By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

A baseball scorebook is not just a book to Dan Battaglia.

Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

It is a canvas.

A work of art that paints a picture and tells a story.

A fascinating story.

And Battaglia has been in love with it since he was about 10 years old.

That summer included one of his core memories with baseball and how he began to appreciate the game from a detailed perspective.

His curiosity led to some late nights, as he would stay up into the early morning hours watching the replayed telecast of the Cleveland Indians’ games on Fox Sports Ohio.

Battaglia practiced scoring the game, using extra pages from his little-league team’s own scorebook.

The next morning, his father, Lew, would review the scoring and coach his son on how to keep an accurate book.

“It was the summer, and I could stay up as late as I wanted,” said Battaglia, who is an English teacher at Field High School and also coaches V volleyball and softball for the Falcons. “In the morning, my dad would look over the book and it was always pretty cool to have him give me his interpretation. I just kept practicing because it was so much fun.”

Anyone familiar with the powerhouse Indians teams from the mid to late 1990’s remembers just how much fun it was.

Many years later, Battaglia’s fascination eventually led to a professional opportunity and for the past 14 years, he has been employed by Major League Baseball as a stringer for Indians/Guardians games.

If you follow the game on a digital device, Battaglia is the one behind the curtain posting information to the live game cast with play-by-play updates.

As part of a team that shares a rotating schedule of coverage, Battaglia has now worked for about 400 games for the Indians and Guardians.

Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

“Baseball has always been big for our family. My dad was a huge fan, my grandpa was a huge fan. It is in our blood,” Battaglia said. “Playing little league, my dad was always a coach, and I fell in love with the game. I fell in love with the scorebook and that aspect of the game. It is a very cerebral game and so much of the game is won in strategy and how you mentally prepare as opposed to the best athletes always winning. I have always been drawn to that aspect of the game.

“Players can be so much more than what you see with the naked eye or by looking at statistics,” Battaglia added. “I have learned that more than ever by being around so many games, and I have translated that to how I coach, as well. The ability to look beyond what you see.”

It all stems from Battaglia’s love of the game and the joy of being at a ballpark.

“I just love it. Whether it is a youth field, high school field or downtown Cleveland watching professionals, give me a baseball or softball game any day of the week,” Battaglia said. “I just love being around the game. My dad passed his love of the game to me, and I am very much enjoying being on the dad side now, teaching my kids the game. We watch games on TV, and we break down crazy plays and long-winded putouts, explaining weird rules and seeing them develop a passion for being knowledgeable about the game. It is really cool to see it all come full circle.”

For as long as baseball has been played, sharing and learning it from your family has always been one of its appealing layers.

A work of art that paints a picture and tells a story.

A fascinating story for families to share together.