The estimable Leonard Koppett has an interesting article on the inherent inaccuracy of pitch counts. He rightly argues that lumping pitches that are called strikes, pitches that are fouled off, and pitches that are struck for either an out or a hit under one umbrella called strike misrepresents the calliber of the pitcher's performance.

On my scorecard I record each pitch. I have a separate section under the batter's diamond for all the pitches thrown against that batter. I have symbols for a ball (B), a strike swinging (K), a called strike (backwards K), a foul fly (F), a pitched fouled back (backwards F), a foul tip (T), a check swing (check), a ball bunted foul (f), a pitch out (O), a hit batsman (H), an intentional ball (I), a wild pitch (W), and a ball put in play (P). I record all of these events on the sheet and then when I taly them for the inning, I just record balls and strikes. I think I'll take Koppett's advice and break strikes down into balls in play and ones not struck.

Everybody try it: it's what the cool sabermatricians are doing.