Alright, so last night was the Phillies vs Dodgers game, and like I sometimes do, I decided to really dig into the player stats while watching. It’s not about super deep analytics for me, more like getting a feel for the game flow through the numbers each player puts up.
Setting Up Shop
First thing I did was get my usual setup ready. Nothing fancy, really. I grabbed my trusty notepad and a couple of good pens. Sometimes I use a spreadsheet on my tablet, but last night felt like an old-school paper and pen kind of game. I drew up some simple columns before the first pitch: player name, at-bats, hits, runs, RBIs. For the starting pitchers, I added columns for innings pitched, strikeouts, and earned runs. Kept it basic, you know? Didn’t want to get bogged down trying to track every little thing like pitch counts or defensive plays – just the main offensive stuff and pitcher basics.
Watching and Noting
Then the game started. It’s always a bit hectic at first, trying to catch who’s up, what they did, and jot it down before the next play. I found myself really focusing on guys like Harper and Betts, obviously. Every time they came to the plate, pen was ready. You try to be quick, like, okay, Harper grounds out, mark an AB. Freeman gets a single, mark an AB and a Hit. Then someone drives him in, go back and mark the Run for Freeman, and the RBI for whoever hit him in.
You gotta pay attention. Sometimes I miss something, especially on a fast double play or if I get distracted by a conversation. Then I’m waiting for the replay or quickly checking the score bug on the screen to catch up. It’s not a perfect science, just me doing my thing on the couch.
- Hits: Just tally marks usually.
- RBIs: Make a note next to the player who batted them in.
- Pitcher Ks: Easier to track, usually happens slower.
Putting It Together After
After the final out, my page looked like a mess of scribbles and tallies. That’s when I took about 15 minutes to tidy it up. I went through player by player, summed up the totals for the categories I tracked. This helps me see it clearly – who had a great night at the plate, who struggled, how the starting pitchers really fared beyond just the win or loss.
It’s interesting to see the game laid out like that afterwards. Sometimes a player feels like they had a quiet game, but the numbers show they actually got on base a couple of times or drove in a key run. Other times, a guy looks busy, but the stats show a lot of outs.
Why Bother?
Honestly? I just find it enjoyable. It keeps me locked into the game on a different level. Instead of just passively watching, I’m actively tracking performance, play by play. It makes me appreciate the little contributions more. It’s not for any fantasy league or anything serious, just a personal habit that makes watching baseball a bit more engaging for me. Plus, it’s kinda satisfying to have my own little record of the game afterwards.
So yeah, that was my process for the Phillies-Dodgers game stats. Simple, maybe a bit messy, but works for me. Looking forward to the next one.
