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The Joy of Keeping Score: How Scoring the Game Has Influenced and Enhanced the History of Baseball
In this unique book, Paul Dickson celebrates one of the most unusual traditions in all of sports--the baseball scorecard. Within the history of the scorecard are some of baseball's greatest moments. From the first scorecard introduced in 1845, to the scoring system devised by direct-marketing genius L. L. Bean; from presidential scoring habits to batting titles decided by official scorers, to Phil Rizzuto's inspired scoring symbol "WW," ("Wasn't Watching"), Dickson delights in his subject, offering unique insights and memorable anecdotes. Among the book's many illustrations is a gallery of historic scorecards, including Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, Babe Ruth's famous "called" home run, and Cal Ripken's record-breaking 2,131st consecutive game. In addition, Dickson provides basic and advanced scoring techniques for beginners and experts alike, a year-by-year timeline of rule changes, a guide to baseball's quirkiest statutes, stories of famous scoring blunders, and many more unexpected rewards. For those who keep or have kept score, this book will be an elixir. For those who haven't, it will be a revelation. For baseball fans everywhere, it is a treasure.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
6 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Paul Dickson
143 books41 followersPaul Dickson is the author of more than 45 nonfiction books and hundreds of magazine articles. Although he has written on a variety of subjects from ice cream to kite flying to electronic warfare, he now concentrates on writing about the American language, baseball and 20th century history.
Dickson, born in Yonkers, NY, graduated from Wesleyan University in 1961 and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnae of that institution in 2001. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy and later worked as a reporter for McGraw-Hill Publications.
Since 1968, he has been a full-time freelance writer contributing articles to various magazines and newspapers, including Smithsonian, Esquire, The Nation, Town & Country, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post and writing numerous books on a wide range of subjects.
He received a University Fellowship for reporters from the American Political Science Association to do his first book, Think Tanks (1971). For his book, The Electronic Battlefield (1976), about the impact automatic weapons systems have had on modern warfare, he received a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism to support his efforts to get certain Pentagon files declassified.
His book The Bonus Army: An American Epic, written with Thomas B. Allen, was published by Walker and Co. on February 1, 2005. It tells the dramatic but largely forgotten story of the approximately 45,000 World War I veterans who marched on Washington in the summer of 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, to demand early payment of a bonus promised them for their wartime service and of how that march eventually changed the course of American history and led to passage of the GI Bill—the lasting legacy of the Bonus Army. A documentary based on the book aired on PBS stations in May 2006 and an option for a feature film based on the book has been sold.
Dickson's most recent baseball book, The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign Stealing Have Influenced the Course of our National Pastime, also by Walker and Co, was first published in May, 2003 and came out in paperback in June, 2005. It follows other works of baseball reference including The Joy of Keeping Score, Baseballs Greatest Quotations, Baseball the Presidents Game and The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary, now in it's second edition. A third edition is currently in the works. The original Dickson Baseball Dictionary was awarded the 1989 Macmillan-SABR Award for Baseball Research.
Sputnik: The Shock of the Century, another Walker book, came out in October, 2001 and was subsequently issued in paperback by Berkeley Books. Like his first book, Think Tanks (1971), and his latest, Sputnik, was born of his first love: investigative journalism. Dickson is working on a feature documentary about Sputnik with acclaimed documentarians David Hoffmanand Kirk Wolfinger.
Two of his older language books, Slang and Label For Locals came out in the fall of 2006 in new and expanded versions.
Dickson is a founding member and former president of Washington Independent Writers and a member of the National Press Club. He is a contributing editor at Washingtonian magazine and a consulting editor at Merriam-Webster, Inc. and is represented by Premier Speakers Bureau, Inc. and the Jonathan Dolger Literary agency.
He currently lives in Garrett Park, Maryland with his wife Nancy who works with him as his first line editor, and financial manager.
Dickson, born in Yonkers, NY, graduated from Wesleyan University in 1961 and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnae of that institution in 2001. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy and later worked as a reporter for McGraw-Hill Publications.
Since 1968, he has been a full-time freelance writer contributing articles to various magazines and newspapers, including Smithsonian, Esquire, The Nation, Town & Country, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post and writing numerous books on a wide range of subjects.
He received a University Fellowship for reporters from the American Political Science Association to do his first book, Think Tanks (1971). For his book, The Electronic Battlefield (1976), about the impact automatic weapons systems have had on modern warfare, he received a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism to support his efforts to get certain Pentagon files declassified.
