Since the article addresses the "data deluge", and how it is affecting all sports, here is an interesting fact not widely reported. It is estimated that Cubs' fans comprised as much as 30% of the 7th game crowd at Progressive Field in Cleveland. (30%!!) And we all know that at every level, sports franchises work feverishly to preclude a loss of "actual" home-field advantage. What happened? The Stub-Hub effect? (The broadcasting network briefly reported high resale volume.) Possibly, Indian fans were so desperate for financial revenue that they sacrificed a 7th game of the World Series for needed resources. And again conjecture, the out-of-region financier class moved in to redeal the crowd content. If so, not a quality commentary on the present state of our economy, the nation or professional spectator sport.
"Relatively unimportant?" It depends on what you mean by "relatively" I guess. Anyhow, on all the rest I'm with you all the way. Now that the Cubs are World Champions, can we hope the Mets young pitchers are all healthy next season?
1
Right on! Waaaay back (1979-1984) I coached little league baseball. I was well aware of the value of stats. I saw my job as giving every kid on the team an opportunity to learn (and made sure that practices, besides drilling the fundamentals, forced each player outside his comfort zone by rotating them around the diamond during the live hitting/fielding segments.) I saw the priorities as (1) NEVER pigeon-hole anyone. Everyone plays - therefore schedule substitutions throughout the game to spread playing time and rotate players around the defensive positions. This ensures that the critical positions are adequately covered and that kids learn to play multiple positions. It also results in confidence. (2) Keep stats rigorously to recognize player tendencies and optimize offense through the batting order. I had one kid who was slow, but his on-base percentage was the highest on the team. I made him leadoff, and he led the team in scoring (surprise, surprise!) We scored runs almost at will. (3) Develop pitching. We had a second, voluntary practice once a week for anyone who was interested in pitching. I provided "indian rubber" balls and held pitching practices at a park that had a tennis practice wall (which someone had conveniently marked with a strike zone.) Our teams finished first and/or won the playoffs every year for 5 years. More importantly they had a positive team experience. This was largely a result of outscoring opponents by keeping offensive stats.
5
I am 69. 1st WS was 1954. Grew up in Queens. 1st game BOS@NYY 8/14/1954.
Have seen A LOT of baseball both in person and on TV. I think that you have to use all the tools to build a team. Teams now look at players attitude and personality as well as all the analytics. One of the reason CLE wanted Andrew Miller was his rep as a good guy to have on your team....also that they would have him for 2016, 17 and 18.
Last night when it was 3-1 I told my wife that it was going to take * runs or more to win this game. I suggested 8-6 but not which team. You could see by watching the players that they running on fumes. Miller and Chapman proved that in their outings. I think both managers brains were a little fried also.
Taking out Hendricks, particularly in the middle of an inning, made no sense. Joe ain't the genius he thinks he is.
BTW: Neither was Tony Larussa.
The white rat always finds you department: Francona puts Martinez (the last bench player) into LF for Crisp because Martinez has a stronger arm.
Naturally Martinez comes up in the 10th with 2 outs and the tying run on base. He is now the winning run. Als He was not Bill Mazeroski. Would have rather had Crisp up.
Edwards Jr. looked sharp getting the 1st 2 outs in the 10th. Then the moment clearly got to him. Just proving how much pressure there is.
KC lost the WS in 7 games in 2014 and then came back to win the WS in 2015.
GO TRIBE!
Congratulations to the Cubs.
Have seen A LOT of baseball both in person and on TV. I think that you have to use all the tools to build a team. Teams now look at players attitude and personality as well as all the analytics. One of the reason CLE wanted Andrew Miller was his rep as a good guy to have on your team....also that they would have him for 2016, 17 and 18.
Last night when it was 3-1 I told my wife that it was going to take * runs or more to win this game. I suggested 8-6 but not which team. You could see by watching the players that they running on fumes. Miller and Chapman proved that in their outings. I think both managers brains were a little fried also.
Taking out Hendricks, particularly in the middle of an inning, made no sense. Joe ain't the genius he thinks he is.
BTW: Neither was Tony Larussa.
The white rat always finds you department: Francona puts Martinez (the last bench player) into LF for Crisp because Martinez has a stronger arm.
Naturally Martinez comes up in the 10th with 2 outs and the tying run on base. He is now the winning run. Als He was not Bill Mazeroski. Would have rather had Crisp up.
Edwards Jr. looked sharp getting the 1st 2 outs in the 10th. Then the moment clearly got to him. Just proving how much pressure there is.
KC lost the WS in 7 games in 2014 and then came back to win the WS in 2015.
GO TRIBE!
Congratulations to the Cubs.
2
The losing teams that complain the game isn't the same with data analytics either fail to notice the game has evolved, or are simply sore losers. It happens on every sport, baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and even individual sports, such as 100-meter hurdles.
That's why records are broken, be speed or number of touchdown passes by a quarterback. It's analytics that make athletes wins at an age well beyond what was expected 10 years ago.
That's why records are broken, be speed or number of touchdown passes by a quarterback. It's analytics that make athletes wins at an age well beyond what was expected 10 years ago.
I appreciate the value of data and its (underscore) thoughtful analysis. I also know from having considerable experience analyzing data produced by biologists, ed psych people, etc. that you can certainly impute meaning where none exists. Torture the date enough and it will confess.
2
Last night's game had an absolutely magnificent story line and historical context. It contained a stunning parade of mini dramatic moments. However, I pulled for the Chicago Cubs because of the disgusting serial spitting, pumpkin seed expectorating, and bubble gum wad spewing of the Cleveland Indians. The deluge of sputum and seeds by the Cleveland Indians in High Definition, led by their icon of bubble gum masticating, manager Terry Francona, was an insidious assault on the aesthetic sensibilities of the American public. I wondered if I was watching some mass frenzy of an oral OCD. It seemed like every close up involved someone's free style spitting or chawing technique. I wondered if somewhere, some exotic "expectoration cult" was awarding style points for each individual spew, and at the end of the series would award the highest scorer a lifetime supply of his favorite spewing fodder.
9
I more often experience the opposite of what Leonhardt is describing: SABRMETRIC fans chastising the "old-fashioned" fans who like the crack of the bat, such as myself. I think stats are fine--I played fantasy baseball in the 1990s--but I think they should complement they joy we get from watching the game. When they take precedence is when I get worried.
1
Baseball is great sport....no bashing each other, actual skill and most importantly, no clock
Baseball came from the Heavens, last night the Heavens opened and the Cubs one, some day the Heavens will open again and the Indians will win
Go Tribe
Baseball came from the Heavens, last night the Heavens opened and the Cubs one, some day the Heavens will open again and the Indians will win
Go Tribe
You can't hear "the crack of the bat" because of sound systems blaring constant bedlam. I loved the quiet majesty of Yankee Stadium in the 1950s --- gone forever.
