I Have A Confession. I Keep A Score Card

I have a confession...I haven't been honest with you my friends. I'm a normal guy. I've got a decent job, a college degree and a fiancee who seems to like me. Today though, today I realized I have a hobby that should only be done in the privacy of my own home. I just can't handle the jokes and the stares so I need to tell you about it.


I keep a score sheet at baseball games. There...I said it and feel better already. I was born in Saint Louis and am a passionate Cardinals fan fortunate enough to have attended two World Series so far. This morning, I left Dallas at 6AM and hopped a flight to Denver for a Rockies Cardinals game with my dad.

My ritual upon arrival at the ballpark is probably different than yours. Some make a beeline for the beer line or head for a glimpse of the field. Me? The program guy is my first stop which is weird because I'm 27 not 80. He's usually right there near the gate with three options. The basic score card, the souvenire program and the pencil.

I grabbed my program and pencil for 6 bucks and we headed off to our seats wondering why they also don't sell cheap pencil sharpeners. Dad wondered off for our beers and I sat down and got to work.

Now if you've never kept score, imagine your boss setting basic ground rules...then Milton from office space carrying them out. The batting order is mandatory and you need to designate who plays where in the field with the position specific number..but that's about it.


It's part of the reason I love doing it. Today I charted each pitch, meticulously marking each ball and strike in the proper space for each at bat. I could tell you what the count was when Todd Helton pulled the hidden ball trick and the LOL? John Jay trying to score on a passed ball.

It helps me think about the game and try to get in the Cardinals managers head. “Ok, we definitely need to bring in a lefty to face the 8 hitter in the 5th..then it's time for another switch to face the 9th so I....hey is that a gum wrapper?" This is probably another post entirely.

Today at the ball park I dealt with three or four "my grandpa kept score" comments. They allways make the comments then look at my dad like I'm rain man. It  seems odd to me that I'd get mocked for doing it. Every year we get a new study on how slow or boring the game is yet is not slow for me. I've always got something to do and it increases my enjoyment of the game.