Ohio MAA 2006 Summer Short Course

Baseball, Statistics, and the Role of Chance in the Game

Instructor: Jim Albert, Bowling Green State University

Abstract:

Baseball provides a wonderful context for teaching statistical thinking and probabilistic modeling. Also the wealth of baseball data is useful in answering questions about the game, including the evaluation of players and assessing strategy.

This workshop will introduce several explorations of baseball data including the search for the ultimate batting statistic, looking for true streakiness and clutch ability, modeling run production by a Markov Chain model, and comparing great players such as Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds who played in different eras.

This workshop will be directed both to instructors who wish to infuse their teaching of probability and statistics with applications from baseball and to baseball fans interested in learning about sabermetrics (the analysis of baseball through objective evidence).


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This page last modified on January 25, 2006, by Michael Zwilling.