1
It was fun to watch a hard fought but joyful World Series so free of rancor when there is so much of it in our politics right now. Players and fans alike showed sportsmanship and class throughout a great series. The ugly political ads that appeared on my TV seemed jarringly out of place.
2
When I think about why my team matters to me (aside from being raised to feel that way), I always think of "money-ball" and the huge salaries payed to the biggest stars as things done by rival teams that I was taught to hate. But MY team would never do things like that!
My team is always the underdog, the one that has to battle the teams with the superstars and all of the money in the world (and in my case, they are also battling against larger fan bases and additional media hype). But my team would never make baseball into an impersonal business based on soulless number-crunching! No!
And then if/when my team is out of the playoffs, I suppose I seize on any hint that tells me which remaining team is the money ball/big money team and quickly develop a new "evil empire narrative" so I can root AGAINST them.
And I wonder if I'm just a bitter partisan and a bad loser, or whether fans everywhere pretty much do the same thing with their team and their teams opponents (?)
My team is always the underdog, the one that has to battle the teams with the superstars and all of the money in the world (and in my case, they are also battling against larger fan bases and additional media hype). But my team would never make baseball into an impersonal business based on soulless number-crunching! No!
And then if/when my team is out of the playoffs, I suppose I seize on any hint that tells me which remaining team is the money ball/big money team and quickly develop a new "evil empire narrative" so I can root AGAINST them.
And I wonder if I'm just a bitter partisan and a bad loser, or whether fans everywhere pretty much do the same thing with their team and their teams opponents (?)
The problem with traditional statistics is exemplified by the fact that Chapman got the win last night, despite the fact that the best one could honestly say about his performance in the eighth inning is that his poor performance was amply compensated by the good performance of his teammates and worse performance of his opponents after the eighth inning. I do not mean to detract from the enormous skills of Mr. Chapman, but to consider this a win for him ignores the fact that in a substantial fraction of identical (except for the score) bottom eighth situations, his performance would cause his team to lose. Bring on the nerds and their more meaningful statistics!
Not even Theo Epstein's calculator and computer can throw strikes or hit the ball. Consider metrics as much as you want, it still comes down to the ability to execute, with the many variables noted in other comments, that cannot be controlled or calculated for.
The object of the game is to win. Metrics are a tool to use to reach that goal. I grew up playing in Little League, high school, and college in pre-metrics days. While some aspects of the game are ironic (you mean I only have to pitch a Little League game (6 innings) each time out to be a successful starter now?), I have no problem with the metrics and what teams like the Cubs & others do with them.
If some don't like it, then change the rules to prevent moving players, or certain substitutions, etc., --- ah ... but, then, that would not be "true baseball" -- whatever that is.
The object of the game is to win. Metrics are a tool to use to reach that goal. I grew up playing in Little League, high school, and college in pre-metrics days. While some aspects of the game are ironic (you mean I only have to pitch a Little League game (6 innings) each time out to be a successful starter now?), I have no problem with the metrics and what teams like the Cubs & others do with them.
If some don't like it, then change the rules to prevent moving players, or certain substitutions, etc., --- ah ... but, then, that would not be "true baseball" -- whatever that is.
1
Nothing new with bringing relief pitchers in early. Casey Stengel did it with the Yankess in the 40s and 50s. It's just that the average attention span in this country is now about 10 minutes, so everybody thinks it's a new thing.
As ex-Chicagoans with children and grandchildren living on the North Side we watched last night's game.
The season is way too long. Chicago was the best team all season but there were probably nine or ten teams that could have beaten Chicago or Cleveland in four straight in the World Series.
Last night's game was exciting and riveting but was it World Series baseball?
A little after midnight I discussed it with my wife and the answer was no.
Six months is long enough nine month of baseball is a war of attrition. Neither team was representative of the talent and professionalism that should have been the seventh game of the world series.
What we saw was the best two managers in baseball claw it out with their surviving troops.
I love baseball the first professional game I attended was between the Montreal Royals and Havana Sugar Kings and I cried when Montreal's parent team the Brooklyn Dodgers lost a series to those dastardly Yankees.
With the baseball season over I will watch only one professional sport curling where talent and execution wins out but strategy is meaningful at the highest level.The Cubs won but their being the best team in baseball meant less than it should have. Too much chance and too much strategy should not decide the best team in baseball.
The season is way too long. Chicago was the best team all season but there were probably nine or ten teams that could have beaten Chicago or Cleveland in four straight in the World Series.
Last night's game was exciting and riveting but was it World Series baseball?
A little after midnight I discussed it with my wife and the answer was no.
Six months is long enough nine month of baseball is a war of attrition. Neither team was representative of the talent and professionalism that should have been the seventh game of the world series.
What we saw was the best two managers in baseball claw it out with their surviving troops.
I love baseball the first professional game I attended was between the Montreal Royals and Havana Sugar Kings and I cried when Montreal's parent team the Brooklyn Dodgers lost a series to those dastardly Yankees.
With the baseball season over I will watch only one professional sport curling where talent and execution wins out but strategy is meaningful at the highest level.The Cubs won but their being the best team in baseball meant less than it should have. Too much chance and too much strategy should not decide the best team in baseball.
1
If you think about it, baseball has always been a data game to an extent. Whenever a club owner brought a player off some farm team or high school hot shot to the big leagues, even back in the early 1900's he wasn't doing it out of some spiritual calling. He was using his best fact based judgement based on . . well . . facts.
And facts is data and data is statistics and statistics is facts. I think.
Computers were just slower than. They used to call them brains. Some people had them and some didn't. Still do, I think.
It's all baseball and like I watched last night, baseball still has a lot of heart. You can never nerd that out of the equation. Heart. And Soul.
So I say, carry on. Just don't forget to enjoy it or else it will be . .well . . just data.
And facts is data and data is statistics and statistics is facts. I think.
Computers were just slower than. They used to call them brains. Some people had them and some didn't. Still do, I think.
It's all baseball and like I watched last night, baseball still has a lot of heart. You can never nerd that out of the equation. Heart. And Soul.
So I say, carry on. Just don't forget to enjoy it or else it will be . .well . . just data.
1
It's not so often in life that we can have a true test of a postulate to assess its efficacy. In sports, the proof is in who is left standing at the end of the season, and this year, we had two of the franchises most committed to the data model in the World Series.
Not only that, but Theo Epstein, perhaps the most prominent exponent of the approach after Billy Beane himself, has now broken the century-old droughts of TWO franchises, Boston and the Cubs, in the last decade. Two "curses"? The hex is on the "intuition" guys, it would seem.
Not only that, but Theo Epstein, perhaps the most prominent exponent of the approach after Billy Beane himself, has now broken the century-old droughts of TWO franchises, Boston and the Cubs, in the last decade. Two "curses"? The hex is on the "intuition" guys, it would seem.
