The best baseball scorebook is something that every coach, team manager, and even the parent of a young baseball player is always looking for.
People who love this game are generally fond of keeping the stats. And keeping a scorebook is a good way to maintain stats accurately.
You would often notice that maintaining records on one scorebook is surprisingly easier than another. There are several factors behind it. These are the factors that decide which product is good and which is not.
The quality, size, pattern, and format of a baseball scorebook decide the experience of your scorekeeping.
There are so many scorebooks available in the market. Hundreds of options would pop-up if you type 'best baseball scorebook’ on google. But how do you know which scorebook is the best for you?
Before you buy a scorebook, there are three questions you need to ask: -
- How many games can the baseball scorebook record?
- What is the number of the player roster in the scorebook?
- Are the tables spacious enough?
If the product you are considering satisfies all three criteria to your liking, then you can look up the additional details.
In case you are on a search right now, then we have lined-up nine of the top-rated baseball scorebooks in 2020 for you. We have tried to add enough variety so that everyone finds something that meets their scorekeeping needs.
There are several different and amazing scorebooks out there. But we have skimmed through the lot and brought to you nine of the best baseball scorebooks for you.
Top 9 Best Baseball Scorebook
OUR TOP PICK
You can use the BSN scorebook to keep stats of both softball and baseball matches. If you are keeping scores for the first time, then the beginner's guide to scorekeeping in this book will come handy.
This scorebook lets you record 26 games, which is enough to last for a while. Each sheet has space for covering nine innings and 16 batting positions. It has extra slots for batting order, in case there are substitutions. Apart from all these, you also get to maintain additional stats like AB, 1B, BB, 2B, HR, 3B.
Quality-wise, it is decent enough. This scorebook has a spiral binding, and the pages will not tear if you don't go too rough on them. Size-wise, it is 8 x 11 inches, which isn't too small but small enough to fit into your regular bag.
This is one of the best baseball scorebooks. The boxes aren’t tiny, which gives you room enough to jot down some additional details as well. Also, it includes season totals, batting average chart, team roster, and pitcher tables. If you are a beginner at baseball scorekeeping, we would highly recommend this scorebook to you.
EDITORS CHOICE
If you are looking for a baseball or softball scorebook that will last longer and is a little more cost-effective than the BNS scorebook, then you can check out this one. It can record 40 games, with 9 innings, and has slots for 10 hitters. It can seem less to some people. So, if there is a situation where the entire roster has to bat, you might fall a tad short.
A hardbound cover allows you to score the game even while you are standing without the additional help of cardboard underneath. Chances of this book tearing or falling apart, are slim.
The pages are of decent quality as they are made from multi-media paper. You can use a marker, pencil, pen, or any other thing to write on these pages without having to worry about your writing bleeding onto the other side. Also, the tables for scorekeeping are spacious.
It is durable, easy to use, and the size of this scorebook is perfect as well. The only thing is that instructions about scorekeeping are positioned in a weird place, but it should not be a deal-breaker.
BEST VALUE
Looking for a baseball scorebook that is beefier? If so, then check out this product by Covey sport. It lets you record 100 games and has space for 10 innings. This scorebook has slots for 12 hitters and allows you space for 2 substitutes for each player.
A benefit of buying this baseball scorebook is that it lets you record the stats of both the teams on the same page. You can forget about scurrying through pages, while you struggle to maintain an accurate stat.
This scorebook is meant for all leagues. You can track the little league, high school matches, or college matches. Also, the back cover is made of hard cardboard. This will give the book enough support for you to write on it, even while you are on the go. But quality costs, right?
The dimension of this scorebook is 17 x 11 inches. This means that although it gives you ample space, it can be a tad large to fit inside regular sized bags. If you want a book that can easily fit just about anywhere, this might not be the best baseball scorebook for you.
RUNNER UP
This is another awesome scorebook that is versatile enough to accommodate baseball and softball scorekeeping. You can record up to 24 matches in this book. There are 17 batter slots, and each of which has 3 lines so that you have the space to write about two replacements.
It has a strong back cover that makes it easy for you to write stuff. Also, the format of this book is pretty easy. This is one of the reasons why it is so highly-rated on Amazon. It has more room to write, has detailed instructions, and also more pitcher stats. However, the spiral rings could have been a little wider.
RUNNER UP
This one is another fabulous baseball scorebook that will last through 50 games. While it isn't as chunky as the Covey scorebook, it costs about one-fourth of its price.
The USP of this baseball scorebook is that it is super compact. You can track batting, pitching, and fielding stat on the same page. The frames are spacious, and you can write additional information if you like. It has a 16 player roster per game, and it is good for nine innings games.
A special feature of this baseball scorebook is that it has a page in the back where you can store player's and parent's information. The binding is decent and will not come off with use.
RUNNER UP
In terms of quality, effectiveness, and price factor, this product by Glovers leads. It is one of the best-rated baseball scorebooks on amazon with ample features to make it your favorite. This scorebook is pretty compact. It has dimensions of 12 x 10 inches.
You can record 30 games with a 15 player roster per game. The instructions written on this scorebook are simple, which makes this one highly suitable for beginners. Also, it has an average batting chart, pitch count, pitching stat page, and player stat sheet for meeting all your scorekeeping requirements.
The poly cover spiral binding holds together this book for a long time. The page quality is thoroughly good. You don't have to worry about any possibility of ink bleeding on the other side. Overall, we can safely say that it is one of the best baseball scorebooks in 2020.
RUNNER UP
With the Murray baseball scorekeeping book, you can record up to 35 games. It has 16 batting position slots with places for substitutes. With this scorebook, you can track pitching, batting, and fielding for nine innings.
It has a vertical format. The prints are large enough to not stress out your eyes. The grids are spacious too. It has a sturdy spiral binding and easy to follow baseball instruction that should be of help to get you started.
RUNNER UP
If you are looking for a compact book that you can easily carry around, then the C.S Peterson's Scoremaster is a good one. Its dimension is 8.5 into 12 inches. You can use this baseball scorekeeping book for recording 25 games with an 11 player roster.
It has a user-friendly format with a convenient size. There is room enough for you to keep a complete summary of pitching and batting. It is a good scorebook that you can use for both softball and baseball. The wire binding looks solid. You can most certainly go for it if you are searching for an easy and simplistic option.
RUNNER UP
This baseball scorebook is the best budget buy on our list. It can keep the records for 25 games. This one has 16 slots for batting position along with space for player substitution. Should you be in need of little hand-out sheets, you will find four pages of these tiny sheets at the back of this book.
It is an easy-to-use scorebook with scorekeeping instructions, line-up cards, season summary, average charts, etc., to satisfy all your requirements. The size of this scorebook is 12x9 inches. Though it is a tad slimmer than the other scorebooks, we have enlisted so far, but it also costs less. This should be the best baseball scorebook for those who are looking for a good quality product at a super reasonable price.
Best Baseball Scorebook Buying Guide
Getting hold of the best baseball scorebook is a great way to start maintaining scores. But you will need information that far exceeds than merely noting down the scores each team makes. Keeping baseball scores can sound simple, but it is slightly more complicated than that.
You see, if it was just about how many points each team made, one could do it on a simple paper. But you need to record more than that, which is why you need a baseball scorebook in the first place. Let's get to the basics of baseball scorekeeping.
Player Abbreviation
One cannot write a full name or even spell out the position of the player on the page when the game is moving at a breakneck speed. This is why there are abbreviations in baseball that you need to know.
- C: Catcher
- P: Pitcher
- 1B: First baseman
- RF: Right field
- SS: Shortstop
If you are in a rush and don't want to write more than a single digit, you can also use the ascertained number allocations.
- 1- Pitcher
- 2- Catcher
- 3- First baseman
- 4- Second baseman
You Need other Info Too
While knowing the abbreviations is helpful, it is not all when it comes to keeping baseball scores. You might want to acquaint yourself with the players' numbers and the batting line-ups to be good at the job.
Take a glance at the scorebook. Do you know how to fill up the empty tables while a match is going on? If your answer is no, then we suggest that you ask for help from some experts. It would be nice if you knew better before taking on your role as a baseball scorekeeper.
Why Do I Need a Scorebook?
A scorebook is an important thing for a scorekeeper. But did you know that scorekeepers aren't the only persons who buy these books?
