Coming Friday: If you're scoring at home, then TBS can provide some help 4-U

Or, what's the line that comedians often do when they're trying to do an immitation of Vin Scully : "If you're scoring at home ... then why are you watching this game?"

Up there is a shot of Scully on Wednesday afternoon, almost three hours before the first pitch of NLDS Game 1, getting his scorebook in order -- careful not to smudge his markings with his left hand as he writes. He had just filled in the starting lineups from what the associate producer had given him from the cards distributed by Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa, and flipped a page back in his book to the last couple of Dodger regular-season games to see how this lineup had changed.

A longtime graphic element of the TBS coverage, going back to when it did Atlanta Braves games, is a scorekeeper's notebook listing that shows how a batter did earlier in the game. The question is: Does anyone under 20 really understand it? Do people keep score enough of games any more? Is TBS wasting its time and graphic efforts on an audience that isn't paying attention to this?

Doubtful, to that last one. Viewers like me who do keep score appreciate the graphic to put the batter's performance far more into context than just a graphic that says "2 for 3, 2B, RBI, SB" ... this, of course, shows what inning it occured, how he made it around the bases, who he drove in. pitch counts ....

A graphic like that can't be too complicated for a TV screen. A viewer has to see it, comprehend it, and appreciate it in a couple of seconds. But TBS has mastered it, enough to where other cable networks such as YES and NESN do it with their Yankees and Red Sox local coverage.

(Are you listening, Prime Ticket, FSN West, Channel 9 and Channel 13?)

Glenn Diamond, the longtime producer for baseball at TBS and a Valley native (Grant High of Van Nuys grad, and San Diego State) explains how the graphic evolved, why it's still relevant, and how it can still connect to younger viewers as a teaching tool. That'll be in Friday's media column, along with some notes on the upcoming NASCAR race in Fontana, a new book by Mark Frost called "Game Six," and whatever else can can cram into the inky pages.