His book The Bonus Army: An American Epic, written with Thomas B. Allen, was published by Walker and Co. on February 1, 2005. It tells the dramatic but largely forgotten story of the approximately 45,000 World War I veterans who marched on Washington in the summer of 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, to demand early payment of a bonus promised them for their wartime service and of how that march eventually changed the course of American history and led to passage of the GI Bill—the lasting legacy of the Bonus Army. A documentary based on the book aired on PBS stations in May 2006 and an option for a feature film based on the book has been sold.
Dickson's most recent baseball book, The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign Stealing Have Influenced the Course of our National Pastime, also by Walker and Co, was first published in May, 2003 and came out in paperback in June, 2005. It follows other works of baseball reference including The Joy of Keeping Score, Baseballs Greatest Quotations, Baseball the Presidents Game and The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary, now in it's second edition. A third edition is currently in the works. The original Dickson Baseball Dictionary was awarded the 1989 Macmillan-SABR Award for Baseball Research.
Sputnik: The Shock of the Century, another Walker book, came out in October, 2001 and was subsequently issued in paperback by Berkeley Books. Like his first book, Think Tanks (1971), and his latest, Sputnik, was born of his first love: investigative journalism. Dickson is working on a feature documentary about Sputnik with acclaimed documentarians David Hoffmanand Kirk Wolfinger.
Two of his older language books, Slang and Label For Locals came out in the fall of 2006 in new and expanded versions.
Dickson is a founding member and former president of Washington Independent Writers and a member of the National Press Club. He is a contributing editor at Washingtonian magazine and a consulting editor at Merriam-Webster, Inc. and is represented by Premier Speakers Bureau, Inc. and the Jonathan Dolger Literary agency.
He currently lives in Garrett Park, Maryland with his wife Nancy who works with him as his first line editor, and financial manager.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 10, 2012
This book was just plain fun! I almost let it slip by me, however. Years ago I read another book with the same title, and I didn't realize this one was different until I downloaded a sample to my Kindle. Then I downloaded the entire book. It was an easy read that I finished in two days and would have completed sooner if I had not been reading two other books at the same time.
This delightful little volume is chock-full of stories and trivia, and I was especially amused to learn (1) that Grace Coolidge, the nation's First Lady from 1923-29, was an avid baseball fan and enthusiastic scorekeeper; and (2) that her husband, Silent Cal, accompanied her to a 1924 World Series game, apparently out of a sense of duty and for no other reason; he started to leave when the game was tied at the bottom of the ninth inning and practically had to be pulled back into his seat by his wife. (Unlike Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower was both a fan and a scorekeeper, neither of which surprises me.)
On a personal note, keeping score enhances my enjoyment of a baseball game, and I highly recommend it even to the casual fan, who, by trying it a couple of times, is likely to become a serious one. When I practiced law in Ohio, I stayed in my office late one night, listening to a World Series game on the radio, and kept score on a yellow legal pad. The Cleveland Indians were the American League champions that year. I called my wife a couple of times during commercial breaks to let her know I was okay and tell her how the game was going. I know the Tribe did not win the Series that year, although I don't recall how that particular game turned out. I may still have my improvised score sheet somewhere.
I am also a photographer and also enjoy taking pictures during the game, although, unfortunately, I have discovered that I can't do that and keep score at the same time. Having to make a choice between the two, I think I prefer scorekeeping.
This delightful little volume is chock-full of stories and trivia, and I was especially amused to learn (1) that Grace Coolidge, the nation's First Lady from 1923-29, was an avid baseball fan and enthusiastic scorekeeper; and (2) that her husband, Silent Cal, accompanied her to a 1924 World Series game, apparently out of a sense of duty and for no other reason; he started to leave when the game was tied at the bottom of the ninth inning and practically had to be pulled back into his seat by his wife. (Unlike Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower was both a fan and a scorekeeper, neither of which surprises me.)
On a personal note, keeping score enhances my enjoyment of a baseball game, and I highly recommend it even to the casual fan, who, by trying it a couple of times, is likely to become a serious one. When I practiced law in Ohio, I stayed in my office late one night, listening to a World Series game on the radio, and kept score on a yellow legal pad. The Cleveland Indians were the American League champions that year. I called my wife a couple of times during commercial breaks to let her know I was okay and tell her how the game was going. I know the Tribe did not win the Series that year, although I don't recall how that particular game turned out. I may still have my improvised score sheet somewhere.
