Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-14
HOW TO SCORE A
BASE BALL GAME

AS many will see league base ball games
for the first time this season it is i'm
portant that they should acquire a knowI-
edge of how to score the games simply and
intelligently. Ones enjoyment of tho con-
test is much increased and his comprehen-
sion Of it is enlarged II he keeps an intelli-
gent record of the different plays. Henry
Chadwick. Familiarity known as the father
of the game. although he was really its
first and greatest press agent. evolved a
scheme of recording plays years ago which
has never been surpassed. The usual way
Is to number the players from l to 8,
beginning with the catcher. and by combi
nation of figures show how the ball was
handled. But Chadwick used letters, gen
orally initial letters, and thereby indicated
without call upon ones memory the play
ers who participated in play. The num-
bers he employed only to designate whether
the put-out was first, second or third. The
players were designated as follows:
baseman. A; second baseman, B; third
baseman. not c. for that would have indi-
Gated the catcher, but d, which is the other
most significant letter in third" Left
fielder was represented by l.; center fielder
by NJ, signifying middle field, and right
fielder by r.
represents shortstop.
Now this scheme is small tax on ones
memory, almost none at all. The letters
generally signify the players engaged. Take
an illustration: player hits to shortstop
and is thrown out at first. He is the first
out. The play would be recorded thus:
las.
That is. he is the first out. He was put
out by the first baseman, assisted by the
shortstop.
Suppose the second man fans out. but the
the man at first. The play would be record
ed like this:
That Is. he is the second man out. He
has struck out. but catcher had to throw
him out at first.
Suppose the base runner on first is forced
out at second. The second baseman fields
the ball to short. The play would be re-
corded like this:
Besides showing how the players were
put out 1t Is necessary to show how they
gained their bases. single Is indicated by
short mark, thus -: double by mark
twice as long, -; and homer by cir
Gle. Each section of the little square oppo-
site the batsman's name has a significance
The first quarter represents first base and
so on. Suppose man has reached first
and steals second. In the second section
of the square sb will indicate stolen base"
Suppose he reaches first a sacrifice-sh
will indicate that fact. There will be no
danger in confusing the with shortstop
because no figure signifying that fielder
handled the ball accompanies it.
Reaching first base on an error is indi-
Gated by placing one letter above another.
II
tumble of the shortstop. 1t would be in
dicated thus:
A
ST
Suppose he reached 1t on a wild throw Of
short Then it would be indicated thus:
A
SW
In these combinations of letters the place
reached by the runner Is given first: then
the fielder making the error or assist and
finally the nature Of the misplay. Suppose
a man reaches first base on the baSeman's
mum of shortstop's throw. 1t would be
indicated thus:
AS
NJ
These illustrations show how the scheme
can be carried out. 1t Is claimed by those
who use II to be more capable to descrip-
tive work than the numerical system,
which must be memorized and suggests
nothing to the eye. To sum up the follow
ing signs used:
Catcher, c. Sd base. D.
Pitcher, p. Left field. l..
Shortstop, s. Center field Nj.
LIST base, A Right field, X.
I'd base, B.
Struck out X, out on fly, Fused, with
figures showing number out.
Stolen base SB, sacrifice hit SH-used
without figures.