muDKg (Free pdf) Big Data Baseball: Math, Miracles, and the End of a 20-Year Losing Streak Online [muDKg.ebook] Big Data Baseball: Math, Miracles, and the End of a 20-Year Losing Streak Pdf Free Travis Sawchik ePub | *DOC | audiobook | ebooks | Download PDF #84427 in Books Sawchik Travis 2016-05-03 2016-05-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.21 x .64 x 5.56l, .0 #File Name: 1250094259256 pagesBig Data Baseball Math Miracles and the End of a 20 Year Losing Streak | File size: 42.Mb Travis Sawchik : Big Data Baseball: Math, Miracles, and the End of a 20-Year Losing Streak before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised Big Data Baseball: Math, Miracles, and the End of a 20-Year Losing Streak: 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. For Stat Geeks Who Are Baseball FansBy Dr. PeteIn many ways, this is a book similar to those written by Malcolm Gladwell. In 2013, the Pirates were at a "tipping point".Their GM and Manager needed to win or be fired. They, along with non-baseball playing math nerds, sought out "outliers", players who out-performed their peers in ways that other teams didn't recognize. With considerably fewer resources, the GM and Manager were confronting a "David and Goliath" battle.To beat those odds, Clint Hurdle not only had to abandon much of what he considered important like a pitcher's Win Loss record and ERA, and batting average as the most important metric for position players, he had to convince his coaches and next his players. To do this, Hurdle integrated the stat people with the scouts, as well as with the coaches. How Hurdle did this is explained in this very readable book. Although the specifics here deal with baseball, in a general way, it would be useful for businesses, especially those which need to be re-organized.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Great Read, Even if You're Not a Pirates FanBy Kyle E.I found this book to be an enjoyable read about building a successful team in baseball. You do not have to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates to enjoy this book, but it certainly helps. This book offers amazing insight into the transformation of the Pirates organization from having the longest span of losing seasons in professional sports history to a viable threat in the National League. Also, the renaissance in Clint Hurdle's approach to baseball is discussed, along with his background in the sport. Whereas this book is not as transformative for baseball as Moneyball was, there is still quite a bit of information one can gain from this book. Pitch framing and defensive alignments are the two mechanisms of successfully managing a team which are excellently explained in this book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful narrative of how analytics have changed the gameBy VitoI am a diehard baseball fan and was recommended the book by my team's (not the Pirates) radio announcer. Loved the book. I was not expecting a book written by a local sports journalist to be as well-written as it was, nor was I expecting to be so overwhelmed by how data has changed the game. As baseball fans, we are quick to second-guess managers and our teams, but I think this book is a good reminder that decisions for most teams are not always made by "gut," but made from mountains and mountains of data. The book tackles what could be a boring subject with a brilliant narrative, complete with character development and plot twists. But I think Sawchick nails the main thesis, which is that baseball is a constantly evolving game of cat-and-mouse. Highly recommended for any baseball fan. New York Times BestsellerAfter twenty consecutive losing seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, team morale was low, the clubrsquo;s payroll ranked near the bottom of the sport, game attendance was down, and the city was becoming increasingly disenchanted with its team. Big Data Baseball is the story of how the 2013 Pirates, mired in the longest losing streak in North American pro sports history, adopted drastic big-data strategies to end the drought, make the playoffs, and turn around the franchisersquo;s fortunes. Big Data Baseball is Moneyball for a new generation. Award- winning journalist Travis Sawchik takes you behind the scenes to expertly weave together the stories of the key figures who changed the way the Pirates played the game, revealing how a culture of collaboration and creativity flourished as whiz-kid analysts worked alongside graybeard coaches to revolutionize the sport and uncover groundbreaking insights for how to win more games without spending a dime. From pitch framing to on-field shifts, this entertaining and enlightening underdog story closely examines baseballrsquo;s burgeoning big data movement and demonstrates how the millions of data points which arenrsquo;t immediately visible