Scoring Baseball

Advanced Symbols

Red Barber once stated, "I doubt if there are any two people, fans, writers or broadcasters, who keep score with identical symbols and systems. I do know that any fan who acquires the habit of scoring his own ball games will find that it adds much to his enjoyment of the pastime."

With that stated you may begin to think that there are no set rules or methods; however, there are some set basics that you need to understand before you can begin devising your own "symbols and systems" that Red Barber spoke of.
"No thirty-six inch bat ever made as many hits as the scorer's little pencil." - Men Magazine's Richard McAnn
Comprehensive Abbreviation List

In Alphabetical Order
* or ! Great Defensive Play
1B Single
2B Double
3B Triple
A Assist
BB Base on Balls
BK Balk
BS Blown Save
BT Bunt
CG Complete Game
CS Caught Stealing
DP Double Play
DH Designated Hitter
E Error
Et Error on Throw
F Foul
FC  Fielder's Choice
FO Force-Out
FP Fielding Percentage
G Game
GA Games Ahead
GB Games Behind
GIDP Grounded into Double Play
GS Games Started
HB Hit by Ball
HBP Hit By Pitch
HR Home Run
I  Interference
IBB Intentional Base on Balls
IF Infield Fly
IP Innings Pitched
IW Intentional Walk
K Strikeout
Kc Strikeout - Called
Ks Strikeout - Swinging
L Left or Losses
LD Line Drive
LOB Left on Base
LP Losing Pitcher
NP Number of Pitches Thrown
Obs Obstruction
OF Outfield
OS Out Stealing
PB Passed Ball
PH Pinch Hit
PO Putout
PR Pinch Runner
R Right
RBI Runs Batted In
RS Runner(s) Stranded
S or SH Sacrifice Hit
SAC Sacrifice
SB Stolen Base
SF Sacrifice Fly
SHO Shutout
SO Strikeouts
SV Save
T Triple
TB Total Bases
TP Triple Play
U Unassisted Putout
W Walk
WP Wild Pitch


Every ballpark in the league has a basic set of instructions in their scorecards and everyone of them does it a little different!

Did you know that there are more than fifty different scorecard designs being used today?

Symbols like * or ! are becoming more common in the official scorebook. Do you have a special symbol you use or a play that deserved it? Share the information with us on our message board!
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