You could look at it another way:
The film "Moneyball" cost 50M to make and grossed 110M and was nominated for 6 Academy awards.
"Trouble with the Curve" cost 60M to make and grossed 36M. Nominations? 0.
With all the stats and fast talking Moneyball was a much more genuine and emotional (truer) story with much more complex characters.
The film "Moneyball" cost 50M to make and grossed 110M and was nominated for 6 Academy awards.
"Trouble with the Curve" cost 60M to make and grossed 36M. Nominations? 0.
With all the stats and fast talking Moneyball was a much more genuine and emotional (truer) story with much more complex characters.
2
I'd love to know if there was any quantitative evidence at all for removing a starting battery (Hendricks/Contreras) with a four run lead, one that appeared to be cruising with complete command through 5 2/3 innings.
Because as five-decade Cubs fan, the debacle that followed immediately afterwards seems to have been an awfully unnecessary cardiac stressor. While I'm delighted that Joe Maddon was so fortunate as not to need to answer for that decision for decades to come (Thanks Ben Zobrist!), future Game 7 managers should take note: If It Ain't Broke Why Are You Fixin' It?
Because as five-decade Cubs fan, the debacle that followed immediately afterwards seems to have been an awfully unnecessary cardiac stressor. While I'm delighted that Joe Maddon was so fortunate as not to need to answer for that decision for decades to come (Thanks Ben Zobrist!), future Game 7 managers should take note: If It Ain't Broke Why Are You Fixin' It?
7
This is wrong. Advanced analytics are employed by all 30 MLB teams and their minor league systems. This has been the case for years. Maybe Oakland, Boston, Cleveland and their ilk were at the vanguard of the Moneyball movement fifteen years ago, but today, all teams walk this road.
If anybody is left speaking out against it, they are either A) a former player or B) a sportswriter conjuring up images of stuck-in-the-mud luddite straw-men because their recycled essay has to make deadline.
If anybody is left speaking out against it, they are either A) a former player or B) a sportswriter conjuring up images of stuck-in-the-mud luddite straw-men because their recycled essay has to make deadline.
2
I could do without the endless, and mostly inane, "statistcs" cited by the TV broadcasters.
4
There once were two data-based teams
Whose games met their fan's life-long dreams
But some were unwilling
To join in the thrilling
Thinking all analysis a scheme
Whose games met their fan's life-long dreams
But some were unwilling
To join in the thrilling
Thinking all analysis a scheme
More than any other sport, flashes of baseball moments become living memories. Mets in 1986, Cards in 2011, Sox in 1975 and 2004, Diamondbacks in 2001. And now the tenth inning Game 7 Cubs in 2016.
So did OPS, WAR, VORP have much implications during those moments? Does mastering of these stats translate to championships? I think stats give only half of the picture of a good ball player.
Statistics help unleash a broader understanding of the utility of the player. It is utilitarian, practical, but there are intangibles. So when Theo Epstein, the savior of Red Sox and the Cubs, interviews clubs about a potential player, he always asks about the player's nuances and coping ability when under pressure. Character is why Freese, Fisk, Buckner, Papi, Zobrist did or did not do what they were called to do. OPS was not the deciding factor, it will never represent those striking (and utilizable) intangibles.
Theo Epstein will continue to utilize sabermetrics, but he will always stridently probe for the intangibles.
So did OPS, WAR, VORP have much implications during those moments? Does mastering of these stats translate to championships? I think stats give only half of the picture of a good ball player.
Statistics help unleash a broader understanding of the utility of the player. It is utilitarian, practical, but there are intangibles. So when Theo Epstein, the savior of Red Sox and the Cubs, interviews clubs about a potential player, he always asks about the player's nuances and coping ability when under pressure. Character is why Freese, Fisk, Buckner, Papi, Zobrist did or did not do what they were called to do. OPS was not the deciding factor, it will never represent those striking (and utilizable) intangibles.
Theo Epstein will continue to utilize sabermetrics, but he will always stridently probe for the intangibles.
What do analytics say about bringing in your closer with a seven-run lead and then leaving him in so long that he runs out of gas the next night and gives up two runs, including the tying one? All the MIT-driven analytics are no substitute for questionable managing and over-reliance on your closer when he isn't truly needed.
4
I'm certainly not unfamiliar with statistics and analytical methods, and completely understand the interest and value in using them to the maximum in putting together a baseball term. I've always had the sneaky feeling, though, that the modern drive is really an effort to establish Mickey Mantle's value: he only drove in 100 runs in only 4 seasons, and his lifetime BA dipped below .300; thus, traditional metrics might lower his standing . But if you concentrate on runs scored and on-base percentage, the sort of thing that is beloved of sabermetrics, the Mick goes to the head of the class!
More seriously, statistics are only guides: they really don't give that much of an edge in particular, not repeatable situations (the 7th game of a World Series is the epitome of that). I don't know if "gut instinct" wins out, though Back to Mantle, an incredible piece of base running--not really his specialty--by him to avoid a game-ending double-play kept the Yankees alive in the 7th game of the 1960 series. You wouldn't anticipate that by statistics, and Mazeroski's series-winning home run a few minutes later was also fairly far out on the tail of the distribution!
More seriously, statistics are only guides: they really don't give that much of an edge in particular, not repeatable situations (the 7th game of a World Series is the epitome of that). I don't know if "gut instinct" wins out, though Back to Mantle, an incredible piece of base running--not really his specialty--by him to avoid a game-ending double-play kept the Yankees alive in the 7th game of the 1960 series. You wouldn't anticipate that by statistics, and Mazeroski's series-winning home run a few minutes later was also fairly far out on the tail of the distribution!
1
To the extent that sports are a non-lethal substitute for another activity, they are likely to borrow from that activity's strategic heritage, including quantitative analyses. Then again, Sun Tzu didn't write "The Math of Sports." Art will continue to be part of it, as will the weather.
5
It really is a metaphor of our times....ask Mitt Romney or Karl Rove how not using analytics turned out in their 'analysis' of the electorate. Using your gut may work well for simple decisions with simple outcomes, but not using multi variate analysis when dealing with multi variate behavior is sure to leave you in the past.
1
Zen master Joe Maddon repeatedly and consistently emphasized that baseball is a game, to be enjoyed.
His players, in interviews, consistently articulated that same philosophy.
Doubtless there was tension throughout: it's impossible to shake it entirely.
Notwithstanding, pure joy of the game permeated the Series on the Cubs side of the lineup.
His players, in interviews, consistently articulated that same philosophy.
Doubtless there was tension throughout: it's impossible to shake it entirely.
Notwithstanding, pure joy of the game permeated the Series on the Cubs side of the lineup.
