For those keeping score…

Baseball is a complicated sport. It’s counterparts are much simpler to explain.

In football, you have to get the ball past the line. In basketball, you have to get the ball in the hoop. In soccer, you kick the ball in the net.

But in baseball, you have to swing at the ball, hope you can hit it, then run and touch four bases before someone on the other team either tags you with the ball or steps on the base with the ball before you get there.

Now, imagine trying to keep track of what’s happening on a sheet of paper.

You have to remember that baseball is a game of statistics. Lots and lots and lots of statistics. Keeping score involves much more than simply counting runs.

You have to know the difference between a single and a double, striking out looking and striking out swinging, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly, to name a few.

At first, it’s a nightmare, but u get the hang of it, it’s not that hard.

-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu