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Show HN: didtheywinornot.com Single Purpose Scores Site

33 points by apgwoz 16y ago

I built didtheywinornot.com this week in my spare hours before work. Currently it only does baseball scores, but as new seasons start in the fall, I think I'll expand it to other sports. Would love some feedback and any ideas as to how to make it better, keeping in mind that this is meant to be single purpose and not at all bloated. Did I miss a stat that people really care about? Is the amount of information good enough?

apgwoz 16y ago
clickable link: http://didtheywinornot.com http://didtheywinornot.com
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
hugothefrog 16y ago
I like the idea. Some sports-related graphics would be nice. Put input-focus automatically into the text box. Your auto-complete is suggesting based on words inside the team name (nice!) but the experience is jarring, because it autocompletes the remainder of the matched phrase when I type in a word half-way through the name (type in: blu).
redrory 16y ago
What did you use to build?
- apgwoz 16y ago
  bottle.py and sqlobject ontop of sqlite
qeorge 16y ago
This is pretty great actually, nice job. I like single purpose sites like this. Couple of things: 1) Maybe just show the box score instead of "click for details". Its not much detail, so it seems pointless to require the extra click. 2) Is it possible to see their previous games from this week? With MLB especially its easy to get 2 games behind. Looking forward to you adding the other sports.
- apgwoz 16y ago
  Thanks! 1) Are there more details that I should add? I'm hesitant to add more noise to the page, which is why I leave it hidden, but if enough people want it by default, I'll definitely change it. 2) I am storing the scores for each game I've captured, so it's definitely possible. I'll put it on the list of things to do.
  - dionidium 16y ago
    I second the box score idea. Also, where are you getting the data?
  - KC8ZKF 16y ago
    I'd like to see a box score when "Show the details" is clicked. (As opposed to the line score. I note some are calling what you now display a "box score.")
    - apgwoz 16y ago
      what's the difference between a box score and a line score? Sorry. I'm not really a baseball fan. :) Edit: Thanks to wikipedia, I realize that you want player stats for the game. The feed I get doesn't include them, so I'd have to use another source.
      - KC8ZKF 16y ago
        A box score lists the players and gives summary statistics for each player. A line score just gives scoring by inning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_score_(baseball) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_score_(baseball)
Judson 16y ago
Like it, although for some reason, the autocomplete isn't working for me. If I type "Yankees", the box fills in "yankeesk Yankees".
- apgwoz 16y ago
  known bug. I have to figure out if the jquery autocomplete plugin can act a bit more sane there. It should actually go to the correct place on enter though, right?
  - Judson 16y ago
    It goes to the correct place on Enter, just looks a bit weird.
bjonathan 16y ago
great love it ! but I didnt saw the "Show the details" before reading the comments. Maybe you can put it in red or underline..
- apgwoz 16y ago
  Did you miss having the details? I almost didn't include them because I want to keep it as dirt simple as possible.
  - bjonathan 16y ago
    well, in a second times yes
imp 16y ago
Cool, that's fun. Could be more fun if I wasn't an Indians fan :( Where are you getting stats from?
- apgwoz 16y ago
  The data is coming directly from mlb.com, who provides a json feed for non-commercial use. I hope this continues to qualify, since I'm not running ads. :)
  - imp 16y ago
    Yeah, that seems non-commercial. One suggestion: After the initial team search, it would be nice to be able to browse the teams or games somehow. I liked the surprise of the score and description, and it would be cool to easily browse or view a random game or something like that.
  - ai09 16y ago
    Another free option for data that a friend of mine uses: http://developer.fanfeedr.com/ http://developer.fanfeedr.com/ 2400 API pulls a day for free and I think it includes all the major sports.
  - madh 16y ago
    There was another site called Boxscore Junkie using that data that was quite nice. It had scores, detailed boxscores, and pitchFX data. Unfortunately it was apparently shut down a legal threat from MLB. Link to the source: http://code.google.com/p/boxscore-junkie/ http://code.google.com/p/boxscore-junkie/
    - apgwoz 16y ago
      Ouch. I'll have to find another data source. I have to look into FanFeedr, which someone mentioned, maybe that'll work for me.
- lionhearted 16y ago
  > Could be more fun if I wasn't an Indians fan :( Question here from non-jerk Red Sox fan - whatever happened the Indians? I look at all the talent that club had over the last 10 years and it doesn't make any sense. Sabathia, Carmona, Lee, Hafner, Martinez, Sizemore... how come the Indians never got more done? ...oh, and at least you've still got Shin Soo Choo. That guy's a hell of a player. I'm visiting South Korea and everyone's crazy about him, I see more Indians hats than Sox or Yankees even.
