As I prepare to take the scorebook to its second game tomorrow between the teams I claim dual-citizenship toward–the Indians and Twins–here’s a glimpse at The Scorebook’s debut high atop the RF Grandstand at Target Field on Opening Day, April 12.
Took this pic last October (clearly, the Pirates weren’t playing) when we drove back from New York to Austin. The park was unbelievably awesome and I can’t wait to finally take down a game there. With a house like this at its heart, Pittsburgh deserves a winning team.
Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY
Game 3 of 3
Holy Foul Balls, Batman! The rain threatened late in the game and did approach lightly at the start of the 9th inning…not enough to permit your friendly neighborhood scorekeeper to leave the game, but a brief retreat to drier quarters resulted in a “right place at the right time” situation where yours truly managed to catch a ‘roof ball’ fouled away by none other than Corky Miller!
The weather was gorgeous starting out, as my buddy Marty joined me for my second game of the season…and with Scott Carroll on the mound again!
Thanks again for coming, Marty!
Scott’s line looked great tonight, a much better outing than Opening Day on 4/7/11…7IP, 7H 3R (0ER), 2BB, 4K, 86 pitches (55 strikes). Scott left with the game…
“He’s a pitcher that pitches” – Adam Jones on Carl Pavano. Thanks for clearing that up, Adam.
This post is syndicated from Old Time Family Baseball.
The wonderful folks at Pitchers Hit 8th are giving away an Eephus League scorebook for the best christening suggestion for their new podcast. So stop in, listen to the awesome banter, and submit your idea!
— Robert Frost
The baseball bat seems to be the most simple piece of equipment on the field, but there’s a lot of science hidden in that piece of lumber. Louisville Slugger takes 18 measurements along the body of the bat (19 if you count the knob) and stores this information to create bat models. That means there are 1,978,419,655,660,313,589,123,979 possible bat models. There are 5 basic sections to a bat, from the tip to the knob, and each player has personal preferences about the length and width of each.
The most consistently popular bat in the majors is Jose Cardenal’s C271 (Cardenal was the 271st player with a surname beginning with a C to have a bat modeled for him).
“I see great things in baseball. It’s our game–the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us.”
— Walt Whitman
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Here’s a great article about Mr. Lincecum from T Magazine. Among other things, it claims he can throw a baseball more than 400 feet on the fly. Oh, and his grandfather was a logger who used to get into fist-fights for fun.
It’s good to see commercials that nod to the history of an organization. If Berkman keeps it up, we’ll retire his number after just one season in red.
It fits in my camera bag! Oh the glory, oh the majesty.
I’ve taken the scorebook to three games now (attracting some attention from the bag checkers at the gates the second and third times), but this stuff is all from its first outing: Yankees at Red Sox, Sabathia vs. Beckett, the second Red Sox win of the season. There was some rain, not enough to stop the game, but enough to give the scorebook that, er, lived-in look right off the bat.
click for bigger/readable
No issues with the lead-in spread, except I need to know who the umpires are for each game so I can ID them in photos later. There’s plenty of room in the margins, so I just added that info on the side….
This needs to be done at every little league and softball park right away.
A friend sent me this link today. It’s an really neat chart showing team payroll compared to their win-loss record. Teams like San Diego and Cincinnati did very well with their alloted funds while the Cubs… not so much.
In 1992, it was totally kosher for Frank Thomas to keep a bomb in his bat.
Today, he would be labeled a terrorist.
(Baseball card via Baseball Nation)
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Fans exiting Yankee Stadium via center field gates, ca. late 1950s/early 60s
photo by Yale Joel, for LIFE
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Today, the Toledo Mud Hens made history in their home opener by scheduling the first season-opening double header in professional baseball.
Go Mud Hens!
All-American Arena by Saul Steinberg. Life magazine, July 1955.
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October 11th, 1980. During game 4 of the NLCS, Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies violently laid out Bruce Bochy of the Houston Astros at homeplate. I thought it would be funny to make this little animated gif to capture the hit and the aftermath. If you wanna see video of the hit, you can watch it HERE. The collision comes about 3/4 into it but the entire video is worth watching as it documents the craziness of the series quite well. While ole’ Boch looks knocked senseless, something tells me his big-ass head is capable of taking much more abuse than what Pete Rose’s forearm gave him.
Luke Easter played with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League in both 1949 & 1954. During Easter’s Baseball career he also played in the Negro…
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“There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither of them works.”
- Charlie Lau
(illustration via The Transplanted Phan)
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“They can’t yank a novelist like a pitcher. A novelist has to go the full nine, even if it kills him.”
—Ernest Hemmingway as quoted in The Writer’s Quotation Book Edited by James Charlton (via quotefun)
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Casey Stengel
The High Five: Manny’s Greatest “Clean” Accomplishment. Highlight here.
(By Justin Bopp at BtBS)
This post is syndicated from Old Time Family Baseball.
