Filling Out a Baseball Scorecard

Once a team leaves the batting cage to begin a baseball game, the manager fills out a scorecard with the names of his starting players. Entries are made each time a player bats showing the results of every at-bat. Fans, too, use scorecards to keep track of the performances of both team members. A scorecard charts every hit, run, error, putout, and assist.

Entering the Lineups Before the first pitch of a game, the uniform numbers and names of each starting player are entered on the scorecard - or scorebook as it's also known. Also listed next to each player is the defensive position for each player. The positions are numbered 1 through 9. The corresponding position numbers are: 1: pitcher 2: catcher 3: first baseman 4: second baseman 5: third baseman 6: shortstop 7: left fielder 8: center fielder 9: right fielder

Some levels of baseball - Major League Baseball's American League and high school and college teams - use the designated hitter. The scorecard abbreviation for the designated hitter is DH.

There usually is room on the scorecard to note the starting time of the game, which comes in handy if the game has a time limit, as is the case with youth baseball. You can also note weather conditions on the scorecard. Some scorecards allow the umpires' names to be listed.

Keeping score involves listing data on each hitter and pitcher. You'll be able to show totals for each player at the end of the game. Generally speaking, each hitter's at-bats, runs, hits, and runs batted in (RBIs) are tallied at the far right of the scorecard. At the bottom of each team's lineup is a summary for team hits, runs, errors, and runners left on base.

Following the Action
A scorecard contains small boxes with diamonds inside that are used to chart any progress of a hitter who reaches base. If a batter strikes out, the letter K is listed, and, if it's the first out of the inning, the number 1 is entered and circled. (For a called third strike, the K is written backward.) Other symbols often used include:

• BB: base on balls
• 1B: single
• 2B: double
• 3B: triple
• HR: home run
• SB: stolen base
• E: error
• DP: double play
• BK: balk
• PB: pass ball
• WP: wild pitch

Many scorekeepers indicate the direction of a hit by drawing a line to the outfield spot where the ball went. For easier run tallying at the end of an inning, color in the diamond whenever a run is scored.

When a substitution is made, the new player is listed under the starter, and a vertical line is drawn on the left side of the square box at the inning the substitution occurred. When a pitching change is made, a vertical line is drawn above the square box to show which inning the new pitcher was inserted.

Veteran scorekeepers have their own unique way of chronicling the action. Regardless, if a game is carefully charted, a person who didn't see the game should be able to visualize just what happened.