Players who like to track their progress often purchase scorebooks. It also helps them to keep a tab on the current and past performances of their team members.
Coaches and parents buy scorebooks to check how the players are doing. You need a scorebook, especially if you have a child who aspires to be a baseball player and is too young to keep a record of their own performances.
Basically, baseball scorebooks are for all who are into this sport. Also, if you are someone or have a kid who plays baseball, then a scorebook is an essential thing to possess.
Types of Scorebooks
When you browse through the options for buying a baseball scorebook, you will find various types. A scorebook that is meant for keeping score for the little league will be different in many aspects from a scorebook for a professional league. It is better to have various options in front of you and compare them and keep in mind the level of the baseball game you will be keeping score for.
If you just want to jot down the basic things about the game, a notebook will be good enough. But if you are of a more particular kind who likes to write down each detail for keeping proper records of the game, buying a baseball scorebook should be the first thing on your list.
Before you click and purchase any scorebook that the search results show, it is perhaps better to have your preferences in mind. Things like the cover, number of pages, league specification, and price of the product plays a major role in determining the option that will be perfect for you.
The Bonus Joy of Scorekeeping
Many of us buy baseball scorebooks because it gives us a chance to look into the past and see how the games went. We either learn from the past mistake or re-live the glory. Besides, it is always good to track progress. Knowing where you started and how far you have come over the years can give you a major feeling of satisfaction.
Also, if you are a baseball lover, you can keep the stats of the major leagues and relive the experience all over again whenever you want to. You can do the same for all other leagues. The fun of keeping records is one of the many reasons why people like buying scorebooks.
Best Baseball Scorebook - FAQ's
Baseball Scorekeeping app vs. scorebook, which is better?
Baseball scorekeeping apps are pretty popular these days. While they are great, handy, and easy to operate, going wrong, or tapping the wrong button on the screen is quite the possibility.
However, when it comes to the scorebook, you can easily jot down the happenings in the game quickly in the allocated table. The paid version of these apps is costlier than the scorebooks. Also, chances of the deletion of virtual records run higher than a solid handwritten one.
So, keeping in mind the cost factor, the possibility of error making, and longevity of records, we would say that using a scorebook to maintain baseball match records is a smarter way to go about it.
How does the scoring work in baseball?
To keep score, you will have to understand how the scoring system works. In MLB, points are distributed in the following manner.
Point System for Hitters
- Single: 1 point
- Double: 2 points
- Triple: 3 points
- Home Run: 4 points
- RBI: 1 point
- Run: 1 point
- Caught Stealing: (-)1 point
- Walk: 1 point
- Stolen Base: 2 points
- Point for Pitcher
- Pitching win: 3 points
What are the best baseball scorebooks in 2020?
Five of the finest baseball scorebooks in 2020 are: -
- BSN Baseball/Softball Scorebook
- Perfect Strike Baseball SCOREBOOK
- Rawlings Deluxe System-17 Baseball & Softball Scorebook
- Covey Sports Baseball Softball Scorebook
- Franklin Sports MLB Baseball/Softball Scorebook
What is the SH in baseball?
In baseball, SH stands for 'sacrifice bunt.' In this case, a batter bunts the ball and sacrifices himself, so there aren't two outs. In most of the cases, the one who does it is actually sacrificed, but there is a slim chance that they are saved due to an error in judgment on the fielder's part.
What are the factors about a baseball scorebook that I should look for before buying it?
There are multiple things that you should consider before getting a scorebook. The most important ones are:
- Number of pages
- Size of the scorebook
- Innings it can record
- Price factor
- Quality of pages
- Type of binding
- Number of player slots
- Format of the baseball scorebook
- Quality of pages
Conclusion
We have researched a lot before putting together this list. The variety of products that we have mentioned in this article are all top-notch. They are best in terms of quality, ease of use, and value for money.
If you are looking for something that can record a lot of matches, then the Covey Sports Baseball Softball Scorebook is a must-buy for you. The Super 16 Baseball/Softball Scorebook is a less pricey option.
This baseball scorebook should be good for people who are searching for cost-effective products.
We hope this article on the best baseball scorebook was helpful for you and helped you make up your mind. If you have any sort of questions related to the products we have mentioned above, please write to us and allow us to clarify your doubts.