[majesty95]

The Takeover

The announcement that Calvin Griffith was stepping down as General Manager of the Twins and replacing himself with an unknown data analyst from the private sector was, expectedly, met with some resistance. The media, especially, was having a field day with questions. The announcement that this new unknown was also appointing his twin brother, Bum, as the team's new manager provided more fodder.

"How can a team be lead by a manager with no previous experience?" one reporter asked.

"More easily than you'd expect." Mr. Wacker answered. "The game of baseball is a statistical game. We laude over the numbers of our favorite stars yet, completely ignore the more important numbers behind the scenes. It's true that the most experienced managers in baseball can make gut decisions. Decisions based around feelings they get earned during years of experience playing and being a part of the game.

However, there is also a statistically correct action for many of the decisions managers make. While there are only a few managers with the experience derived from years in the game to make those decisions correctly, we believe, we can use mathematics to enhance the overall efficiency of those decisions. And, what we may lose in certain game situations that are best managed by "gut", we will make up for by correcting inefficiencies in the multitude of decisions that happen throughout a game and a season that are often clouded by "feelings" rather than data.

It's a new approach and you all have the right to be skeptical. We appreciate the Twins' organization and Mr. Griffith specifically, for being forward thinking in their approach to the game. All we ask is that you give us a chance to show you what we can do."

And so it was born. A new age of data analysis from the front office down to the field manager. The questions were tempered for the time being. But how will this all play out when the players actually have to be on the field abiding by these decisions in the spring?