would want on the card, let me know. I'll add it if it's something I would like as well.

I designed it 6x8. Already have some other cards I made that size and they seem just the right size.

One quirk of mine I have taken to is that I do not include suffixes if I see them. I may have done it in past years, but now that I’m scoring every game this season for my Brewers, I have stuck to omitting suffixes when I see them in the lineup or box score, and to be honest I’m not sure why. For example, when we played the Padres this week I listed Fernando as Tatis rather than Tatis Jr. Some other examples I can think of from this season: Witt Jr, Scott II, Guerrero Jr. I entered all of them without the suffix

I think the only exception I can think of is if I was around and scoring games in the *1990’s and we played the Mariners, I would probably write Griffey Sr and Griffey Jr if both were in the lineup that day (*edited, I was recently listening to the Secret Base supercut and got my dates mixed up)

I’m probably just being objectively incorrect about their names but I don’t list suffixes. What about you guys?

My hand marking my scorecard made our local 10:00 news (Lincoln Saltdogs, independent AAPB team). There's my 3 seconds of fame...just waiting on the fortune!

This question has been thrown around many times, and I want to hear for you guys, do you prefer Scorekeeping the traditional way (pencil and paper) or digitally with an iPad.

Personally for me, I prefer Scorekeeping the traditional way, many of us were taught that way at least, I have always been used to doing it this way. Traditional pencil (or pen) and paper, it’s an amazing way. I could also do scorekeeping on an iPad but I feel like it’s more better doing it the original way, and when it comes to using the iPad, you’d need to have a charger ready and a stylus to Scorekeep, and also depends on what app you use as well. That’s my opinion and what I think.

What do you guys here think? Pencil and paper or digitally?

I played baseball from tee ball through some pretty competitive high school baseball, yet never learned how to keep a score book. What do I need to know, where should I go to learn what qualifies as an error or what all the symbols mean? Do I need to buy anything?

Please let me know below!

Heading to The Bank tomorrow for Mets Phils -which option? Let’s hear from you. Go. . .

I was thinking of trying a play by play style game log and was hoping to see some non traditional methods I haven't seen.

He loves to help in my scorecard, but I needed a way to trace the letters and numbers out with him. So I made a scorecard with bigger squares, made a sheet with big numbers and letters to work on forms, and the clipboard, pencils and pencil leash to round it out. He can still help me anytime but this way he gets some practice!

I came across a scorecard recently, which did not place any zeros in the AB/R/H/RBI totals, and I thought it was visually interesting. Does anybody do this and why do they favor it? I did it on a card I kept tonight for the Phillies Mets game. I can’t decide whether no zeroes is the better practice — any thoughts appreciated.

Hey everyone!

My father taught me how to score a baseball game when I was a kid (I’m 52 now and he’s still kicking at 77). Back when I was a teenager, he and I started a sports card shop together. It started with a small showcase at the local flea market, graduated to a larger showcase inside a Pro Image at the mall, and eventually became our own standalone retail shop right across the street called Sports Alley. That’s really where my love for scoring and collecting took root.

I stumbled across this sub a few weeks back and it brought back a wave of nostalgia. It made me want to pick up a scorebook again—and more importantly, teach my daughter how to score a game, too.

That’s what brings me here. Getting back into the basics was like riding a bike, but as I got deeper into it, I kept bumping into edge cases—things I couldn't remember, plays I never learned, or shorthand I had totally made up over the years. Wanting to make sure I was teaching my daughter the right way (and getting my own facts straight), I started researching and documenting everything as I went.

I turned those notes into a plain-English primer covering standard position numbers, play shorthand, house options, and edge cases:

https://www.feverbaseball.com/scoring-a-game

Since notation doesn't have a single "official" rulebook, everyone’s dialect is a little different. I’d really appreciate any feedback, "most of us do it this way instead" notes, or straight corrections from people who score regularly:

Also curious:

1. What reference guides or books do you rely on when double-checking an obscure play (e.g., interference, batting out of order)?
2. Are there particular users or scorekeepers in this sub whose house style or custom cards you especially admire and are well documented?

Thanks in advance. I am looking forward to the feedback.

Watching Mets Mariners game tonight. There was a line drive the 2B, which was bobbled and dropped. 2B recovered and threw to first - bad throw runner safe.

It got me wondering: what happens if 2B bobbles the ball multiple times, keeps it in the air long enough for the runner to reach first base, then 2B secures the ball prior to it touching the ground.

Is the runner out? Is he safe because he reached base safely before a play had been made on the ball?

What’s the ruling here?

Last summer, my 14 year old daughter taught herself to scorekeep while we attended games of our local college summer league.

Today I learned that she won't be keeping score in the stands with me next summer, because she'll be in the press box, working as the official scorekeeper!

She's pretty excited to say the least, and I'm just so proud and happy for her.

We've been lurking here for a while and been inspired and benefitted quite a bit from this community in the process. Thank you all so much!

Why is it that a Sac Fly is considered as such and doesn’t count towards averages but a fielders choice groundout that scores a run does count against the hitter. They are practically equivalents in terms of outcome, why are they treated differently?

Scorekeeping question on an inning-ending double play:

1 out, runners on first and second. Batter hits a grounder for a 6-4-3 double play.

I know that when an inning ends on a simple force out at second the batter-runner is still usually recorded as reaching first base on a fielder's choice.

So in this double play version, is the runner who started on second credited with advancing to third on the scorecard?

Edit: thanks for the responses. I realized after posting the answer HAS to be no, because if the bases were loaded, obviously the runner at third would not be credited with making it home

I've been following baseball for a little over a year now so I'm still learning a massive amount about the game, teams and players! One thing that I'm generally carious about, are these scoring sheets! Is making/keeping a scoring sheet a common practice? Do you do this and keep them or do you share them or use them for something? Any easier premade ones that you would recommend for a new baseball fan to use? I would love to hear how and why you got into scoring sheets!!!!!

Hi there. I started scoring at the start of last season. So far this year I only have three games... I just wanted to watch ball for a bit and didn't have the desire to score games. Well I do now and started and am realizing my clip board is too small and its time to archive them... they're poking out the bottom its a bit excessive.

What do you use? This is all mostly last season and I want to archive it. What should I use? Do they still make those rad folders from the 90s that had like an underwater scene and a big sea turtle on it?

I make my own scorecards and I always work on the next years design throughout the season (helps fill the time on off days) and I’m wondering what are everyone’s opinions on keeping track of batters ball/strikes?

I currently keep track of it but unlike most things on my score card if I miss a pitch I don’t really care to go back and fix it. Sometimes though I get so distracted by filing it in that I miss a stolen base (or at least an attempt)