I played softball for about 17 years of my life, so I would definitely consider myself to be very knowledgeable about the sport. However, until I became the official scorer for softball as part of my Union University sports communication graduate assistant job, I had no idea how hard it could be to apply that knowledge in scoring a game.
I got to travel with Union’s softball team to Youngsville, La., for their first weekend of play this season since there wasn’t an official stat crew for the tournament. I was very excited to be with my friends even if it was in a different role. But I was also nervous because this was going to be my first official time as the statistician, and I was the only one from our staff going.
The first day of the tournament came, and I got my computer and paper scorebook setup on a picnic table right behind home plate. I was really hoping for an easy first inning to get me started. Well, let’s just say that did not happen.
Union was in the field in the top of the first. I thought I had everything put in right. I was doing my best to stay calm as it felt like a million different things were happening on the field at once. Then someone hit a pop-up to our third baseman, which she caught. According to what I had inputted, that was the second out. However, everybody started running off the field like it was the end of the top half of the inning.
I started to panic. Where had I messed up?!?
Apparently, a runner had been thrown out by our center fielder, and I didn’t realize it. I started scrambling trying to figure out which runner it was that had gotten out because several plays had happened since the one I missed.
Finally, I decided to just keep the paper scorebook and go back in later to fix the stats because there was no way I was going to be able to figure that out and have a record of what was happening at the same time.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, however, because Fallon Groves, one of my old teammates that I had graduated with last May, was there, and she offered to keep the book for me while I figured out the computer situation.
It honestly took both of us to keep up with everything and to decide how to score certain plays, such as hits versus errors and wild pitches versus passed balls. I don’t think I truly realized how subjective scoring a softball game could be until I had to do it myself.
Another part that was hard was figuring earned runs and unearned runs. Sometimes, you won’t know until the end of an inning whether a run was earned or unearned because it is mostly based on what happens after the run scores. I still haven’t gotten my mind completely wrapped around it yet, probably in part because I was never a pitcher, but I’m sure my knowledge of those things will come as I’m on the other side of the fence for a while longer.
Since Groves is like me and has pretty much only played the game and never had to score it, I asked her what she thought the hardest part was.
“I think the hardest thing about statistics, at least in the little experience I have, is learning all the small details that go into plays,” she said, “Trying to remember plays that only happen one in every 10 games.
“A few of the small things that I had to think about when doing statistics was that I didn’t have to think about when playing is how to stat a play at the plate like an 8-2 play. Which by the way if you run on Morgan Jennings in the GSC, I highly recommend reconsidering that. I would also say that sometimes you need more than one opinion to determine if a play is a hit or an error.”
Steven Aldridge, associate director of athletics, sports communication, at Union, doesn’t believe it is too difficult a change to go from playing to doing statistics as long as you have a foundational knowledge of the rules of the game.
“It is not a major change to adjust to stats and the details of the game for someone who has grown up with the game and learned correctly along the way,” Aldridge said. “It is harder for those who have never been exposed to correctly doing statistics for a game or the correct rules of the game.
“On occasion, there is misinformation that is passed down to players from well-meaning coaches and parents that is simply not in the rule book. A good statistician has a good working knowledge of the rule book but is also willing to double-check the rule book when needed. And just like playing the game, practice and repetition is the key. The more games you do, the more plays you see, and the better statistician you become.”
Aldridge also gave advice for people like me who have always played the game and are making the transition from competing to sitting behind the stats computer.
“Get involved. Of course, pursuing a career in sports communications is a great way to stay connected to the sport or sports you love. However, even if you are not working full-time in a sports communication or stats field, you can still be involved.
“Local leagues, high schools, and colleges are always looking for good statisticians who can help provide quality stats for their programs. Some of those positions are volunteer, but many are paid positions. I have several former students who work for local minor leagues, colleges, or high schools in their towns as statisticians or press row workers. Take ownership of the job and read (or re-read) the rule book.”
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