I am also a photographer and also enjoy taking pictures during the game, although, unfortunately, I have discovered that I can't do that and keep score at the same time. Having to make a choice between the two, I think I prefer scorekeeping.
December 14, 2014
Keeping score at a ballgame is a rare pleasure for a nerdy baseball fan. I'll admit a certain satisfaction in being able to turn to a friend and remark that a right fielder just made his seventh putout of the night and has gone three-for-three so far. Jotting down abstract symbols on a scorecard is a great way to follow a game, lending a level of understanding to a sport that spends much time, as Ken Burns puts it, "pondering inaction".
Dickson's slim volume is a mixture of history, humor, and practical advice on scoring baseball games. Throughout, he subtly reminds his reader why keeping score is a fine way to watch a ball game, mixing in anecdotes about well-known fans like Dwight Eisenhower and Grace Coolidge, scorecards in hand. Dickson graciously concedes that there are few universals in how someone can keep score, and that no two scorecards are alike. This hits home personally, since two of my favorite scorecard notations – circling the frames where runs scored and terminating each inning with an "X" – are not among his options.
Dickson does expound on scorekeeping over time, beginning with the crude system of Henry Chadwick and progressing through some of the controversies over official scoring, particularly how it has impacted batting titles and other final statistics. As a rule, though, Dickson keeps it light, reminding us that keeping score is by and large a fan's pastime, and that many baseball sachems, including the venerable Don Zimmer, may go their whole lives without ever filling out a scorecard. This hits home in the book's most touching moment, when Dickson tells the story of a developmentally disabled woman keeping score. At the end of the game, her card doesn't have the traditional "6-4-3" nomenclature for double plays or the iconic "K" for strikeouts. Instead, each frame has a large "O" showing that the player "had been there, then gone." At the end of the day, that's what every scorecard really shows: the fan has been there, and been part of the game, and that game is now gone, consigned to memory and jotted notes on cardstock.
Dickson's slim volume is a mixture of history, humor, and practical advice on scoring baseball games. Throughout, he subtly reminds his reader why keeping score is a fine way to watch a ball game, mixing in anecdotes about well-known fans like Dwight Eisenhower and Grace Coolidge, scorecards in hand. Dickson graciously concedes that there are few universals in how someone can keep score, and that no two scorecards are alike. This hits home personally, since two of my favorite scorecard notations – circling the frames where runs scored and terminating each inning with an "X" – are not among his options.
Dickson does expound on scorekeeping over time, beginning with the crude system of Henry Chadwick and progressing through some of the controversies over official scoring, particularly how it has impacted batting titles and other final statistics. As a rule, though, Dickson keeps it light, reminding us that keeping score is by and large a fan's pastime, and that many baseball sachems, including the venerable Don Zimmer, may go their whole lives without ever filling out a scorecard. This hits home in the book's most touching moment, when Dickson tells the story of a developmentally disabled woman keeping score. At the end of the game, her card doesn't have the traditional "6-4-3" nomenclature for double plays or the iconic "K" for strikeouts. Instead, each frame has a large "O" showing that the player "had been there, then gone." At the end of the day, that's what every scorecard really shows: the fan has been there, and been part of the game, and that game is now gone, consigned to memory and jotted notes on cardstock.
September 4, 2025
A fun, quick read about the history of scorekeeping in baseball. (Read the 1996 version, so it’s missing 29 years.) Also somewhat nostalgic, since my brother used to score my baseball games when he and I were kids
September 18, 2008
Quick read yet thorough look at the history of recording baseball games and statistics. The love the author has for the game comes through in his writing, as well as his admiration for not just the players but also those who have watched the sport avidly all their lives. The history of fans' use of the scorecard is examined throughout the book, but the very beginnings of this art are focused on in the first chapter.
The basic "rules" for scorecard notation are given in the second chapter and are followed by more advanced techniques that can be incorporated once a person feels comfortable with recording the events of the game. In an unlikely way, creativity and original style are emphasized, and once a reader gets the hang of traditional symbols he (or she--there is no gender bias in this book) is encouraged to deviate from accepted forms, so long as the plays are still readable.