to players and spectators, are the bit of magic that led the Pirates to finish the 2013 season in second place and brought an end to a twenty-year losing streak. ldquo;Big Data Baseball is a particular kind of nerd heaven and if yoursquo;re even vaguely interested in advanced analytics, you should already be halfway through the second chapter by nowhellip; Sawchikrsquo;s real achievement is making the sabermetrics story accessible to everyone, even people who might have been scared off by it at first.rdquo; ?MLB.comldquo;[Big Data Baseball] is a useful, entertaining look back at how the Pirates turned a small market, longtime loser into a playoff teamhellip; a very illuminating book.rdquo; ?Baseball Americaldquo;How this motley collection of men-from data geeks to throwback coaches to reluctant players-worked the numbers together to mold a winner makes Sawchik's tale as compelling as Michael Lewis' Moneyball. Which is saying a lot.rdquo; ?Booklist, starred reviewldquo;This enlightening book by Sawchik explains how the team helped redefine the game... Taking cues from Michael Lewis's Moneyball and Jonah Keri's The Extra 2%, Sawchik wonderfully dissects statistics and the game itself in a style that will score with a broad range of readers.rdquo; ?Publishers Weeklyldquo;In Big Data Baseball, Travis Sawchik reveals one of the great untold baseball stories of the early 21st century--how the Pittsburgh Pirates ended a twenty-year streak of futility by using data to revolutionize the way they positioned their defenders. Sawchik's fascinating tale is not merely about numbers, however. It also is about a spirit of collaboration between the new-age analysts and old-school field operatives that elevated the Pirates above other teams with access to the same information. For those who truly want to understand how the game has changed, Big Data Baseball is a must- read.rdquo; ?Ken Rosenthal, Senior MLB writer for FOXSportsldquo;An author's goal when telling a story like this is to combine gripping storytelling with fresh insight into the wonkish methods an underdog baseball team uses to defy odds and win. The former is a great achievement for anyone, let alone a first-time author. The latter, given how incredibly secretive sports teams have become, is damn near impossible. In Big Data Baseball, Travis Sawchik pulls both off, and he does so masterfully.rdquo; ?Jonah Keri, author of The Extra 2% and writer for Grantlandldquo;I read and loved Big Data Baseball...Highly recommend if you dig baseball stats and anecdotes!rdquo; ?Seth Meyersldquo;At times, the story reads almost like a John R. Tunis baseball book for boys...Tunis' optimism, idealization of character, and overall enthusiasm all are here. Most important is Sawchik's realization, however, that the diamond will never again be so rough-data-gatherers and -analysts are polishing assiduously. Both a comprehensive and a focused look at how computer-recorded data are fundamentally altering America's pastime.rdquo; ?Kirkus sldquo;The paradox is that as baseball becomes more complicated, the Pittsburgh Pirates are making it less complicated with one single word: communication. Big Data Baseball intelligently reveals how the symbiotic relationship between the data and the human factor is the future of baseball.rdquo; ?Ron Darling, former major league pitcher and MLB Network and SNY analystldquo;Insightful, thorough, and outstanding. Travis takes us beyond the field to show where we are in the post-sabermetric revolution. The Pirates have combined scouting, analytics, and old fashioned attention to detail to revitalize their franchise. Want the state of the art in winning baseball? Big Data Baseball gives it to you.rdquo; ?Brian Kenny, analyst/anchor for MLB Networkldquo;Sawchik provides us with far more than the binary debate of lsquo;stats versus scouts.' Rather, he's produced the definitive narrative of how one organization forged a way forward using both objective and subjective methods---and made a great, skeptical baseball city believe again.rdquo; ?Jon Morosi, national baseball writer for Fox Sportsldquo;It's too simplistic to call this lsquo;Moneyball 2.0,' but Sawchik has done much the same as what Michael Lewis did--he's found an interesting story about how a team is forced to do things differently. Much like the Pirates, Sawchik finds a way to not go with the herd, not take the simple approach, and to make us understand how Neal Huntington changed a culture. Sawchik's ability to find insights and the human stories inside of rows and columns on a spreadsheet is what makes Big Data Baseball a great read.rdquo; ?Will Carroll, writer at BleacherReport.com and former writer for Sports Illustrated and BaseballProspectus.comldquo;Big Data Baseball is the logical successor to Moneyball, a blueprint for how the successful teams of the next decade will get ahead.