M’s Hire Tom Tango

A team and organization that gets it.

From U.S.S. Mariner

I think it’s fair to say that, right now, Tom is the leading analyst of the day in public advancement of statistical analysis. If you wanted to know what the best practice for current analysis is, you wouldn’t go to Bill James or Nate Silver, you’d go to Tom Tango. He’s the gold standard of analysts publishing their work, and he’s made significant strides in pushing forward the understanding of baseball through his writings.

–snip–

If you weren’t already completely convinced, this should do it – the M’s are now one of the best run teams in baseball. They’ve implemented processes based on logic, reason, and evidence that will lead to positive results. They understand good analysis from bad analysis, and are pushing forward the organization’s ability to create new information and exploit their resources.

The Reds must invest in statistical analysis and data sorting or else risk falling further behind. I don’t doubt that they do some currently, but at some point they must make a hire and change the organizational focus.

The Rays, Indians, and to a degree the Pittsburgh Pirates are all looking for an edge in order to improve their current teams as well as the future by drafting using statistical analysis and scouting.

Just like fans clamoring for Mike Brown to hire a GM and scouts for the Bengals, Reds fans should start howling about the “old-school” baseball mentality if this team ever wants to be competitive again.

Unfortunately, a certain broadcaster and crotchety old newspaper columnist probably would run that way of thinking (statistical analysis) out of town much like Paul DePodesta was treated in Los Angeles.

If you are a buisness trying to gain a larger market share and to beat out the competition, wouldn’t you at least try a new approch when what you are currently doing is failing?

Hey Walt…

This might be a good idea for your team.

It looks like the Mariners’ new GM, Jack Zduriencik, is devoting a whole new department to statistical analysis.

From the Seattle Times:

It turns out the Mariners are planning to do a whole lot more. In fact, they’re in the process of creating an entirely new department to deal with the subject.

The department will fall under the auspices of Tony Blengino, a longtime baseball stats analyst and a special assistant to new Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik. Details of the department’s mandate and size are still to be worked out, but the move could vault the Mariners from their perceived Stone Age approach to stats to one in which they’re seen as one of the game’s more progressive franchises.

I know Jocketty was pretty much vehminetly opposed to any analytical department in St. Louis and that it was part of the reason he left.  However, if he sees that other teams are getting serious, how can he ignore it for much longer?

We want to take all the information at our disposal and combine it with our scouting,” Blengino said Friday.

I think this is the best approach.  A synthesis of scouting (subjective) and statistical analysis (objective) can really be an asset to any club looking for an edge.  Too much of one or the other can lead to players being missed and then you lose your advantage.

If we were to ask Walt to what extent the Reds use statistical analysis I am sure that he would give a canned response that wouldn’t revel anything.

Perhaps someone could ask him in person if they see him at RedsFest next month.