Scorecap

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Scorecap is a notation system that displays a team's play-by-play as a single line of text. On the NHob website, Scorecap is used to show the progress of one team's pitcher (or pitchers) over the course of a full game. If you're familiar with keeping score, you should be able to read a Scorecap without any trouble at all.

Scorecap focuses on the result of each plate appearance, which is all that really matters as a pitcher works toward a no-hitter or perfect game. Additional information, such as base runner outs and runs scored, is included for context. Looking at a Scorecap, you'll be able to visualize the important events of a game in the order they occurred: how each out was made, when and how the first base runner reached base, and when the first hit occurred — unless it didn't.

Scorecap also functions well in representing normal games, even high-scoring games. In the many lists of busted no-hitters listed on NHob, there is something for everyone.

You don't have to study the Scorecaps to enjoy this site. Every game in every list includes links to the play-by-play accounts at Retrosheet and Baseball Reference, where you'll be able to view the box score and a detailed description of the game action.

Example

To get started, let's take a look at the most famous perfect game of all-time, Don Larsen's gem in the 1956 World Series: There it is: 27 outs, 27 alphanumeric characters. If told you that each of the numbers represents a player that fielded a batted ball that resulted in an out, I am confident you can already see

KK9•5K4•9K8║ 44K•984•44K║ 687•158•94K

Let's add some baserunners. This is Rick Wise in 1975. At thestart, 18 up, 18 down, six perfect innings. But in the seventh, the first base runner, on an error: e5. An out and a walk, a strikeout and another out.

983•K14•89K║ 583•397•369║  e6 3wK4•K98•K5w h 2h1wK

7 e1 3+•6c95•6K6║ wwx8166•376•4w'4║ k1KK•886•K d ■𝒾4K

• 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.

• 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 represented by 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 may 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. So far only one triple play (#) has been recorded in a long no-hit bid (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, such as 1 or 2. 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 indicated by a centered dot (•). Every third inning is followed by a double vertical bar (║). Pitching changes are shown by a dark 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 was the result of the first hit, the color is orange.

Key

Elements of Compact Play Notation
Batter Outs 1  fly out, pop fly, or foul out 1  lineout 1  ground out or fielder's choice 1  bunt on ground (often a sacrifice) 1  unspecified fly out, pop fly, foul out, or line out 0  used (with markup) when the type of out     is known but the fielder is unknown ?  unspecified out K  strikeout (XXX if three straight in inning) Base Runner Outs  '  runner out on bases +  double play #  triple play o  runner hit by batted ball	Batters Reaching Base s  single d  double t  triple h  home run w  walk 𝒾  intentional walk x  hit by pitch e  error k  dropped third strike f  fielder's choice (no out made) c  catcher's interference	Runs Scored 1 2 3 4  runs scored on play Bustup Plays  yellow   first base runner  pink   first hit  orange   first hit = first base runner Other Symbols ■  pitching change •  end of inning ║ end of every third inning ╬  end of ninth inning

Quiz

Now explore, and enjoy Scorecap!

Got it? Now try to identify these famous no-hitters or busted no-hit bids. The answers are provided further below.

EASIEST: 638•K45•96K║ K88•577•36K║ 5K5•K75•K7K║ 886•688•185║  e5 1𝒾 d 1

HARDER: 833•644•866║ 38K•711•K89║ 486•6K4•86 s 5

HARDEST: 3 w 14•1wK9•4xK5║ 55wwK•636•w6+4║ xe561•w1𝒾32•ww521w■e15

BONUS: 799•KK6•996║ 446•75 w w7•743║ w9'K•44ewwe3e16

Answers

Game 1 starts with 12 perfect innings, so it has to be Harvey Haddix's famous game from 1959.

Game 2 is perfect through 8⅔ innings. There have been a few such games. This one is Armando Gallaraga's from 2010, which was busted by an incorrect safe call at first base.

Game 3 is from 1967, the wild, wonderful combined no-hitter of Steve Barber and Stu Miller, which they lost, 2-1. Look at all the base runners.

Game 4. And who can forget the unfortunate Andy Hawkins, who pitched a complete game and allowed no hits, but gave up four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on two consecutive outfield errors?

______________

Note 1 Why a script 𝒾 ? In a sans-serif font, the letter i is barely visible in the jumble of numbers and letters.

Note 2 Search <A HREF="../lists/LongNoHitters,Pitchers-M.htm">here</A> for Roger Moret.

Note 3 No instance has been found of an MLB no-hit bid being broken up by a ball hitting a base runner after the fifth inning. But check out UNC celebrates a no-hitter that never happened.