From: kbos@carina.unm.edu (Kurt "Some Guy" Bose)
Subject: Re: Mathematics of Baseball - Course
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 92 07:40:42 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Nov6.172205.9435@wuecl.wustl.edu> mccarthy@wucs1.wustl.edu (John McCarthy) writes:
>
>I am thinking of teaching a course in the math dept. on the
>mathematics of baseball. It would cover two areas
>i) The mathematical physics behind the game - how far
>a ball should go, how it is affected by temperature, etc.
>
>ii) Sabermetrics - how remarkable was Joe DiMaggio's streak,
>what is a good measure of run production, etc.
>
>When it comes to sabermetrics, there are obviously huge
>quantities of data available, as people quote results
>of statistical analysis. Is it available in on-line form?
>(I don't want to type in Elias' numbers for the last ten years).
>If so, are there any software packages freely available
>(or available free) for handling it?
>
First, on the subject of the hard math behind the game itself, your local 
physics department is a good place to start.  (One physics prof I had took great
delight in giving us all baseball-related problems to solve.)  The Adair
book is good as it goes, and Adair himself might be interested in hearing
from you.  There is also a book (called Newton at the Bat, I believe) that 
takes a look at physics problems in many sports...but since it's been more than
several years since I've read it, it's entirely possible that you might not
find it helpful, or possibly a little below university level.  

As for the analytical side of the course, a few ideas and answers...

On-line stats:  Setting pay systems (like USA TODAY Online) aside, you might
try right around the corner, at wuarchive.  A fledgling archive site has been
set up, and though my desire to keep it well documented has kept me from adding
some of the files I've got here to put in (just until I get them catalogued),
hopefully it will get more complete as the site grows.  If you have anything
specific to request, tell me and I'll look into getting them online for you.  As
far as free stats go, however, I have the 1991 and 1992 stats (somewhere... :) )

Your best bet, however, might be to find the _Total_Baseball_ CD and use it.
The cost of the drive isn't cheap, of course, but hey, there's other stuff to
use with it!!  :)  

As for the question of "handling" the statistics, I honestly think using a 
regular spreadsheet is the best path to take.  It won't "pretty print" the way
a custom program would, but it's servicable, and you probably have one already.

As far as good texts go, the best historical book for stats is probably the
aforementioned Total Baseball (and if, by some odd chance, you should use that
as a text, would you please FAX me an application?  :) ), which would be the
best even if it contained the same stats as the Encyclopedia, due to its many
pages of articles on all aspects of the game.  Among current publications, 
both Elias and the Great American Baseball Stat Book (GABSB) give very detailed
situational breakdowns.  _The Hidden Game of Baseball_, by Palmer and Thorn, is
a well-written book, even if you find faults with the linear weights system.
Bill James' _Historical Baseball Abstract_ isn't as strong mathematically as his
other work, though it may indeed be his best book.

Ah, well, I'll let the people who know what they're talking about help you now.


-- 
Kurt Bose (as in Daisy, not Rose) * kbos@carina.unm.edu * Make outs, not walks!
TONIGHT-In "Ryecatcher", Holden Caulfield foils a plot to turn his old prep
school into a right-wing military acadamy run by Neo-Nazis. 8PM(7PM C/M) Ch. 7
                                                        -The Book of Sequels...
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball