Box scores – in the morning paper of course (online is a second choice) – are one of the things I love about baseball. Now it’s Spring Training and the box scores are back. Here’s why I love ’em – my #8 reason in “Why I Love Baseball.” (Click the YILBB link at the top of the page to see all ten reasons.)
The box score – akin to the “orchestra in a box.”
8. The box score.
BBRT editor’s mother used to refer to an accordion as “an orchestra in a box.” That’s how I view the daily box score – the symphony of a game recorded in a space one-column wide by four inches deep. Some would say the box score reduces the game to statistics, I would say it elevates the game to history. What do you want to know about the contest? Who played where, when? At bats, hits, stolen bases, strikeouts, errors, caught stealing, time, attendance, even the umpires’ names? It’s all there and more – so much information, captured for baseball fans in a compact and orderly space. I am, of course, dating myself here, but during baseball season, the morning newspaper, through its box scores, is a treasure trove of information for baseball fans.
Watch for post on Twitter, will be beginning soon. Will tweet baseball haiku, trivia and random thoughts.