Keeping Score

As I was walking toward the Metrodome to attend last Saturday’s Twins game, on a whim I purchased a GameDay program, thinking it might be fun to read and perhaps I’d try my hand at keeping score. At least in part I thought it might be a good distraction from not being able to keep reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which I had received only in time to read about 50 pages before I left for the game.

I’ve been intrigued by the idea of keeping score at baseball games, but it always seemed intimidating, like it would be too complicated or confusing. I’ve watched people doing it and it seemed almost a foreign language. However, I’ve been attending more and more games over the years, and I follow things more closely playing fantasy baseball, so I figured it was about time to let my geeky side have a shot at it.

So I filled in the lineups after Barb and I finished dinner in the season ticket holder-only Mirassou Winery Sun Room for the first time (a benefit we plan to take advantage of in the future). Before we sat down we decided to get some ice cream, so I wasn’t able to really keep score until sometime in the second inning or so. I quickly read the simple instructions included in the program, and got started.

It wasn’t too bad! It certainly required me to pay just a little more attention than I usually do, which is probably a good thing (my mind does tend to wander now and then). I didn’t do it entirely correctly, but I blame lack of instruction or research ahead of time. I still have a few things to learn or figure out how I want to do them if I decide to keep score in the future.

To aid me in this, I ordered The Joy of Keeping Score from Amazon.com on Monday, and it arrived today. Just as soon as I finish the book I mentioned in my last post, I plan to pick this one up.