# baseball box score question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-box-score-question/181776>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 14, 2003, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-box-score-question/181776 "2003-06-14T10:06:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-box-score-question/181776/1 "2003-06-14T10:06:01Z")

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I usually look at the box scores in my local paper, but today I checked the ESPN.som boxscores to check on the Sox score.

After all of the regular information, and even the extra stuff like time of game, weather, attendance, and wind, there is something that says “game scores,” followed by each starting pitcher’s name and a number. I’ve never seen this in a boxscore before. (I assume ESPN has always used it, but like I said, I usually don’t look at their box scores.) Does anyone know what this “game scores” refers to? I don’t get it.

[Sorry if this should be in Cafe Society, but there is a factual answer to the question, I assume.]

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**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-box-score-question/181776/2 "2003-06-14T10:31:52Z")

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From their [Statistics Glossary](http://espn.go.com/mlb/statistics/glossary.html) page, **nineiron** :

> [@](#):
>
> Game Score.  
> Start with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded, (3 points per inning). Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk.

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**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-box-score-question/181776/3 "2003-06-14T13:29:26Z")

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Thanks.

Holy crap, what a useless statistic.

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**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-box-score-question/181776/4 "2003-06-14T14:21:23Z")

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I wondered about that stat. OOTP uses it, and I never got around to looking it up.