Strikeout: Looking vs. Swinging
K / ꓘA forward K marks a swinging strikeout; a backwards K marks a batter caught looking at strike three.
Scorers use two marks for strikeouts. A normal forward K means the batter struck out swinging. A backwards K (ꓘ) means the batter struck out looking, taking a called third strike without swinging.
The distinction is purely descriptive, both are outs and both count identically as strikeouts for the pitcher, but it captures how the at-bat ended, which is useful for spotting a hitter who's getting frozen on breaking balls.
In narration you'd hear it as "caught looking" or "frozen" for the backwards K, versus "fanned" or "swung through it" for the forward K.
Bleacher Notes records whether a strikeout was looking or swinging from your narration, so the backwards-K detail is preserved in the at-bat.
What does a backwards K mean?
A backwards K means the batter struck out looking, taking a called third strike without swinging. A normal forward K means they struck out swinging.
Let the scorebook keep itself.
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