scotje 16y ago
The upcoming schedule stuff doesn't seem quite right. It says the Mariners' next game is "on the road" Saturday against the Padres. Their next game is actually tonight (Friday), at home. (But it is against the Padres. :)) http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/ http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/
- apgwoz 16y ago
  Hmm. Interesting. This gets a little tricky, because in a few hours, I'll start getting "in progress" and "pre-game" in the feeds, which means you'll end up seeing "They play the Padres today." Therefore, I don't currently use today's game, but the game after today. I'll figure out a way to fix this when I get a chance to do all the other things. :)
mortuus 16y ago
I expected a story from show details. Definitely want a link to the full-story somewhere if the numbers catch my eye.
w1ntermute 16y ago
An abbreviated URL would be nice. didtheywinornot.com is a little long.
- apgwoz 16y ago
  It worked for downforeveryoneorjustme.com -- the inspiration (can you tell? ha) for didtheywinornot.com.
  - w1ntermute 16y ago
    That's another one that's annoying :/ I created a keyword bookmark 'dfeojm' so I wouldn't have to type the whole thing in. I'll probably just create a 'dtwon' bookmark if I end up using the site oten.
danramteke 16y ago
What would be nice is a feed of Yes's and No's to go along with each page. Something like http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/feed.rss http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/feed.rss to go with http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/ http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/
- apgwoz 16y ago
  Planned for this weekend.
chaosmachine 16y ago
Quick, add NHL teams before the playoffs are over.
pkulak 16y ago
I usually just do this: http://www.google.com/search?q=phoenix+suns http://www.google.com/search?q=phoenix+suns But I like how straight forward your approach is. It's a good link to send to a parent.
jrockway 16y ago
http://iamgoingtomakeawebsiteforeachofmyhackernewspostsnowjustbecauseitssofuntoreadsentenceswithoutanyspacesinthem.com http://iamgoingtomakeawebsiteforeachofmyhackernewspostsnowju...
- mvalle 16y ago
  I was disappointed when when this URL was not found. You should register it!
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
bdickason 16y ago
I like it :) The search box usability would be increased by a slightly more friendly 'quick search' function. I'm not a sports fan but typing 'Rangers' produced the following output: http://i49.tinypic.com/2e5s746.jpg http://i49.tinypic.com/2e5s746.jpg One more small piece of feedback: The 'Check Another Team' would be much more compelling if it was a live search box rather than just a link :)
aquateen 16y ago
What was the goal in making this site? That might help in giving feedback. It is much quicker to type espn.com and check the top bar of the page. Aside, Show/tell/remind HN prefixes and not including a link drives me crazy.
mr_justin 16y ago
Would love to see this for NBA. Considering we're in the semifinals right now I would've expected it :)
- apgwoz 16y ago
  I have plans for adding all the leagues, but I figured targetting baseball was a better idea since we still have the rest of the summer. By the fall, I hope to have the NFL, NBA, and NHL ready to go.
dpcan 16y ago
Possible bug report. I like it, but I typed in Mariners and it said they play San Diego "on the road" tonight, but it's a Mariners home game. So either it's unclear that it's saying San Diego is on the road, or it's incorrect because I typed in Mariners and it should say "at home". MLB.tv's scoreboard homepage shows everything on one page though. Not sure why I'd go somewhere else.
- khill 16y ago
  I see the same bug. The site says the Phillies' next game is Satuday @ Boston. They are playing the Red Sox at home and their next game is tonight, not tomorrow.
  - apgwoz 16y ago
    Interesting. I'll have to take a look. I got the schedule data from retrosheet.org, so it's possible that is inaccurate. The other bug is related to the fact that today's game data isn't in the feed yet. I have to be smarter about what I show in that sort of situation, which I'll be addressing this weekend.
nato1138 16y ago
this site needs an api... although... hmm... it probably just would be middle-man for the api it pulls from... but all the same.. this site needs an api...
philwelch 16y ago
The World Cup starts next month. You could do something with that.
orenmazor 16y ago
it cant find the habs. I dont think its working :S
quile 16y ago
It's a cool idea. A few months ago, I set up http://www.isthisgameworthwatching.com http://www.isthisgameworthwatching.com for the same kind of reason, although mine is deliberately spoiler-free so you can find out whether or not you waste your time watching a tivo'ed game before you watch. For people who don't care about spoilers (or indeed even the score!), I like your idea a lot.
pmichaud 16y ago
I thought this was going to be about the many court cases we hear about in the news, but never hear the results of. Pity.
gosuri 16y ago
Love it. Great app.

