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Instructions to Scorers

The following diagrams show the blank forms of the score-sheets used in recording the play, and also the total result, in a match game of base-ball; and we present these blanks before proceeding with our instructions in scoring:-- In recording a game on score-sheet No. 1 we proceed as follows:--Under the heading of "Batsmen" we place the names of the batting nine, and under the heading of "Fielders" we place the names of the opposing nine. These names are recorded on the two score-sheets of the score-book; the names of the two nines thus appearing on the book twice, once as batsmen and once as fielders. Over the heading "Batsmen" we record the time of commencing the game, and this is done only on the page of the nine who first go to the bat; the figures of the hour of closing the game being recorded over the heading "Fielders," on the page of the nine who last go to the bat; and over the figures of the "innings" we record the name of the grounds the match was played on, and the date of the game.

Each fielder is numbered from 1 to 9, and in recording by whom players are put out these figures are used to indicate the name of the fielder. In recording the positions of the fielders we simply use the initials of the words of the position, thus C for "catcher," P for "pitcher," &c. Instead of using C for "centre field," we use M for "middle field," as C is used for "catcher." The figures 1, 2, 3 are used to indicate the outs of each innings, and a dot thus (.) for each run. Dots only are used in recording the details of the batting on the left hand of the score-sheet, and also for recording the particulars of the fielding on the left. Thus, if the batsman secures his first base by a "clean hit"--that is, not by means of a wild throw, a dropped fly ball, or a palpably muffed ball--we place a dot in the square of the column of "times bases on hits" opposite the batsman's name; and if instead he be put out on the fly, we place a dot in the square of the column headed "fly catches," on the right, and opposite the fielder's name. Now the above score only gives the data for estimating the skill of the batsman as far as his score of bases on hits, or on muffs, &c. is concerned, and of the skill of the fielder as far as the record of the totals of his work in the field is concerned. To complete the score, however, something more has to be done, and that is, to record how and by whom each batsman is put out; and how this is to be done we now proceed to show.

The scorer must first make himself familiar with the following abbreviations of words used to indicate the various movements and actions of the fielders, and these abbreviations will be found very easy to commit to memory. They are as follows:-- A, Put out at first base. R O, Put out between bases. B, Put out at second base. L F, Put out on foul fly. C, Put out at third base. L D, Put out on foul bound. H, Put out at home base. T F, Put out on tip fly. F, Put out on fly catch. T D, Put out on tip bound. K, Put out on three strikes. H R, Put out for home run.

As before stated, the figures 1, 2, 3 are used for recording the outs, and dots for runs; with small figures thus, 1st, 2d, 3d, to indicate being left on the bases.

The key to the above abbreviations is as follows. The first three letters of the alphabet indicate the first three bases, and we use the initial letters of the words Home, Fly, Run Out, and Tip, and the last letter of the words Struck, Foul, and Bound. Thus L stands for foul and F for fly, and both together for "foul fly." The above system will be found to include everything necessary in recording the important details of a game, to the extent of showing the good plays made at the bat and in the field. In "reporting" the details of a match, however, we necessarily require a still more elaborate system, and our short-hand system for the use of reporters will be found in detail in our "BOOK OF REFERENCE," published in New York. In order to illustrate fully the working of the system of scoring above described, we will proceed to score an imaginary game as follows:-- Suppose the fielders in their places and the batsman in his, and the scorers ready to record the game. "Play" is called, and the time of beginning the game at once recorded. The first striker then hits a ball, which is caught on the fly by the left-fielder, who is the seventh striker, we will say, on the other side. On the square of the first innings opposite the name of the first striker you first write down the figure 1, indicating the first hand out, and above it write the figure 7 and the letter F, and your record will then appear thus: 7 F/1?? the 7 representing the name of the fielder, and the letter F the initial of the word fly, showing by whom and in what manner the player was put out. Opposite the name of the seventh fielder, too, under the head of "On fair fly," you write down a dot, which gives him credit for the fly catch in the score of good plays. The second striker now takes the bat, and, hitting a low grounder to centre-field, makes his second base just before the ball is well fielded in to the second baseman. To record this properly you place a dot opposite the batsman's name to the left under the head of "number of times" bases are made on hits; and in the next column you place two dots, showing the number of bases made on the hit; or, if you like to be more particular, you can write the figure 2 in place of the two dots, and then you will know the bases he made on each hit. The third striker now comes to the bat, and hits a ball to short-stop, who passes it to the first baseman in time to put the player out. You now have to record the second hand out, and you do it thus: first, the figure 2 for second hand out, and the figure 3 for the name of the short-stop, who is the third striker on the list of names on the other side, and then 4 for the first baseman, who is the fourth striker. The square will then appear thus: 3-4 A/2?? thereby showing that the batsman was the second hand out by a ball fielded to the first base player by the short-stop. You then, opposite the fielders' names to the right, under the head of "number of times assisting," place a dot opposite the third fielder's name, and under the head of "on bases," a dot opposite the name of the fourth fielder, thus crediting the short-stop with the assistance rendered and the first baseman with putting the batsman out. The fourth striker now takes the bat and strikes out, and you then record the out by the figure 3 for the third hand out, and the letter K for struck out (in this instance, as in one or two others, as we have shown, we use the last letter of the word), and under the head of "on third strike," opposite the fielder's name acting as catcher, we place a dot. This closes the innings. When the game is closed, we add up the total outs and runs charged and credited to each batsman, and place the totals under the heading of "Outs and Runs" to the left of the batsmen's names. The above will suffice to show the general plan of scoring we adopt in this system. The statistics of the batsman's play, to the left of the batsmen's names, include his total score of outs and runs, the total number of times the first base is made, and the number of bases made on clean hits; and a similar record of bases made on "muffed" and wildly thrown balls, and on balked and called balls, together with the number of times base-runners are left on bases, and the number of clean home runs. The statistics of the fielding, to the right of the fielders' names, include the totals of outs on bases, on fair fly catches, on foul fly and foul bound catches, on three strikes, from being run out, the totals of the players put out, and of times assisting to put them out. The American game of base-ball will be found an excellent substitute for cricket in England, for those who have not the leisure time for the English game, as a full game of nine innings a side can be played in three hours at most. It is a more vigorous exercise than cricket, and in a closely contested match fully as exciting to spectators, when understood. For boys, after school hours, it is far better than cricket, owing to the short time required to play a game.