Caple: All we ask is perfection: the life of MLB’s scorekeepers

From SABR member Jim Caple at The Athletic on April 3, 2018, with mention of SABR member Stew Thornley:

Kyle Traynor is a doctor of obstetrics who often delivers babies at the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He also is an official scorer at Minnesota Twins games.

Yes, delivering babies and scorekeeping. And, amazingly, he says the jobs are somewhat alike.

“Obstetrics can be hours of boredom sparked by moments of sheer terror.  Baseball can be a little of the same,” Dr. Traynor says. “The routine, mundane play, the 6-3 or 5-3 or fly out to left field — that doesn’t take a lot of thought and a lot of brains and it’s not anxious. But when it gets anxious, it gets anxious in a hurry. So, it’s not terribly dissimilar at least from a stress and attitude that you’re faced with dealing on a regular basis.

“And in obstetrics, everybody expects the outcome to be absolutely perfect and the way they want it no matter the difficulties you’re faced with. Baseball is the same thing.”

Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/273709/2018/04/03/all-we-is-ask-is-perfection-the-life-of-major-league-baseballs-scorekeepers/