33 points by apgwoz 16y ago

apgwoz 16y ago

clickable link: http://didtheywinornot.com http://didtheywinornot.com

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

hugothefrog 16y ago

I like the idea. Some sports-related graphics would be nice. Put input-focus automatically into the text box. Your auto-complete is suggesting based on words inside the team name (nice!) but the experience is jarring, because it autocompletes the remainder of the matched phrase when I type in a word half-way through the name (type in: blu).

redrory 16y ago

What did you use to build?

apgwoz 16y ago
bottle.py and sqlobject ontop of sqlite

qeorge 16y ago

This is pretty great actually, nice job. I like single purpose sites like this. Couple of things: 1) Maybe just show the box score instead of "click for details". Its not much detail, so it seems pointless to require the extra click. 2) Is it possible to see their previous games from this week? With MLB especially its easy to get 2 games behind. Looking forward to you adding the other sports.

apgwoz 16y ago
Thanks! 1) Are there more details that I should add? I'm hesitant to add more noise to the page, which is why I leave it hidden, but if enough people want it by default, I'll definitely change it. 2) I am storing the scores for each game I've captured, so it's definitely possible. I'll put it on the list of things to do.
- dionidium 16y ago
  I second the box score idea. Also, where are you getting the data?
- KC8ZKF 16y ago
  I'd like to see a box score when "Show the details" is clicked. (As opposed to the line score. I note some are calling what you now display a "box score.")
  - apgwoz 16y ago
    what's the difference between a box score and a line score? Sorry. I'm not really a baseball fan. :) Edit: Thanks to wikipedia, I realize that you want player stats for the game. The feed I get doesn't include them, so I'd have to use another source.
    - KC8ZKF 16y ago
      A box score lists the players and gives summary statistics for each player. A line score just gives scoring by inning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_score_(baseball) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_score_(baseball)

Judson 16y ago

Like it, although for some reason, the autocomplete isn't working for me. If I type "Yankees", the box fills in "yankeesk Yankees".

apgwoz 16y ago
known bug. I have to figure out if the jquery autocomplete plugin can act a bit more sane there. It should actually go to the correct place on enter though, right?
- Judson 16y ago
  It goes to the correct place on Enter, just looks a bit weird.

bjonathan 16y ago

great love it ! but I didnt saw the "Show the details" before reading the comments. Maybe you can put it in red or underline..

apgwoz 16y ago
Did you miss having the details? I almost didn't include them because I want to keep it as dirt simple as possible.
- bjonathan 16y ago
  well, in a second times yes

imp 16y ago

Cool, that's fun. Could be more fun if I wasn't an Indians fan :( Where are you getting stats from?

apgwoz 16y ago
The data is coming directly from mlb.com, who provides a json feed for non-commercial use. I hope this continues to qualify, since I'm not running ads. :)
- imp 16y ago
  Yeah, that seems non-commercial. One suggestion: After the initial team search, it would be nice to be able to browse the teams or games somehow. I liked the surprise of the score and description, and it would be cool to easily browse or view a random game or something like that.
- ai09 16y ago
  Another free option for data that a friend of mine uses: http://developer.fanfeedr.com/ http://developer.fanfeedr.com/ 2400 API pulls a day for free and I think it includes all the major sports.
- madh 16y ago
  There was another site called Boxscore Junkie using that data that was quite nice. It had scores, detailed boxscores, and pitchFX data. Unfortunately it was apparently shut down a legal threat from MLB. Link to the source: http://code.google.com/p/boxscore-junkie/ http://code.google.com/p/boxscore-junkie/
  - apgwoz 16y ago
    Ouch. I'll have to find another data source. I have to look into FanFeedr, which someone mentioned, maybe that'll work for me.
lionhearted 16y ago
> Could be more fun if I wasn't an Indians fan :( Question here from non-jerk Red Sox fan - whatever happened the Indians? I look at all the talent that club had over the last 10 years and it doesn't make any sense. Sabathia, Carmona, Lee, Hafner, Martinez, Sizemore... how come the Indians never got more done? ...oh, and at least you've still got Shin Soo Choo. That guy's a hell of a player. I'm visiting South Korea and everyone's crazy about him, I see more Indians hats than Sox or Yankees even.

