Failure™ Magazine

Baseball’s Scoring Slump

Why scoring baseball is becoming a lost art.

Written by Jason Zasky   Filed under Sports

Occasionally, a group devises a new scoring method designed to supplement or even take the place of the modern system. However, these new and often innovative methods have generally failed to catch on. In 1954, L.L. Bean—now known for its catalog retailing success—revealed a simplified system built around five core symbols. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a group named Project Scoresheet (PS) created a new system in 1984 that featured hundreds of new scoring codes. Using the PS system, a stolen base play in which the catcher’s throwing error allowed the runner to move to third base would be notated as SB2(2-3)E2/TH)). Needless to say, Project Scoresheet was too cumbersome to gain acceptance and disappeared by the early 1990s.

As with any activity, there’s always a fringe element that takes a hobby to the extreme. Some especially devoted fans keep score while watching games on television or listening to the radio. A few collect game programs, which occasionally become collectors items worthy of an Ebay or even Sotheby’s auction. In 1991, at the height of the baseball collectibles market a ten-cent program from the 1905 World Series sold for more than $24,000.

Not surprisingly, though, aficionados focus on the here and now. The most common problem reported by scorekeepers is staying focused and keeping up with the action on the field. Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame New York Yankees shortstop and longtime broadcaster, even came up with a letter symbol, “WW,” to be used whenever a scorekeeper misses a play. What does it stand for? “Wasn’t watching,” of course.

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