Scorecap
Scorecap is a notation system that displays a team's play-by-play as a single line of text. In essence, it takes the batting team's half of a traditional baseball scorebook and condenses it into a string of (mostly) familiar symbols. If you've ever kept score, you should be able to read a Scorecap without much trouble.
I developed Scorecap because I needed a quick way to visualize the course of a no-hitter or no-hit bid without having to consult the textual play-by-play. For that reason, Scorecap focuses on the result of each plate appearance, which is all that matters for no-hitter purposes. Additional information, such as base runner outs and runs scored, is included for context.
Whether you use Scorecap or not, every game listed at NHob that was played after 1900 includes links to Retrosheet and Baseball Reference, where you'll be able to view the box score and play-by-play to get a more detailed description of the events.
Key
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Elements of Scorecap |
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Batter Outs 1 fly out, pop fly, or foul out
Base Runner Outs ' runner out on bases
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Batters Reaching Base s single
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Runs Scored 1 2 3 4 (subscript) runs scored on play
Bustup Plays
yellow first base runner
Other Symbols ■ pitching change
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Details
- Batters reaching base are always indicated by lower-case letters or a small capital k. Base hits are shown as s, d, t, and h (single, double, triple, and home run). A batter may also reach by a walk (w), intentional walk (script 𝒾, see note 1), hit by pitch (x), or error (e). When a batter reaches base on an error, the fielder making the error is normally not shown. However, if the batter is the first base runner, "e" is followed by a small numeral indicating the fielder that made the error; for example, e5 . Note that it is possible that the error was committed by a fielder receiving a throw at first base rather than the player that fielded the batted ball. The remaining methods of reaching base are less common: a dropped third strike (k), catcher's interference (c), or a fielder's choice (f) where no runner is retired and no error is recorded. Although not a batter, the extra-inning ghost runner (®), introduced in 2020, is included.
- Batter outs are always indicated by a full-height character: K for a strikeout or a numeral indicating the player that fielded a batted ball. The method that the batter was retired, if it was recorded, is shown by one of the following: an overline (fly ball, foul fly, or pop fly), a red strike-through (line out), an underline (ground out), or a double underline (ground out on a bunt). Fielder's choices are included in this category if a base runner was put out. Note that there is no information about where the ball might have been thrown after it was fielded. When the type of out is known but the fielder is not recorded, the numeral 0 is used with the appropriate markup. If no details of an out are known, it is indicated by a question mark (?).
- Base runner outs are indicated by superscript symbols. As mentioned in the previous item, this does not include a base runner retired on a fielder's choice, where the batter essentially replaces the base runner. However it does include an out made by the batter after reaching first base. An apostrophe (') covers a single out, typically a runner caught stealing, picked off, or out trying to take an extra base on the immediately previous play. A plus sign (+) indicates a double play; the batter is almost always one of the outs. A hash mark (#) indicates a triple play (note 2). A raised circle (o) indicates a rarity—a runner hit by a batted ball (note 3).
- Runs scored are indicated by subscript numerals: 1 2 3 or 4. Usually the scoring occurred on the play covered by the previous symbol. Occasionally the scoring occurred on a separate play that did not involve the batter, such as a wild pitch, passed ball, or steal of home.
- Other symbols. Breaks between innings are generally indicated by a centered dot (•). Every third inning is followed by a double vertical bar (║). The end of the ninth inning is indicated by a crossbar (╬). Pitching changes are shown by a black square (■).
- Colors: In busted no-hitters and perfect games, background colors highlight the play that ended the bid: the first base runner (yellow) and the first base hit (pink), respectively. If the first base runner is the result of the first hit, the color is orange.
Examples
Here is the most famous perfect game of all-time, Don Larsen's gem in the 1956 World Series: 27 outs, 27 alphanumeric characters. Perfect games all have the same length and profile; only the symbols differ.
KK9•5K4•9K8║ 44K•984•44K║ 687•158•94K
Busted no-hitters offer much more variety. This is a game pitched by Rick Wise in 1975. At the start, six perfect innings. But in the seventh, we see the first base runners on an error, e5, and a walk. It isn't until two are out in the ninth that disaster strikes: first a walk, then a home run to break up the no-hitter. Another homer followed, but Wise escaped with the win.
983•K14•89K║ 583•397•369║ e6 3wK4•K98•K5w h 2h1wK
For true entertainment, check out this "sloppy" no-hit bid from 1956, by Johnny Klippstein et al. It has almost everything: a double play, intentional walks, a run eight innings before the first hit, pitching changes, extra innings—this is why I invented Scorecap! Now that you know how to read it, you can join in the fun.
58K• x ww71KK•9w3+║ 784•7w14•197║ w57𝒾wK•■589•■633 ╬ 6K d 6•2t𝒾𝒾s1
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Note 1. Why did I use a script 𝒾? In a sans-serif font, the letter i is barely visible in the jumble of numbers and letters.
Note 2. Search here for Roger Moret's start.
Note 3. On several occasions, the first hit of the game occurred when a batted ball struck a base runner, but as far as records are available, it has never happened after the fifth inning. What if it was the last out of the game?! Check this out: UNC celebrates a no-hitter that never happened!