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Feb 20, 2024
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William Bollom
Professor Caton
English 104
4/15/2023
How Technology Has Forever Changed Baseball
In the past decade, technological advances have transformed the way that baseball is played, managed, and watched. It has increased the use of data analytics, wearable sensors, and virtual reality training aids have improved player performance, changed how managers handle their teams, and improved the fans watching experience. This paper analyzes how advances in technology has influenced different aspects of Americas Pastime in the last ten years.
In baseball, new technology has completely changed how players perform, train, and practice. Nowadays, it is very common for teams to assess their player’s movement
during games and practices using wearable motion sensors. These wearable sensors are more accurate and mobile compared to their previous counterparts and assist teams in assessing the baseball pitching action (Camp). Coaches and players can use the data the sensors collect to measure a player’s arm speed, elbow torque, and joint angles to enhance performance. The data can be used by pitchers to pinpoint their areas of weakness and modify their delivery to improve their velocity, accuracy, and mechanics for the better. Hitters can also utilize these tools to modify their timing and approach by reviewing advanced data from their swings. New technology has propelled a data-driven strategy to help players perform better, coaches manage their teams better, and training staff to better treat their patients.
Ever since the emergence of the “Moneyball” strategy by the Oakland A’s in the early 2000s, baseball data analytics have gained popularity due to its ability to use statistical analysis to obtain a competitive advantage. The use of data analytics has revolutionized the way teams manage their players, as well as how they recruit new ones. These advances are especially useful in spotting undervalued players. Organizations are now able to evaluate hundreds of different statistics to evaluate a player’s performance, such as OBP (on-base percentage), SLG (slugging percentage), and FLDP (fielding percentage) to determine how players are currently performing, as well as how well a potential player could perform in such a competitive league (Duquette). These analytics allow managers to make better informed decisions when managing their teams, which can be incredibly useful when creating the lineup or making substitutions during a game. The increased use of analytics has brought about a
more strategic approach to the game, one that was impossible before advanced technology made this information easy to track, as well as easier to calculate. These advances have increased the overall performance of teams across the league, leading to a more competitive and entertaining league.
In the last ten years, new technology has completely changed the way baseball is managed, played, and watched. Without the use of advanced data analysis, motion sensor technology, and virtual reality training and treatment, teams may still be managing their teams according to the “traditional” rules of baseball. However, because of these advances, organizations who may not be in the biggest market, possess the best players, or have the best facilities now have a chance to compete at a high level. In
order for teams to remain competitive as these technologies continue to evolve, they
must be open to utilizing the tools available to them in order to best manage their teams.
Annotated Bibliography
Camp, Christopher L., et al. "Are Wearable Sensors Valid and Reliable for Studying the Baseball Pitching Motion? an Independent Comparison with Marker-Based Motion Capture."
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
, vol. 49, no. 11, 2021, pp. 3094-3101
. CrossRef
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https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/036354652110290
17,
This article analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of different motion capture sensors used in studying baseball pitching motion. This article was written by many authors, the primary author being Christopher L. Camp, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic that specializes in shoulder and elbow injuries in overhead throwers. The authors mention that preexisting, traditional motion sensor technology required specialized equipment in a laboratory setting.
However, in recent years technology has evolved to where teams are able to track every movement of their players, allowing them to manage their programs better. Duquette, Christopher M., et al. "Major League Baseball's Moneyball at Age 15: A Re-Appraisal."
Applied Economics
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5700
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https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00036846.2019.16
17399,
This article evaluates the “Moneyball” approach to baseball management. The author, Christopher M. Duquette, is an ex-Army soldier with a PhD in Economics. The Moneyball approach was popularized in the early 2000s when Michael Lewis wrote a popular book describing the Oakland Athletics utilizing the method in order to compete with big market teams. The authors analyze the correlation between how much a team paid its players versus how well that team performed.
They discovered that while increased spending is positively connected with better performance, the effect was much less than in previous decades. Their study suggests that the Moneyball method “leveled out” the MLB playing field which has now lead to a much more competitive and fair league, as they relationship between spending and player performance has become less and less
clear.
LaPrade, Christopher M., et al.
Using Advanced Data to Analyze the Impact of Injury on Performance of Major League Baseball Pitchers: A Narrative Review.
vol. 10, 2022
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This article provides a comprehensive review of the ways pitchers have been analyzed in the past as well as how advancements in technology allows players, coaches, and fans to see how pitcher’s recover after injuries sustained during
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play. The author, Christopher M. LaPrade, is an orthopedic surgeon at the Stanford Health Center. He begins his article by mentioning several of the common injuries sustained by pitchers during play, and some of the details surrounding those injuries. The article goes on to provide an overview of pitching metrics used to evaluate pitchers, such as spin rate, velocity, and movement patterns. Advancements in technology have allowed teams to gain access to these statistics of every single pitch thrown, so abnormalities after injury can easily be seen. This has revolutionized the way that teams manage their pitcher’s post-injury to permit players the proper healing process in order to return to the field.
Mizels, Joshua, Brandon Erickson, and Peter Chalmers. "Current State of Data and Analytics Research in Baseball."
Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine
, vol. 15, no. 4, 2022, pp. 283-290
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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12178-022-09763-6,
This article examines how advances in technology have shown promise in predicting player performance as well as preventing injuries. Machine learning, artificial intelligence, and modern motion tracking technology allow for advances kinematic data to help predict performance as well as possible injury. The authors, all of whom are licensed medical professionals, provide an in-depth analysis of the history of sabermetric data collection in the MLB, as well as breaking down the new technologies that have emerged within this field. The article breaks down the different performance metrics used by trainers and coaches to evaluate pitcher performance, such as spin rate, pitch movement, and velocity. Due to these advances in technology, coaches have access to these
statistics for every single pitch thrown, and can coach their teams accordingly. However, the article provides additional info into how these technologies are being used to evaluate other positions as well, not just the pitcher. Artificial intelligence is able to provide much more accurate, unbiased stats than those that can be recorded by a human due to its ability to evaluate all the different factors that affect a player on a given play.