Smart baseball : the story behind the old stats that are ruining the game, the new ones that are running it, and the right way to think about baseball / Keith Law.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Law, Keith, 1973- author.

Contributor:

George R. Fink Memorial Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Major League Baseball (Organization)--Statistics.

Major League Baseball (Organization).

Baseball--Statistical methods.

Baseball.

Baseball--United States--Statistics.

baseball.

Local Subjects:

Baseball--United States--Statistics.

baseball.

Genre:

Statistics.

Physical Description:

viii, 291 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Smart baseball

Place of Publication:

New York : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2017]

Summary:

"For decades, statistics such as batting average, saves recorded, and pitching won-lost records have been used to measure individual players' and teams' potential and success. But in the past fifteen years, a revolutionary new standard of measurement-- sabermetrics-- has been embraced by front offices in Major League Baseball and among fantasy baseball enthusiasts. But while sabermetrics is recognized as being smarter and more accurate, traditionalists, including journalists, fans, and managers, stubbornly believe that the 'old' way-- a combination of outdated numbers and "gut" instinct-- is still the best way. Baseball, they argue, should be run by people, not by numbers. In this informative and provocative book, the ESPN analyst and senior baseball writer demolishes a century's worth of accepted wisdom, making the definitive case against the long-established view. Armed with concrete examples from different eras of baseball history, logic, a little math, and lively commentary, he shows how the allegiance to these numbers-- dating back to the beginning of the professional game-- is firmly rooted not in accuracy or success, but in baseball's irrational adherence to tradition. While Law gores sacred cows, from clutch performers to RBIs to the infamous save rule, he also demystifies sabermetrics, explaining what these "new" numbers really are and why they're vital. He also considers the game's future, examining how teams are using Data-- from PhDs to sophisticated statistical databases-- to build future rosters; changes that will transform baseball and all of professional sports."-- Amazon.com

Contents:

Part one. Smrt baseball

Below average : the fundamental flaws of batting average

Pitcher wins : one guy gets the credit for everyone else's work

RBI : baseball's unreliable narrator

Holtzman's folly : how the save rule has ruined baseball

Stolen bases : crime only pays if you never get caught

Fielding percentage : the absolute worst way to measure defense

Bulfinch's baseball mythology : clutch hitters, lineup protection, and other things that don't exist

Part two. Smart baseball

OBP is life : why on-base percentage is the measure of a hitter

The power and the glory : slugging percentage and OPS

wOBA/WRC : the ultimate measure of the hitter (until the next one)

ERA and the riddle of pitching versus defense

WPA : measuring clutch, if you must

The black box : how baseball teams measure defense today

No puns intended : going to WAR to value the whole player

Part three. Smarter baseball

Applied math : looking at Hall of Fame elections using newer stats

No trouble with the curve : how scouting works, and how the statistical revolution is changing it

The next big thing is here, the revolution's near : MLB statcast

The edge of tomorrow : where the future of stats might take us.

Notes:

Includes index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the George R. Fink Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

9780062490223

0062490222

OCLC:

952207124