13
It's such a false dichotomy. The beauty of baseball, anything Maraniss appreciates, all happens on the field. The players chosen by the brainiacs get to play true baseball, too.
(Also, all front offices use "data." It's just a question of what data is more valuable.)
(Also, all front offices use "data." It's just a question of what data is more valuable.)
5
I'd say the number of critics is pretty small. Almost all the teams use analytics. A better article would have been on how analytics have pushed younger players to the fore. The game is getting younger meaning a lot guys on the Cubs had no sense of a curse. They were just playing ball.
3
Winning is more fun than losing, so I'm not sure what this article is really about.
1
I remember using the Stewart and Maraniss approach to one or two of my high school exams. Go with the gut, go with the instinct and feeling. Don't worry about reading the available study material or putting the long hours into mastering the course. Go with the true gut. Didn't work so well.........
When I actually learned to use all that was available and stopped relying on gut instinct as my main strategy, the overall results improved.
Baseball is no different. Even teams relying on analytics have the right to go with the gut instinct manager decision (eg - Joe Maddon's decision getting Baez to attempt bunt on two strikes for squeeze play) That is what makes baseball a joy to watch!
When I actually learned to use all that was available and stopped relying on gut instinct as my main strategy, the overall results improved.
Baseball is no different. Even teams relying on analytics have the right to go with the gut instinct manager decision (eg - Joe Maddon's decision getting Baez to attempt bunt on two strikes for squeeze play) That is what makes baseball a joy to watch!
2
As a professional qualitative researcher, even I can see the beauty in statistical analysis and need it desperately to color my work. Prior to grad school, I spent most of my life afraid of math but pushed myself in undergrad to learn some rudimentary statistics because I would have never earned my way to grad school without it. After all, all the world is made of math. One does not need degrees in stats and calc to appreciate that fact.
But as to the baseball "purists," lets have some full disclosure: MLB is probably the most unbalanced, disproportionate league of the Big 4 pro leagues in this country. The spending gap between the poorest teams and richest teams is immense. He is some basic, back-of-the-envelope math for NYT readers: $200,010,790 is the total player salary spending of the Cubs and Indians COMBINED. The Yankees spent $214 Million by themselves. The Dodgers spent the most in MLB salaries with $223.3 Million and got beat by the Cubs who spent nearly half as much.
See, I find purity in that math. And I would happily watch more baseball more often if this trend continues.
But as to the baseball "purists," lets have some full disclosure: MLB is probably the most unbalanced, disproportionate league of the Big 4 pro leagues in this country. The spending gap between the poorest teams and richest teams is immense. He is some basic, back-of-the-envelope math for NYT readers: $200,010,790 is the total player salary spending of the Cubs and Indians COMBINED. The Yankees spent $214 Million by themselves. The Dodgers spent the most in MLB salaries with $223.3 Million and got beat by the Cubs who spent nearly half as much.
See, I find purity in that math. And I would happily watch more baseball more often if this trend continues.
45
Great post!
The success of the Cubs has more to do with Lester, Chapman, and especially Bryant and Rizzo, the type of players Cleveland lacks, than it has with data. Bryant and Rizzo are the kind of players ANY team would want--home run hitters with good strike zone judgment--and Lester and Chapman are the kind of high-priced mercenaries any team would want. A twelve-year old could tell you that they are desirable players. I'll wait for Epstein to turn around a small-market team with a penny-pinching owner before I put him in the Hall of Fame.
6
The Cubs were spending lots of money before Epstein arrived. Bryant and Rizzo are both products of a data-driven farm/draft systems (Rizzo at the Red Sox, Bryant at the Cubs) that were years in the making. The Padres were willing to trade Rizzo as a prospect...and who do you think was behind that deal?
I grumbled plenty at Epstein through three awful seasons of 90+ Cubs losses. But the Red Sox and Cubs turnarounds are no coincidence, and Theo is now a lock for HoF in my book. I think you're right though, maybe nobody can turnaround a small-market team with a penny-pinching owner (ask Oakland). But a free-spending owner is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one for long-term success. Baseball operations matter. And excellent baseball operations shops now require really good analytics teams.
I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR! :)
I grumbled plenty at Epstein through three awful seasons of 90+ Cubs losses. But the Red Sox and Cubs turnarounds are no coincidence, and Theo is now a lock for HoF in my book. I think you're right though, maybe nobody can turnaround a small-market team with a penny-pinching owner (ask Oakland). But a free-spending owner is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one for long-term success. Baseball operations matter. And excellent baseball operations shops now require really good analytics teams.
I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR! :)
1
I'm not sure what those "true baseball" guys are yapping about. We all saw beautiful athleticism over the last nine nights and through all of the last season. Great entertainment! And as a Cubs fan, thank you Cleveland for a great series!
9
One comment. One of the themes of Moneyball was that the Oakland A's use analytics as a way of overcoming the fact that their payroll is less than 1/4 that of the big teams (the Cubs and Red Sox included). And the fact that the A's actually were winners 3-5 years ago was truly outstanding. Real Moneyball.
Theo Epstein combines analytics with Big Money, both at the Red Sox and the Cubs. You need brains and money to win.
Theo Epstein combines analytics with Big Money, both at the Red Sox and the Cubs. You need brains and money to win.
4
It's all in the numbers :)
3
Years ago, Sports Illustrated ran a series of articles written by Ted Williams, "The Art of Hitting". Williams may have been the first baseball nerd. He explained in great detail his analysis of the swing, which pitches to swing at, which to let go, his stance, where he held his hands, etc. Later, a book, it was chock full of the "whats" and the "whys".
An indifferent fielder, at best, Teddy Ballgame never wrote a book on fielding.
An indifferent fielder, at best, Teddy Ballgame never wrote a book on fielding.
3
As a die-hard Dodgers fan, I hated the Cubs up to and through the NCLS. But once we were eliminated, I threw my support behind this very special team of destiny. It doesn’t matter if some people dismiss analytics. Data is here to stay.
3
I never understood why people think that analytics and sport are mutually exclusive. I don't expect players to be running and throwing spreadsheets, just like I don't expect a front office to be on the field playing.
The FO should use everything they can use to put the best team on the field. The players take care of the rest.
The FO should use everything they can use to put the best team on the field. The players take care of the rest.
8
Agreed! I think it's the relentless yammering about statistics by broadcasters that gives stats a bad rap. Putting them to good use in playing the game makes total sense.
5
Mary has an excellent point here. And Joe Buck at Fox is one of the worst offenders. I don't know who is feeding him the largely irrelevant bloviation opportunities, but the misuses are frequently galling.
We get an in-game "stat sheet" detailing the number of playoff games where the Cubs have blown 3-run leads (as if Cubs fans would ever be able to forget ANY of those nightmares)...and we're supposed to think...WHAT? That those somehow magically affect *this* game? What dreck!
