For tonight’s Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers game, I thought I’d keep score using Alex Reisner’s Plain Paper Scorekeeping method, in the process learning the modified Project Scoresheet (364KB PDF) notation it uses.
Of course, the game’s result could have been better, but having fun learning something new tempered the bad feelings a little. I did not keep track of each pitch, but otherwise noted everything.
On his site, Reisner lists what he sees as the Plain Paper method’s pros and cons, most of which I find I agree with, although perhaps not to the same extent. I like how much easier it is to do substitutions and notes, but as he says it is harder at first glance to see who’s where on the basepaths. I also like the fact that you can use any old piece of paper — or rather pieces of paper, since it will take multiple ones — to do your scoring, handy if you forget your scoresheets or run out of them.
My sheets came out looking similar to his examples. More notes on mine, including pitchers getting up in the bullpen and other subsidiary info. I left out Reisner’s diagrams on the first page, instead adding a column to my graph paper for the starters that listed their initial defensive positions.
Would I switch to using this particular system exclusively? I could see the attraction, yes, especially as a sort of analog version of the plaintext ideal. However, there is something to be said for a personalized version of the more visually oriented traditional system.
I’ll likely keep experimenting with this, or at least with the notation system. If I get around to it, I’ll scan and post the sheets up here.
A side note: given our pitching performance in the stretch run, the season-long struggles are upon us once more, at an inopportune time. This points to one of the issues we will be trying to address in the off season.
