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What do the numbers 1 through 9 mean on a baseball scorecard?

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Green retro manual baseball scoreboard beyond an empty, neatly mowed baseball field with brown infield dirt and striped grass outfield. — Sabermetrics A scoreboard provides some – but not necessarily the most useful – data on player and team performances in baseball.

In baseball, the numbers 1 through 9 are used on a scorecard to represent the nine defensive positions on the field. These numbers are standardized and used by official scorers and fans alike to record defensive plays.1

The positions are assigned as follows:

1: Pitcher
2: Catcher
3: First baseman
4: Second baseman
5: Third baseman
6: Shortstop
7: Left fielder
8: Center fielder
9: Right fielder

These numerical designations allow for a concise shorthand when recording game action. For example, a common play where the shortstop fields a ground ball and throws it to the first baseman for an out is recorded as "6-3".1