First, get the lineups for each team. If you’re at a professional game, it will be shown on the scoreboard and announced about 10-15 minutes before the game. At lower levels (college and below) you’ll somehow need to get the lineups from a game official. Then fill out the card with uniform number, name and position.
You can either use the positions as letter abbreviations (like you’d see on the scoreboard or in the newspaper) or number abbreviations. Here’s a rundown:
- Pitcher (P): 1
- Catcher (C): 2
- First baseman (1B): 3
- Second baseman (2B): 4
- Third baseman (3B): 5
- Shortstop (SS): 6
- Left field (LF): 7
- Center field (CF): 8
- Right field (RF): 9
- Designated hitter (DH): DH
Another reason to use numbers: It avoids confusion with the abbreviations for what happens in the game, because 1B is a single, 2B is a double, etc.
Here are some other common abbreviations for what happens in the game:
- Single: 1B
- Double: 2B
- Triple: 3B
- Home run: HR
- RBI: runs batted in
- Strikeout swinging: K
- Strikeout looking: backwards K
- DP: double play
- FC: fielder’s choice
- E: error
- SB: stolen base
- CS: caught stealing
- U: unassisted
- SAC: sacrifice
- WP: wild pitch
- PB: passed ball
If you’re scoring a softball game instead of baseball, there will likely be four outfielders. If that’s the case, the left-center fielder becomes 8, the right-center fielder is 9 and the right fielder is 10. And there might even be extra designated hitters in the lineup, players who hit but don’t play in the field, or substitute in for the fielders, depending upon league rules.