My interest in this book stems from the '93 baseball season, when I first tried to learn how to score games. I never made it through an entire game, and haven't tried to fill out a scorecard since, but now I am encouraged to do so. On the flip side, the impetus for writing this book was to encourage fans who were disgruntled by the '94 strike to come back to the game. This tint is repeated throughout the book, which shows not only that it is dated but also that, like most other things, not much has changed in regards to keeping score in baseball. One thing I really liked was the inclusion of replicated scorecards through time, including ones that recorded momentous events in baseball history.
One thing I wish was included was a glossary so that those unfamiliar with more technical baseball terms had an additional reference. Otherwise, very little needs to be amended or updated from the version I read.
The basic "rules" for scorecard notation are given in the second chapter and are followed by more advanced techniques that can be incorporated once a person feels comfortable with recording the events of the game. In an unlikely way, creativity and original style are emphasized, and once a reader gets the hang of traditional symbols he (or she--there is no gender bias in this book) is encouraged to deviate from accepted forms, so long as the plays are still readable.
My interest in this book stems from the '93 baseball season, when I first tried to learn how to score games. I never made it through an entire game, and haven't tried to fill out a scorecard since, but now I am encouraged to do so. On the flip side, the impetus for writing this book was to encourage fans who were disgruntled by the '94 strike to come back to the game. This tint is repeated throughout the book, which shows not only that it is dated but also that, like most other things, not much has changed in regards to keeping score in baseball. One thing I really liked was the inclusion of replicated scorecards through time, including ones that recorded momentous events in baseball history.
One thing I wish was included was a glossary so that those unfamiliar with more technical baseball terms had an additional reference. Otherwise, very little needs to be amended or updated from the version I read.
April 17, 2018
“Get your scorecard! You can’t tell the players without a scorecard!” - Harry M. Stevens, concessionaire extraordinaire and man who popularized selling scorecards and hotdogs at ballgames.
This little book is perfect if you are interested in score keeping at baseball games! And we all owe it to the Father of Keeping Score, and developer of the box score, Henry Chadwick !
Great photos throughout! And Chapter 4 - Scoring and Baseball History From A to Z - is a particularly informative chapter! Lots of cool baseball anecdotes too, like WW being Phil Rizzuto’s scoring notation for “wasn’t watching", the fact that First Lady Grace Coolidge regularly kept score in the presidential box at Griffith Stadium, and that baseball is actually in the Bible-“In the Big Inning"! (ok, the last thing is a joke, but still fun!) There is a lot of technical information on actually scoring the game, and if you are interested, this would be the perfect book to learn from!
This little book is perfect if you are interested in score keeping at baseball games! And we all owe it to the Father of Keeping Score, and developer of the box score, Henry Chadwick !
Great photos throughout! And Chapter 4 - Scoring and Baseball History From A to Z - is a particularly informative chapter! Lots of cool baseball anecdotes too, like WW being Phil Rizzuto’s scoring notation for “wasn’t watching", the fact that First Lady Grace Coolidge regularly kept score in the presidential box at Griffith Stadium, and that baseball is actually in the Bible-“In the Big Inning"! (ok, the last thing is a joke, but still fun!) There is a lot of technical information on actually scoring the game, and if you are interested, this would be the perfect book to learn from!
March 4, 2023
n 1995 Harcourt Brace Publishers released Paul Dickson’’s book “The Joy of Keeping Score: A celebration of Baseball’s Most Divine and Unique Pleasures”. The book is about “how scoring the game has influenced and enhanced the history of baseball.” USA Today Baseball Weekly said in their book review, that “The Joy of Keeping Score” is about “…the art of painting a picture of an entire game using a no. 2 pencil and a blank program lineup sheet.” In his “Joy of Keeping Score” book, Paul Dickson describes how baseball game scorekeeping captures the historic importance of player performance, game strategies, and viewer (fan) engagement. The book has many wonderful pictures, and an exceptional multipage timeline for how baseball performance and scorekeeping evolved over the post 160 years. “The Joy of Keeping Score” has a prominent place in sports’ book collection. (P)
October 12, 2020
This book provides some basic instruction in how to score a baseball game using a scorecard, then a long section of anecdotes about scoring as it pertains to baseball history, and finally some examples of scorecards for some well-known games. There are many photographs throughout, although most from baseball's earlier days.
I think about keeping score when I at Nationals baseball games. This was a good introduction to doing something about it - well, perhaps. Published in 1995 I bought it used from Powells.com for $4.95 - well worth that price.
In the acknowledgements the then-sports specialist at the Library of Congress, Steve Kelly, is thanked. Always like to see that.
