Game theory | Statistical research in baseball

Freeze frame

A stunning study on catcher "framing"

By D.R.

TODAY is the opening of “Moneyball”, the film starring Brad Pitt about the success of the small-market Oakland Athletics. Based on the best-selling 2003 book by Michael Lewis, it recounts how the club used statistics like on-base percentage (OBP) in the early 2000s to identify players whose skills were being undervalued by other teams. Despite having one of the lowest payrolls in the game, Oakland made the playoffs every year from 2000 to 2003.

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