The Best of by the Numbers

by Phil Birnbaum

Do catchers learn to handle pitchers better as they get older? Do some batters have a greater ability than others in the clutch? Does good hitting beat good pitching? These and many other questions that fans ask are answered in this collection of more than two dozen analytical research studies from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The provocative conclusions, based as much as possible on objective data and statistics, often fly in...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0910137900
• ISBN13: 9780910137904
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Society for American Baseball Research
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

A deep and accurate look inside the numbers of baseball

As a long-time baseball fan and a professional mathematician, this book contains material that I devour rather than read. The essays are detailed statistical analyses of some of the most persistent beliefs about effective strategies that have been a part of baseball for over a century. Some of the principles examined are: *) Do catchers become effective in lowering team ERA as they gain experience behind the plate? *) Is the stolen base an effective offensive weapon? *) Is there such a thing as a clutch hitter? *) Does playing every day wear a player down so that their performance drops in the late season? *) What is the best batting order? *) Do faster runners induce more fielding errors? The great thing about these papers is that the authors give hard numbers justifying each of their conclusions. Furthermore, they also point out potential flaws in their analysis, which is the hallmark of a good researcher. Sportscasters often use the phrase "inside the numbers" when they are engaged in analysis, in these papers the phrase should be taken literally because the authors do that and do it very well.