I think about keeping score when I at Nationals baseball games. This was a good introduction to doing something about it - well, perhaps. Published in 1995 I bought it used from Powells.com for $4.95 - well worth that price.
In the acknowledgements the then-sports specialist at the Library of Congress, Steve Kelly, is thanked. Always like to see that.
December 20, 2020
The first time I read this little/BIG book was to learn how to be a scorekeeper for my son at Little League Baseball back at 2001. I learned and enjoyed every moment of it! Paul Dickson is right when he says it's the same basic act for MLB as LLB. But the lower the latter of scoring, the higher the stakes! Little Leaguers players and parents will complain your judgement of Hit over and Errors.
I enjoyed re-reading now on 2020 for the sake of historical baseball events! I highly recommend this BIG book to all baseball fans!
I enjoyed re-reading now on 2020 for the sake of historical baseball events! I highly recommend this BIG book to all baseball fans!
June 23, 2025
A delightful book about keeping score at a baseball game, a practice that once acquired becomes a life-long habit. I started as a boy, keeping score while watching MLB all-star games on TV -- until too many players entered the contest and made a mess of my homemade scorecard. Through my adult life, though, I have found it to be a pure pleasure to keep score at games of all levels. Dickson's book captures that joy, and provides some tips for beginners and old-timers alike. An easy read, full of fun facts.
May 6, 2018
I’m not sure that this works well for someone entirely new to keeping a scorebook. But for the initiate, there are a few interesting sections on history, different scoring systems, and different options that can flesh out your own system.
I also read the first edition, so some of the emphasis is a bit outdated. I’d advise getting the newer edition if possible. Overall, a short and pleasant read, but probably not well suited to the uninitiated.
I also read the first edition, so some of the emphasis is a bit outdated. I’d advise getting the newer edition if possible. Overall, a short and pleasant read, but probably not well suited to the uninitiated.
February 1, 2023
Extremely short and to the point, but it does go into some detail regarding the history of scoring baseball and how it impacts the game. Also introduces different ways of keeping score – it’s left up to the reader to determine their best way to complete their sheet.
If you’re looking to learn how to score baseball, or just like reading about it, this is a very good place to start. (Definitely a period piece with its multiple 1994 references, but still relevant today.)
If you’re looking to learn how to score baseball, or just like reading about it, this is a very good place to start. (Definitely a period piece with its multiple 1994 references, but still relevant today.)
December 7, 2024
Dickson does a great job illustrating the past and present importance of scoring baseball games. He also happens to give good examples of how to actually do it. Maybe my favorite part is seeing historical scorecards and how they've changed through the decades. Keeping score helps me appreciate games more, and this book helps me appreciate scoring more.
April 16, 2024
A very fun book to read and learn from if you want to try scoring baseball games. After reading this, I hope to score my first game, good thing I have scorecards to practice on.
May 11, 2024
Great read! Very historical and enjoyable. Lightly educational, not too overwhelming.
March 6, 2025
Less informative than I expected
August 2, 2011
This book was a gift from my daughter's Little League coach. He taught me the basics of scoring the games in a way that gives information which is useful to him. But like all scorers, as Dickson points out, I found a scoresheet I like and adapted from the many different scoring variations available on the internet which I think also works best for me.
Following the hits, misses, and idiocyncracies of the meandering line to such commonly accepted notations as the "6-4-3 DP", the book also includes photos and scorecards, both commercial and historical.
I finally learned what GIDP means (ground into double play) and especially loved the section from a 1968 Montreal Expos scorecard in French. How much more poetic the "6-4-3 double-jeu" or the "retrait au baton" (on your scorecard, simply a "K"). And does not every pitcher (1 or your scorecard) secretly long to be seen as a "lanceur"?
Jouer le jeu!
Following the hits, misses, and idiocyncracies of the meandering line to such commonly accepted notations as the "6-4-3 DP", the book also includes photos and scorecards, both commercial and historical.
I finally learned what GIDP means (ground into double play) and especially loved the section from a 1968 Montreal Expos scorecard in French. How much more poetic the "6-4-3 double-jeu" or the "retrait au baton" (on your scorecard, simply a "K"). And does not every pitcher (1 or your scorecard) secretly long to be seen as a "lanceur"?
Jouer le jeu!
