As we dive into the excitement of another MLB postseason, the speed of the game becomes a hot topic. With the second season of the pitch clock, I’ve found that the pace of games—both a blessing and a curse—feels different. The pitch clock has injected urgency into every inning, and while it’s certainly cut down on long, drawn-out games, it also makes me yearn for the moments of quiet anticipation that used to define baseball. As a scorekeeper, that steady rhythm was my favorite part of the game, giving me time to reflect on each pitch and savor the strategy behind every decision.

In the postseason, that speed intensifies. With best-of-three, five, or seven series, there’s no room for error, and teams are forced to play fast. I feel the weight of each game more heavily than ever before. Yet, this rapid pace challenges me as a scorekeeper to keep up. I have to capture the evolving drama without missing the nuance that baseball fans appreciate—the plays that shift the momentum, the strategies that take shape in those moments of pause.

Scorekeeping during the postseason is an exhilarating task. It forces you to remain completely present, keeping your head in the game as every pitch matters. But it also makes me reflect on what we might be losing as fans: those serene, timeless moments that used to fill the air between pitches, allowing us to savor every minute of the game.

So, as we head into another postseason, I encourage fellow scorekeepers to embrace the faster pace but also take the time to appreciate the little moments. Even if the pitch clock is ticking, your scorecard is still your personal connection to the game, a way to experience the magic of baseball from your own perspective.

Happy scorekeeping!