We get an in-game "stat sheet" detailing the number of playoff games where the Cubs have blown 3-run leads (as if Cubs fans would ever be able to forget ANY of those nightmares)...and we're supposed to think...WHAT? That those somehow magically affect *this* game? What dreck!
1
The nerd-ness only goes so far.
Left out of the coverage is what finally tipped the game. The Indians' reliever Shaw, for whatever reasons, pitched several balls that even my 60+ year-old eyes could see were juicy -- near the middle of the plate and not near (much less on) the corners. Shaw is not one of those rare pitchers (like maybe Chapman when he has top velocity and "movement") who can get away with that against top hitters. The Cubs made him, and the Indians, pay for those pitches.
I'm not sure the data-driven approach could or would have informed Indians' management regarding the likelihood that Shaw would serve up juicy pitches in game seven, top of the tenth.
Left out of the coverage is what finally tipped the game. The Indians' reliever Shaw, for whatever reasons, pitched several balls that even my 60+ year-old eyes could see were juicy -- near the middle of the plate and not near (much less on) the corners. Shaw is not one of those rare pitchers (like maybe Chapman when he has top velocity and "movement") who can get away with that against top hitters. The Cubs made him, and the Indians, pay for those pitches.
I'm not sure the data-driven approach could or would have informed Indians' management regarding the likelihood that Shaw would serve up juicy pitches in game seven, top of the tenth.
9
Of course it couldn't. Because people aren't machines.
It could suggest that Shaw is likely to throw fewer juicy pitches over the course of a season than Pitcher X, and then cause the Indians to select Shaw over Pitcher X.
And then Shaw and the rest go out and play the game and give us everything Maraniss and any baseball fan wants.
It could suggest that Shaw is likely to throw fewer juicy pitches over the course of a season than Pitcher X, and then cause the Indians to select Shaw over Pitcher X.
And then Shaw and the rest go out and play the game and give us everything Maraniss and any baseball fan wants.
2
Your article reminds me of a Feynman interview. He is talking about the beauty of a flower. His friend, an artist, chastises him that a scientist loses the artistic beauty inherent in a flower by reducing it to atomistic and mechanistic explanations. Feynman's retort is that he can appreciate both and his joy, therefore, is greater. Maybe Feynman could have done that and I believed him when I watched that interview 10 years ago. I am not sure anymore. It seems evident to me that there is a general trend of explaining away both joy and beauty. Of diminishing myth and legend. And that the effort has been a resounding success.
Maybe there are people who can simultaneous hold, in a deep philosophical sense, contrarian ideas on beauty and logic, art and statistics. I doubt it though. Cubs won and congrats to its long suffering fans. But a myth died and with it a small amount of beauty.
Maybe there are people who can simultaneous hold, in a deep philosophical sense, contrarian ideas on beauty and logic, art and statistics. I doubt it though. Cubs won and congrats to its long suffering fans. But a myth died and with it a small amount of beauty.
"Tell your statistics to shut up" - Jim Bouton (quoting Charlie Brown)
Moneyball was not just about analytics. It was about gaining a competitive edge by identifying things that your competitors undervalue.
Maybe the old school guys would be more open to it if we call it by another name: outsmarting your opponent.
Maybe the old school guys would be more open to it if we call it by another name: outsmarting your opponent.
13
I think the premise of a division between old school and the data rich is just a denial of the fact that winning teams have had coaches and owners and players that exploited their own analogue system of observation and gathering of data. Now the playing field in sports is on steroids just like all other areas of the market place, arts and politics. Remember when the quarterbacks such as Unitas called the shots? Well it was more than amazing to see Davis tie that score last night late in the game. So many more opportunities to derail the beast.
@Michael. Right, remember the accolade given to some players: "he is a student of the game", which implies attention paid to the slightest detail: who swings at high balls, who can hit curves, what body moves indicate pitches, etc. There was
always an analysis of all aspects of the game. The difference is that one uses
computers to store the information that wise baseball men accumulated in their heads. Thanks, Cubs, you made my day or is it my years.
always an analysis of all aspects of the game. The difference is that one uses
computers to store the information that wise baseball men accumulated in their heads. Thanks, Cubs, you made my day or is it my years.
3
Albert Almora, Jr., one of the last men off the bench, tagging up from first base on a fly ball to the outfield in the 10th Inning of Game 7 of the World Series and subsequently scoring to once again give the Cubs the lead and momentum, had absolutely nothing to do with analytics. Neither did Miguel Montero, other last man off the bench, driving in the eighth and decisive run. An old friend once scoffed at eclectic art lovers by saying "art is just an excuse for people to have bad taste." Spreadsheets may have permeated baseball, but they have yet to drive in a run.
5
Your comment here fails to address the possibility that Montero and Almora were only on the team in the first place because of analytics. If that is the case, then your comment isn't the definitive rebuttal to the article that your tone suggests you think it is.
4
What Ed said.
1
And given that Almora Jr. was selected in the first round of the draft in 2012 (after Theo Epstein arrived), it's very likely in his case that analytics played a huge part in setting the conditions that eventually made him available for the smart role he played in Game 7. Causality is a many-splendored thing.
1
David, "why do you keep referring to the Cleveland franchise as 'The Indians?" I thought you abhorred that name. Why don't you simply refer to the team as "Cleveland?" I'm beginning to think you are a hypocrite.
1
Maybe because that's the name of the team. I abhor Donald Trump but that doesn't keep me from saying his name.
1
I wouldn't have enjoyed the game better if I hadn't read Moneyball and learned about the sabermetrics movement. Baseball's beauty is in the statistics. I respect the game more now that I understand it better.
1
Metrics and statistics have always been integral to baseball. They've just become more sophisticated. I see no problem with this. Nor does it interfere with my appreciation and enjoyment of the pure game.
2
Baseball has ALWAYS been about analytics. Look at the stats on baseball cards...
5
If Maraniss wants to see athletic skill and rifle throws from the outfield there is always the unbridled chaos that is Yasiel Puig. But then again, the LA Dodgers lost to the Cubs in six...
Who would hire a manager or GM who is hostile to analysis? It's odd that the anti-stats group prefer to see teams make ill informed decisions rather than sully "purity" of the game. The beauty of baseball is still the beauty of baseball but analytics can better inform some of the decision making whether constructing a team or in-game strategy.
1
Let's just call it "moneyball," with all of the statistical rationality, crazy emotions, and everything else that Michael Lewis shows in his fabulous book of the same name.
The key is that old underwear and special ritual before the ballpark. To shave or not to shave. Clean or dirty socks. To talk to the wife or not. To watch or not. To cry or not.
That is baseball and it can be quantified.
That is baseball and it can be quantified.
5
Theo Epstein's embrace of analytics enabled the two longest-drought teams - the Red Sox who had to wait 86 years and the Cubs who had to wait 108 years - to win their World Series. Without Epstein and his analytics, these teams might still be waiting. So, with the Red Sox and Cubs finally overcoming the generations of futility in large part to Epstein and analytics, Epstein is assured his rightful place in Hall of Fame and this ultimately dismisses "true baseball" purists' beliefs and justifies analytics as part of the natural evolution of baseball.
30
The end of the last "curse" in baseball marks the beginning of a new era. It's a metaphor for how data and analytics in general have ended an analogue world.
That Theo et al will be remembered for bringing big data into baseball is a sign of the times almost as significant as when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.
That Theo et al will be remembered for bringing big data into baseball is a sign of the times almost as significant as when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.
Character and chemistry are what drive teams, not pure statistics.
Ask Maddon to corroborate that point of view after begging to get Zobrist on his team. ( the eventual World Series MVP )
Ask Maddon to corroborate that point of view after begging to get Zobrist on his team. ( the eventual World Series MVP )
5
I agree with the FunkyIrishman. Character, chemistry and, allow me to thrown in an alliterative charma, are indeed what drive teams. And in my mind, the lazy fly ball to right center in game 6 stuck a hatpin in to the 3 Ch's voodoo doll. Bad chemistry between the CF & RF ( it was Naquin's ball ). Pitcher who was still solid & had only given up a dinger to Bryant ( no shame there ) was now required to keep battling and running up his pitch count, 3-0 instead of 1-0 and a manager now trying to figure out how to get the mojo back. Cleveland, who I had a suspicion could win it all when the Cavs won the NBA title, had a tough row to hoe after that Little League play.
1
A rhetoric textbook could include a link to these comments to illustrate the concept of "straw man argument." So many of the comments amount to: "it's X that wins baseball games, not analytics."
Analytics is simply a tool used by front offices to perform a specific function, namely assessing the prospective value of a particular player relative to other player(s). No one intends that it replace or exclude everything else that's relevant about a baseball team, e.g., character. No one expects it to be predictive of every (or any) outcome within a particular baseball game.
Yes, analytics couldn't predict that Shaw would serve up juicy pitches on November 2, 2016. Or that Almora would shrewdly tag up from first. So what? It gave us a lot of great players that we got to watch over the past couple of weeks. I doubt any of the commenters would have signed a petition asking MLB to replace the Cubs or Indians with Stewart's Diamonbacks.
Analytics is simply a tool used by front offices to perform a specific function, namely assessing the prospective value of a particular player relative to other player(s). No one intends that it replace or exclude everything else that's relevant about a baseball team, e.g., character. No one expects it to be predictive of every (or any) outcome within a particular baseball game.
Yes, analytics couldn't predict that Shaw would serve up juicy pitches on November 2, 2016. Or that Almora would shrewdly tag up from first. So what? It gave us a lot of great players that we got to watch over the past couple of weeks. I doubt any of the commenters would have signed a petition asking MLB to replace the Cubs or Indians with Stewart's Diamonbacks.
I sense that what the "baseball" guys feel is missing from the analytical perspective is their own egos. Not trying to be harsh, but this is pretty clear from the trash talking and recent results.
Also what the analytics find in every individual player is often missed by coaches, scouts, and so many other game pros. Not to say a great coach can't pick up on a problematic swing or a rushed throwing motion, but it's extremely hard to do this all the time without some help.
Also what the analytics find in every individual player is often missed by coaches, scouts, and so many other game pros. Not to say a great coach can't pick up on a problematic swing or a rushed throwing motion, but it's extremely hard to do this all the time without some help.
11
What is the problem? What is at issue here? Art, joy, beauty, grace, excitement, and love go hand in glove/bat with statistics, numbers, data, and mathematics. There is no competition, so give it up. Enjoy both. Include both, not exclude one. Go Cubs, go! And mind your stats, would you?
4
The data-driven game might not be for everyone, but Cleveland's focus on analytics and finding "value players" enabled the Tribe to pose a serious threat to the Cubs - a major market team with approximately $75 million more dollars of high wattage "talent" on its roster. Go Tribe!
3
Mr. Stewart, you can keep your "true baseball" and 69-93 record. I suspect players would rather play for a winner.
The old-timers are also ardent believers that you want to bring in a right-handed relief pitcher to pitch to a right-handed batter, and right-handed hitting pinch hitter to face a left-handed pitcher...... Where did they get that idea, from gazing at the splendor in the infield grass? Enduring conventional wisdom must have some basis in data, however informal.
2
Analytics or athleticism, doesn't matter. It made me forget about the election for 4 1/2 hours so it was beautiful.
27
I am partial to the seventh game of the 1955 Series with THE CATCH by Sandy Amoros (Google him, youngsters.) but undoubtedly last night's game was one for the ages.
3
Considering the game lasted nearly 5 hours, it was one of the most riveting base-ball (old time spelling on purpose) games I have seen in a long time. It had everything, that made it true base-ball. How many games do you see:
1. A home run on the first pitch?
2. a Grand Slam Home Run?
3. 5 combined errors?
4. Several stolen bases?
5. Going extra innings?
6. And, two managers who both played with old time strategy with their respective bull pens?
This World Series brought people back to rediscover base-ball. Going to seven games, created new fans. And last night's game, just evoked memories of the golden age of the game.
This World Series brought back great memories of the Miracle Mets of 1969. And the excitement I had then for base-ball.
For Cubs and Indians fans, this was a World Series for the ages. 176 combined years without a championship is over for one of these teams. Teams which go back to the beginning of their respective leagues.
Base-ball is a both a game of history and statistics; they go together.
Such as it was, at the first commercial break, after the Cubs won, was an old beer commercial showing Harry Carey, the long time TV voice of the Chicago Cubs on WGN. I almost heard his trademark "Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!" echoing upon the last out at the bottom of the tenth.
Now, that's base-ball.
1. A home run on the first pitch?
2. a Grand Slam Home Run?
3. 5 combined errors?
4. Several stolen bases?
5. Going extra innings?
6. And, two managers who both played with old time strategy with their respective bull pens?
This World Series brought people back to rediscover base-ball. Going to seven games, created new fans. And last night's game, just evoked memories of the golden age of the game.
This World Series brought back great memories of the Miracle Mets of 1969. And the excitement I had then for base-ball.
For Cubs and Indians fans, this was a World Series for the ages. 176 combined years without a championship is over for one of these teams. Teams which go back to the beginning of their respective leagues.
Base-ball is a both a game of history and statistics; they go together.
Such as it was, at the first commercial break, after the Cubs won, was an old beer commercial showing Harry Carey, the long time TV voice of the Chicago Cubs on WGN. I almost heard his trademark "Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!" echoing upon the last out at the bottom of the tenth.
Now, that's base-ball.
46
nick thanks for reminding me of the hyphen - yeah i had totally forgotten that. great series. and i do not care how anyone wins. stats or moving players. what ever works to win. great series from the first inning on. yippee for the cubbies and their beleaguered city.
5
I stopped watching baseball regularly long ago, but this World Series was fantastic. I'll admit I watched primarily because I'm a Buffalo Bills fan and wanted to see another long suffering franchise, the Cubs, win a championship. That being said I love the way "Moneyball" analytics have changed the game. In the last 12 years Moneyball has won the CUBS and RED SOX world series...the CUBS and RED SOX!! Theo Epstein is destined for the Hall of Fame. Old baseball men should be quaking in their shoes today...they are now dinosaurs on the edge of extinction.
21
Who says statistics and analytics aren't beautiful?
31
Yeah, the Maraniss quote makes no sense, because analytics will lead you to players who do the athletic things well, and with good baseball knowledge--catching, throwing, getting a lead and stealing, fielding the position. Some of these attributes used to be given short shrift, overshadowed by a fixation on batting average. Defense used to be viewed a "nice if you have it" but not essential. Look at how many crucial points in this series turned on defensive plays made brilliantly or not made.
20
As a baseball-loving nerd who also taught graduate courses in statistics, I would like to pose the following questions to Mr. Stewart and other traditionalist managers. Don't you make stratigic and tactical baseball decisions all the time? Why don't those detract from the beauty of the game? If they come out of your head vs. out of a laptop, what's the difference? Except that in the long run the latter will probably lead to better outcomes. Why is being wrong beautiful?
18
You mean statistics is 100%fool proof?!
After watching plate umpires call strikes that the data showed to actually be balls, isn't it time to get rid of humans behind the plate, with their biases for the home team, and rely on the computer to see what actually happened, as in tennis? Or does that take the romance out of what is actually a pretty boring sport about 75% of the time? And speaking of tennis, wouldn't that sport be a lot more interesting and a lot more reliant on shot-making if we eliminated the second serve? Sorry to be the bearer of such heresies.
6
It's amazing that so much of this series turned on the random calls of the plate umpires. Almost none of them was consistent. Now that we have replays, we realize how many calls at first are gotten wrong--and we saw the overturning of the ridiculous out call the ump made at second base when Baez never had the slightest control of the ball tossed to him. Automate the strike zone.
2
I am a fan of the Chicago White Sox who spent way more time at Wrigley Field this year than on the South Side at whatever name the park is carrying this year. I used to claim to be a fan of the White Sox and any team playing the Cbus except the Cards, Dodgers and Mets. Then the Marlins and Giants made my despicable National League list.
I went North because I admire and respect the statistical reality of winning. Quality and quantity tend to come together in a sport where failing to get a hit 2/3rds of the time over a career will put you in the MLB Hall of Fame.
In 2004 Chicago had two teams- Cubs 1908 and White Sox 1917-who had been without a World Series win longer than the Red Sox 1918. But all we heard about were the Red Sox and the Yankees. Red Sox winning in 2004 trumped White Sox winning in 2005. Red Sox win in 2007 and 2013 to my disgust and envy. Then the Giants go berserk with 3 in an even numbered five year period.
Go Cubs go! Hey Chicago what do you say the Cubs are going to win today! Is now my other Chicago baseball team's winning theme song. Three or four straight World Series Championships would be real nice.
I went North because I admire and respect the statistical reality of winning. Quality and quantity tend to come together in a sport where failing to get a hit 2/3rds of the time over a career will put you in the MLB Hall of Fame.
In 2004 Chicago had two teams- Cubs 1908 and White Sox 1917-who had been without a World Series win longer than the Red Sox 1918. But all we heard about were the Red Sox and the Yankees. Red Sox winning in 2004 trumped White Sox winning in 2005. Red Sox win in 2007 and 2013 to my disgust and envy. Then the Giants go berserk with 3 in an even numbered five year period.
Go Cubs go! Hey Chicago what do you say the Cubs are going to win today! Is now my other Chicago baseball team's winning theme song. Three or four straight World Series Championships would be real nice.
11
So far in this millennium the city of Chicago has had more World Series winners than the city of New York. Pity it is still behind San Francisco and Boston, but puncturing New York's self-importance is nice; the other two can wait their turn.
1
You write, "They can enjoy a ballgame while simply listening to the crack of the bat and taking in the majesty of the ballpark. " I would love to enjoy a game that way. My complaint is not with the stats (which have always been part of baseball) but with the noise coming from the PA system. I don't mind knowing the exit velocity of a home run, but the thumpety-THUMP to which I am expected to clap along is especially annoying. Might this be a generational thing?
7
Jeff, I highly suggest you take in a game Wrigley Field. There is no thump of a PA system. No need to urge fans to " get loud". No mascots or cheerleaders. Just baseball. Pure and simple.
1
The true beauty of baseball is that it is So inherently variable that even the best teams lose nearly 40% of their games. You simply cannot control enough factors to dominate the league season the way, for instance, the Warriors did the NBA last year. Throw on-top the factor that the play-offs are 1-to-7-game tournaments, and you add-in still more -- and ample -- uncertainty. As is often said, baseball is a lot like life in that way -- you do what you can, but have to accept that there can be no guarantees that it'll pay-off.
Data analytics are useful management tools, as in any other business, but they are not a complete answer, or else my beloved A's would've been in the Series (instead of so many A's alumni -- no accident). Data are mainly useful in building a team, rather than deploying it, although it's probably also no accident that 'the shift' is a recent phenomenon.
Any team that scoffs at the opportunity to improve its competitiveness through the use of Moneyball tools is hamstringing itself -- and not really trying. It's like trying to run your life without using a computer or cell phone, to maintain the "charm" of distance and handwritten checks. You could do that, but why?
Data analytics are useful management tools, as in any other business, but they are not a complete answer, or else my beloved A's would've been in the Series (instead of so many A's alumni -- no accident). Data are mainly useful in building a team, rather than deploying it, although it's probably also no accident that 'the shift' is a recent phenomenon.
Any team that scoffs at the opportunity to improve its competitiveness through the use of Moneyball tools is hamstringing itself -- and not really trying. It's like trying to run your life without using a computer or cell phone, to maintain the "charm" of distance and handwritten checks. You could do that, but why?
40
What this article needs is a little more TWTW.
3
Who knew the classic battle of Nerds vs Jocks continues past high school and into adulthood. And as is usually the case, the Nerds get the last laugh!
36
For that matter, does a scientist have a "true" appreciation of the "art and beauty" of the world? “Change in the inorganic and organic world is no longer attributed to 'miraculous interposition.' It was once possible to point to a humble seed and invoke the attention of the Almighty as the only possible explanation for how such an ordinary object could grow into a mighty tree. Today we look into the seed itself, examine the program of gene expression that begins at germination, and seek our answers in the rich complexities of molecular biology and biochemistry. This does not mean that we have reduced the seedling to mere chemistry or physics. It means instead that we have elevated our understanding to appreciate the living plant in a way that lends wonder and delight to our view of nature.” Kenneth Miller, Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution (2000)
4
I don't understand the reaction against analytics in baseball. Clearly, the skill and athleticism of the players is the most important variable in the success of a team. However, using analytics to aid managerial decisions can best position your players to succeed, especially when facing an equally talented team. Data driven decisions won't always make the difference in a game like baseball, but sometimes they will.
29
I think that it's because analytics creates two cleasses of fans, based on whether the fan has math skills. People who lack math skills realize that they are missing something, and they resent it. I appreciate the insights that analytics provide, but I also feel sorry for those people who are not able to appreciate those insights.
2
"Data driven decisions won't always make the difference in a game like baseball, but sometimes they will."
"Sometimes" is often just enough to separate the teams who make the playoffs from those who stay home and watch them on television.
"Sometimes" is often just enough to separate the teams who make the playoffs from those who stay home and watch them on television.
True 'dat
1
Back to the future was only off by a year. Congratulations to the Cubs for finally ending the curse.
7
My grandmother, who watched seven exasperating decades of Cubs teams, died almost twenty years ago. She embraced the art of the game as a “true baseball” fan, but she also knew how to fill in a box score and could recite stats for every starter. Boy, have I missed her this World Series. She would have soaked in every beautiful (and sometimes ugly) minute--all the while clutching her sharpened pencil to keep score. Did the Cubs and Indians play true baseball this Series? Undoubtedly she would have said Yes. And I couldn’t agree more.
17
Nice to have some great news for a change.
7
Data analysis doesn't change the amazing feats that take place on the field everyday in the major leagues. If anything, they put players in better position to make those amazing plays. It is not like statistical analysis replaced all of the players on the field with emotionless "Spock" clones that use complex equations to help them hit 100 mph fastballs. The game is still played the same way it was the last time the Cubs won the world series, it is still battle between pitchers and hitters. The only difference is that both sides have more information than they used to.
5
Great game for sure, but a lot of that was due to it being Game Seven of the World Series. A similar four-hour game with those delays and pitching changes in July would not have been so great. As for metrics, how about the crowd of some 39,000, small by college football or NFL standards. Finally, true suffering in fandom cannot be inherited or adopted, it must be earned. When you have rooted for the Detroit Lions for almost 60 years you can talk about suffering.
9
39,000 fans over 82 games (even if the stadium is only half full 82 times) is way more than any college football team seats. Furthermore, lots of Cleveland and Chicago fans disagree with your assessment of the appeal of the same game in July--they showed up in droves. As for suffering, nobody does as a fan (or they wouldn't be one)--it's just a talking point. You can stop rooting for the Lions anytime. You don't because you like them. Fandom is not rational.
4
Sorry, but Cubs fans have the suffering market cornered and we have no room for Detroit Lions fans. We suffered through last night's killer game. We suffered through Joe Maddon's sabermetric bullpen changes. Now we have to suffer winning the World Series because of this: what about next year? All this suffering makes us adorable.
1
Uh . . . What's the point of this editorial?
Even before the "Moneyball" phenomenon, baseball was in love with statistics. Some smart guys like Theo Epstein and Billy Beane just figured out how to use the numbers properly and people like them are now putting one hell of a product on the field. That was the best World Series I've ever seen (status as lifelong Cub fan not withstanding).
Baseball is also a sport surrounded in mystic and superstition. The marriage of that mystic with statistic analysis is great. Baseball is in a really good place right now...go Cubs.
Baseball is also a sport surrounded in mystic and superstition. The marriage of that mystic with statistic analysis is great. Baseball is in a really good place right now...go Cubs.
4
MYSTIQUE!!! Sorry.
It's certainly true that the "thrill of baseball" comes from the athletic skill of the players (though I'd add skill in observation and tactical decision-making). There's no obligation on the part of fans to pay attention to stats.However, baseball teams aren't just in it for the thrill--to win they have to identify the players they need, to size up opponents, and deploy their players wisely in a game situations. Statistical analysis is a means to achieve those ends, or least teams like the Cubs think so. The Diamondbacks' manager's dismissing stats work suggests to me only that the team is lacking in skilled stat people.
3
As a physics "nerd" I often get the same remark, to the effect that you can't appreciate art and aesthetic beauty if you are analyzing. I think the truth is you see MORE beauty and art, and see them more deeply because you notice beautiful details not on anyone else's radar. If paying attention to the science and analytics of baseball makes it an ever more intelligent game how can you not see the beauty in that? Understanding why left-handed hitters have higher batting averages and why an outflield throw to a cut-off man can be more efficient than a single long throw are beautiful too. And, if repositioning players around the diamond to turn more potential hits into outs doesn't seem very "aesthetic" well - look who made it to the World Series (and who didn't).
50
Spot-on. This sport is ultimately about entertainment, and the souls that make up the ensemble, like an Academy-Award-winning film, and you haven't let anyone tell you the ending, or a great cable TV series that you've binge-watched-you can't wait for the next season.
It's also about the individual spirits and talents of the cast. Who can look at Anthony Rizzo's face after an amazing hit and not see a deeply human spirit at work, wanting to do the best it can, and enjoying it when it does just that?
I haven't been moved by a series like this in years. This kind of baseball brings me to tears. Isn't that it's ultimate purpose?
It's also about the individual spirits and talents of the cast. Who can look at Anthony Rizzo's face after an amazing hit and not see a deeply human spirit at work, wanting to do the best it can, and enjoying it when it does just that?
I haven't been moved by a series like this in years. This kind of baseball brings me to tears. Isn't that it's ultimate purpose?
7
The old world of Europe and Asia may be all about the art of life and sport, but our ancestors who rejected the status quo to come here and risk all gave us a society that habitually analyses everything. Data rules here, whether in sport, politics, or the economy.
And unfortunately a lot more of it seems to be used for LITIGATION here than anywhere else I can think of. Even in sports (ie. instant replays, coaches' challenges). Maybe in focusing on every man's right to analyze everything, something has been lost along the way as well.
2
I am a data person for the most part, but I thought last night's game was absolutely amazing and thrilling; and I don't even like baseball.
6
Thank you. My 8 year-old Chicago grandson & his dad love it all - the elegant athleticism & the churning numbers. My brother in France second-guesses the coaches in righteous fury. My sister falls asleep in her recliner with her dog, but wakes up to cheer at the FUN of it. There is indeed room for all of us in this game, and in this world.
24
I don't think there will ever be one like it.