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From those early days of transferring information fromnote
cards to computer programs, analytics has exploded in size and
complexity. For example, STATS LLC, which is one of football’s
leading analytic companies, tracks more than 90 separate bits of
data in a single play. As Tony Khan of the Jacksonville Jaguars
told
ESPN The Magazine
in a phrase that could be echoed in
nearly every sport, “There’s a ton of information in football,
but that’s the problem.” With all that information, teams need
people to sort through the data and determine what is relevant
for their specific organization.
Analytics: Here to Stay
Former Dodgers manager Fred Claire, who now works as a
partner with Ari Kaplan at Ariball.com, knows analytics is
here to stay. “Part of the reason averages and offense are down
in baseball is because pitching analytics has utilized more
weaknesses in the hitters than vice versa,” says Claire. “Pitchers
see where hitters are
vulnerable
via analytics. But if a hitter has
a great report on [Dodgers’ Cy Young Award winner] Clayton
Kershaw, good luck!”
Kaplan notes that from a baseball perspective, your job
duties could vary vastly. “On the baseball side, I’ve had every
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Analytics: Sports Stats and More