Sea Dogs' Official Scorer, Thom Hinton, Offers Class in Scorekeeping

Take a break from the debate about national debt and health care reform to learn more about the national pass time.

On October 1, 2009, Thomas Hinton, scorer for the Eastern League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc., will be teaching a class at Bath Adult Education on Baseball Scorekeeping. Called a "master scorekeeper" and "one of the best" by Portland Press Herald sports writer Kevin Thomas, Hinton brings his knowledge of the rules and history of baseball to the topic of scorekeeping. Students will explore the beginnings of baseball along with the movers who shaped the game, hold in-depth discussions of the application of Section 10 of the Official Rules of Baseball, and score some games.

"Baseball scorekeeping can be as simple or as complicated as the observer wishes it to be," Hinton explains. "I've known six year olds who keep a simple but accurate book." Who better to teach scorekeeping than a professional baseball scorer? "The class will fit all levels of scoring," Hinton says. "It will be appropriate for the person who just wants to learn to keep score for the local Babe Ruth league. However, if you want to keep all 50 of the stats a professional scorer must keep we will cover that as well."

Whether you want to learn to keep a scorebook, improve your scorekkeping skills, talk about baseball, or explore American histroy through the development of the game, this class will fit the bill. Bring your pencils; peanuts and Cracker Jack are optional. To sign up for the class contact Bath Adult Education at 207-443-8255, [email protected] or online at http://bath.maineadulted.org. For more information on baseball scorekeeping contact Thomas Hinton at [email protected].