scotje 16y ago

The upcoming schedule stuff doesn't seem quite right. It says the Mariners' next game is "on the road" Saturday against the Padres. Their next game is actually tonight (Friday), at home. (But it is against the Padres. :)) http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/ http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/

apgwoz 16y ago
Hmm. Interesting. This gets a little tricky, because in a few hours, I'll start getting "in progress" and "pre-game" in the feeds, which means you'll end up seeing "They play the Padres today." Therefore, I don't currently use today's game, but the game after today. I'll figure out a way to fix this when I get a chance to do all the other things. :)

mortuus 16y ago

I expected a story from show details. Definitely want a link to the full-story somewhere if the numbers catch my eye.

w1ntermute 16y ago

An abbreviated URL would be nice. didtheywinornot.com is a little long.

apgwoz 16y ago
It worked for downforeveryoneorjustme.com -- the inspiration (can you tell? ha) for didtheywinornot.com.
- w1ntermute 16y ago
  That's another one that's annoying :/ I created a keyword bookmark 'dfeojm' so I wouldn't have to type the whole thing in. I'll probably just create a 'dtwon' bookmark if I end up using the site oten.

danramteke 16y ago

What would be nice is a feed of Yes's and No's to go along with each page. Something like http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/feed.rss http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/feed.rss to go with http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/ http://www.didtheywinornot.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/

apgwoz 16y ago
Planned for this weekend.

chaosmachine 16y ago

Quick, add NHL teams before the playoffs are over.

pkulak 16y ago

I usually just do this: http://www.google.com/search?q=phoenix+suns http://www.google.com/search?q=phoenix+suns But I like how straight forward your approach is. It's a good link to send to a parent.

jrockway 16y ago

http://iamgoingtomakeawebsiteforeachofmyhackernewspostsnowjustbecauseitssofuntoreadsentenceswithoutanyspacesinthem.com http://iamgoingtomakeawebsiteforeachofmyhackernewspostsnowju...

mvalle 16y ago
I was disappointed when when this URL was not found. You should register it!

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

bdickason 16y ago

I like it :) The search box usability would be increased by a slightly more friendly 'quick search' function. I'm not a sports fan but typing 'Rangers' produced the following output: http://i49.tinypic.com/2e5s746.jpg http://i49.tinypic.com/2e5s746.jpg One more small piece of feedback: The 'Check Another Team' would be much more compelling if it was a live search box rather than just a link :)

aquateen 16y ago

What was the goal in making this site? That might help in giving feedback. It is much quicker to type espn.com and check the top bar of the page. Aside, Show/tell/remind HN prefixes and not including a link drives me crazy.

mr_justin 16y ago

Would love to see this for NBA. Considering we're in the semifinals right now I would've expected it :)

apgwoz 16y ago
I have plans for adding all the leagues, but I figured targetting baseball was a better idea since we still have the rest of the summer. By the fall, I hope to have the NFL, NBA, and NHL ready to go.

dpcan 16y ago

Possible bug report. I like it, but I typed in Mariners and it said they play San Diego "on the road" tonight, but it's a Mariners home game. So either it's unclear that it's saying San Diego is on the road, or it's incorrect because I typed in Mariners and it should say "at home". MLB.tv's scoreboard homepage shows everything on one page though. Not sure why I'd go somewhere else.

khill 16y ago
I see the same bug. The site says the Phillies' next game is Satuday @ Boston. They are playing the Red Sox at home and their next game is tonight, not tomorrow.
- apgwoz 16y ago
  Interesting. I'll have to take a look. I got the schedule data from retrosheet.org, so it's possible that is inaccurate. The other bug is related to the fact that today's game data isn't in the feed yet. I have to be smarter about what I show in that sort of situation, which I'll be addressing this weekend.

nato1138 16y ago

this site needs an api... although... hmm... it probably just would be middle-man for the api it pulls from... but all the same.. this site needs an api...

philwelch 16y ago

The World Cup starts next month. You could do something with that.

orenmazor 16y ago

it cant find the habs. I dont think its working :S

quile 16y ago

It's a cool idea. A few months ago, I set up http://www.isthisgameworthwatching.com http://www.isthisgameworthwatching.com for the same kind of reason, although mine is deliberately spoiler-free so you can find out whether or not you waste your time watching a tivo'ed game before you watch. For people who don't care about spoilers (or indeed even the score!), I like your idea a lot.

pmichaud 16y ago

I thought this was going to be about the many court cases we hear about in the news, but never hear the results of. Pity.

gosuri 16y ago

Love it. Great app.