Color Coding Detail
A home run, like all hits, is blue and a strikeout is red on this scorecard.
Seat Location Detail
Typed after returning home from the game, seat location is added to the usual game condition data.
Color-Coded Scorekeeping
David Riggs
19 May 2005
Featured in Paul Dickson's book The Joy of Keeping Score (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996), David Riggs uses a color-coding system inspired by Joe Garagiola's which increases readibility (and liveliness of appearance). Garagiola's system:
- hit
- walk
- strikeout
- other
Riggs' scheme switches hit and walk colors and also adds orange:
- hit
- walk
- strikeout
- error, HBP, etc
- other
Why the change? Garagiola considered a strikeout the ultimate "stop" by the pitcher and a hit the opposite: a "go" by the batter. Riggs' rationale is that a walk is closer to the opposite of a strikeout and more of a blemish on the pitcher's record. The addition of orange came after Dickson's book was written, as did the adoption (to my delight) of the Reisner Scorecard.
In the lineup and opposing pitchers areas, starting players' names, numbers, and in/out data are written in the team's dominant color (red for the Cardinals in the example here) and substitutes are in black.
Notice how quickly you can spot the strikeouts repeatedly breaking up chances for a big inning, as well as the scattered hits (and lack of walks).