Tar Heels Half (7)
Noles Half (6)
You have to love college baseball and the copious amount of pitching changes!
My apologies to everyone for a sloppy card. I resorted to my bench warming high school methods instead of trying out a cleaner version. I’ll try something new the next time I keep a game! Really love this book though. I’ve never been one to keep score at a game, but the Eephus League book was so convenient that I had no excuses.
“Doubles are spawned in the batter’s box.”
- Tim McCarver is in midseason form.
This post is syndicated from It's a long season..
Since the buttons I made for the kickstarter project have proven to be popular, I wanted to start making buttons specific to each team. Oviously I have to be careful because of licensing and such, but I think I can do something that would celebrate each team in unique ways.
If there’s a player, nickname, famous moment, tradition or stadium food staple you would love to see celebrated in a 1 inch button, let me know and I’ll try to include it in the set for your team!
This was my first use of the scorecard at last nights great Orioles victory. 3 home runs, 2 come from behind rallies, and 1 “never will score this play again in my life” F8-9. I’m still getting the hang of scoring, but things went smoother as the game went along. Thanks!
I’d rather drive a bus in the minors than be an attorney.
- Tony LaRussa
Quoted by David Lamb in his book Stolen Season: A Journey Through America and Baseball’s Minor Leagues
“I’m a quick healer, like Wolverine.” –
Adam Dunn wants to play today, less than 48 hours after an appendectomy. (via davidaarnott) This from a guy who doesn’t even like baseball very much.
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Ted Williams, 1953
Keep your head, Red Sox fan. It’s a long season.
(photo by Ralph Morse)
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Here is a rundown of the developmental phase of the scorebook that arrives on your doorstep. The first 1,000 books were pre-assembled by my printer, but I’m responsible for it now, and it’s definitely a fun process.
1. The foldout
The foldout is the first thing inserted into the back flap of a book. I find it easier to get the stickers in that way, and the stickers also have less chance of getting buried deep in the flap.
2. The Stickers
I’ll spare you all from the details of getting these things made (custom dies and kiss cuts!). Two go in every book to ensure any possible combination of outcomes is covered. I certainly hope your team wins all 20 of the games in the book!
3. The Reference Card
This lovely splash of color is printed on beautiful…
Mr. Andrew has started to use his scorebook, making me infinitely happy. Love his nice and simple notation technique. If you are also using your scorebook, I want to see photos and get feedback!
“Whoever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?”
Chicago Cubs first baseman/manager Frank Chance on the eve of the replay of the Merkle game against the New York Giants that would decide the 1908 National League pennant. The Cubs defeated the Giants 4-2 and then went on to easily defeat the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Ironically, this would be the last time that Chance’s observation could be made about a Cubs team. They haven’t won a World Series title since 1908.
Jack Dunn (1872-1928)Baltimore Orioles Manager1921Photographer unknownPortrait Vertical FileMaryland Historical Society[PVF]
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Forty years ago today, Willie Mays hit the first of four home runs in four days to start the season, his last as a regular.
While reading up on Joe DiMaggio recently I came across this great photo. I have always loved this image due to it gracing the cover of the May 3rd, 1993 issue of Sports Illustrated (photo HERE). This is actually an issue that I still own from my childhood. Well, I love it even more now that I know what the entire photo consists of. Sports Illustrated cropped out some of the great elements of the photo such as the cameraman, the lack of a batter’s box, and the catcher’s whole body with the Umpire behind him. I have a hunch this photo is from Spring Training however I could be wrong. In any case, everything is great about this photo of the Yankee Clipper.
The Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation this season makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it. I can…
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I doubt Carlos Santana had any idea he would end up starting a triple play in his major league debut at first base but that’s exactly what he did in the Indians’ victory over the White Sox on April 3rd. Video available at the link.
I’m working my way through Ken Burn’s documentary Baseball and I’m up to the 8th Inning. This disc has Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk waving his World Series left field bomb just inside the foul pole, resulting in a home run by his shear will. The ball wouldn’t dare stay foul with this imposing figure demanding otherwise. White Sox fans were lucky to have Carlton Fisk finish his extraordinary career in Chicago, where gave everything he had every game until he didn’t have anything left to give. Favorite highlights include Carlton tagging out two runners in succession at home on the same play, and chewing out an opposing team rookie who didn’t run out a pop fly – an opposing player! This guy respected the game.
I only had one encounter, completely nonverbal, with Mr. Fisk. When my daughters were…
Snow and baseball don’t go that well together unless it is a snow cone. Just a little poetry to celebrate the missed day of baseball…
No Haiku Today
Game postponed because of snow
That’s Colorado!
Wakefield throwing Hamilton his signature knuckle ball at last night’s romping of the Sox in Arlington. Home runs by Kinsler, Beltre (grand slam), Cruz, Torrealba, Ortiz and Ellsbury. Rangers won 12-5 and went on to sweep the Sox. It’s nice to see competitive baseball in Texas after all these years.
