Teaching Statistics Using Baseball
by Jim Albert
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jim AlbertEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-07
ISBN: 0883857278
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America
Book Reviews of Teaching Statistics Using Baseball
Book Review: A hit about hits
Summary: 5 Stars
If there is one thing that separates the baseball fan from those of other sports, it is their fascination with statistics. By this, I mean the raw data, not the detailed analysis. An enormous amount of data is kept about baseball players and their accomplishments, and nearly all of it is online. It is very detailed, as it is possible to obtain data regarding how a particular batter performed when facing a particular pitcher with a particular ball and strike count. With all of this data available, it is possible to find some raw data that can be used to illustrate any analytical technique demonstrated in basic statistic classes. Using this data, the authors have hit a resounding home run, and touched all the bases. The examples are easily understood, even if you have limited knowledge of the game. Nearly all of the techniques of a basic statistics class are covered, making this suitable for use as a textbook. The main points of difference are the absence of a great deal of hypothesis testing and the inclusion of a chapter on the events of an inning modeled as a Markov chain.
Baseball fans will want to read this book to settle arguments and start new ones. One can argue, as I have on many occasions, about which of two players is the best or which one should have been the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for a particular year. There are some very detailed comparisons of players, showing conclusively, at least to me, which one was best. I was fascinated about the run producing value of all of the possible offensive outcomes of a batter getting on base by getting a hit, walk or being hit by a pitch. Their analysis includes the value of advancing runners already on base, which explains why a single is worth 1.0 and a walk worth 0.61. Runners often advance more than one base on a single and a walk will advance runners only if first base is already occupied. A large collection of problems is given at the end of each chapter and the data for the problem is always included.
At this point in my professional life, I dread the examination of textbooks for basic classes. Over time, they seem to take on a bland sameness that dulls the mind, even though they do have differences. This is the liveliest, most interesting statistics book that I have ever read.
Summary of Teaching Statistics Using Baseball
"Teaching Statistics Using Baseball " is a collection of case studies and exercises applying statistical and probabilistic thinking to the game of baseball. Baseball is the most statistical of all sports, since players are identified and evaluated by their corresponding hitting and pitching statistics. There is an active effort by people in the baseball community to learn more about baseball performance and strategy by the use of statistics. This book illustrates basic methods of data analysis and probability models by means of baseball statistics collected on players and teams. Students often have difficulty learning statistics ideas since they are explained using examples that are foreign to the students. The idea of the book is to describe statistical thinking in a context (that is, baseball) that will be familiar and interesting to students.The book is organized using a same structure as most introductory statistics texts. There are chapters on the analysis on a single batch of data, followed with chapters on comparing batches of data and relationships. There are chapters on probability models and on statistical inference. The book can be used as the framework for a one-semester introductory statistics class focused on baseball or sports. This type of class has been taught at Bowling Green State University. It may be very suitable for a statistics class for students with sports-related majors, such as sports management or sports medicine. Alternately, the book can be used as a resource for instructors who wish to infuse their present course in probability or statistics with applications from baseball.
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