May 29, 2025
This is an all-too-brief work on how to use a scorecard to gain a greater appreciation of baseball. The facts, figures, examples and anecdotes make Dickson’s book an excellent “jumping off” point for anyone interested in participating a bit more actively from the stands and thus getting more out of the game. The only two things that bothered me were the short length (around 100 pages, including copious illustration) and the occasional odd bit of bitterness about the 1994 strike. I believe the author finished writing shortly after the ’94 season, so I suppose his reaction is only natural. Perhaps the 1998 season will give him cause to do a slightly more upbeat update. And make it longer this time!
April 7, 2015
Had this one forever, dug it out for baseball season. It's very much a product of its time, with an emphasis on wins and ERA for pitchers and batting average for batters. More specifically, it's so bitter about the strike, player salaries, and the player's union, that at times the prose, generally profuse in praise, is soured to far.
Most of the book's text is just so-so, but the stories (like how a team cheated to give a player an 8 for 8 day or LL Bean--yes, THAT LL Bean--trying to create a new scoring system for baseball) and the pictures of old score cards will keep this around for now. It's worth grabbing if you can find it cheap for the baseball fan in your life.
Most of the book's text is just so-so, but the stories (like how a team cheated to give a player an 8 for 8 day or LL Bean--yes, THAT LL Bean--trying to create a new scoring system for baseball) and the pictures of old score cards will keep this around for now. It's worth grabbing if you can find it cheap for the baseball fan in your life.
March 2, 2008
I picked up scoring games a number of years ago, and find it very entertaining. While this book was great for refining technique, it was infinitely more fascinating for learning the history of scoring and some really great anectdotes. Doesn't sound like it would be a good read, but it's short and exceedingly fun.
November 10, 2014
I am a baseball scorer. I love the art of it. That there was a book written about this old-time lost art just thrilled me. I loved reading about my hobby.
Dickson has done a good job explaining the art and particularly the history scoring baseball games.
This is a must-read for anyone interested in the pursuit of scorekeeping.
Dickson has done a good job explaining the art and particularly the history scoring baseball games.
This is a must-read for anyone interested in the pursuit of scorekeeping.
Read
August 20, 2012This really gave me good insight into scoring. If you really want to learn baseball, learn to score. If you want to learn scoring, start with this book. You will only learn to score by practicing. Practice watching live games and televised games. Then try your hand at scoring from the radio. This book will give you the tools and the history.
March 9, 2013
Pretty insightful to the history of score keeping but lacks the direction on HOW to keep score that I was seeking. The book stated many times that there were multiple ways to keep score and even reproduced a few historical games... but the pictures were hard to read the plays and there was no translation to what was written or why.
June 3, 2008
One of my nerdy pleasures is keeping score at baseball games. This book does a great job of the history of keeping score, why people do it, different ways of doing it, all the while keeping it non-technical and entertaining.
June 9, 2009
I loved reading about the history of keeping score in baseball, and especially enjoyed the timeline of rule changes during the 1880s. But the thing that hooked me was the method that official scorers use for "proving" the scorecard. Now I want to score every game I watch.
March 7, 2010
An enjoyable little book. I originally purchased it for my wife who keeps score at all the Round Rock Express
baseball games we attend as well as some of our softball games we play. Small enough to take to the game and browse through between innings, or pitcher changes.
August 12, 2010
Very quick fun book! My friend Kevin recommended it to me when he found out I liked keeping score at ballgames. This book reminded me of a few things I'd forgotten, gave me a little history, and was fairly entertaining. My favorite new code to use while scoring a game is "ww" -- "wasn't watching"!
November 7, 2011
The Bible of baseball scorekeeping. "The Joy of Keeping Score" provides a complete history of scorecards, from the beginning of the game up to present day. It also has pictures of classic scorecards and explanations of various scorekeeping techniques.
May 20, 2012
Informative, entertaining, nostalgic, at times even poignant. In same vein as the essays of John Thorn or Bart Giamatti. As much about how baseball connects us as it is about the history and mechanics of scoring. A majorly enjoyable work in a minor key.
May 20, 2012
Loved learning how to keep score. I learned so much more about the game and the Yankees. But I kept burning dinner, trying to keep my score sheets accurate. Great summer replacement for knitting while watching tv.
July 22, 2012
Fun & quick. Some neat facts about the history of scoring and why people do it. Don't expect this to teach you HOW to score, but if you already know how, it's cute. I suddenly want to start scoring games from my couch as I watch on tv.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews