Out of Left Field: How Outsiders Have Shaped Statistical Thinking in Sports

By Stephanie Kovalchik

Book Overview

This is a short non-technical book about the people who shaped and defined sports analytics in the last thirty years or so. It focuseson "outsiders," i.e. people who seemingly have little connection with sport or statistics, but have, without the influence of position or authority but through the sheer power of their ideas, changed the way we think about sport. Each chapter will focus on one thinker and his or her major ideas in sports statistics. It will include the context of the making of the thinker's innovations and a description of the technical discoveries that will be approachable to a broad audience. Stories from multiple major sports will be presented, including baseball, basketball, American football, soccer, tennis, and cricket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1498789099
• ISBN13: 9781498789097
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Length: 170 Pages