Sabermetrics at the CWS

[The Croom Diaries]

Cohen, the IU, Louisville and Oregon State coach were asked if they use sabermetrics. IU: "no". Louisville: "I'm a math major and don't use them. Cohen: "that's for professional baseball". OSU: "I don't know any numbers".

[Quaoarsking]

I doubt they're telling the truth.

[CadaverDawg]

I saw that. They all talked about how they don't use it, and Cohen went in depth about how there are so many things in baseball that stats don't show you. The whole time I was watching I couldn't help but picture Will James either a. Shredding and burning every pile of stats he has printed out in his house, or b. mentally talking himself into thinking they are all just morons, and that maybe he should try to become a baseball coach.

[FlabLoser]

Cohen said on the radio a couple days ago that they used statistics to figure out that they would rather practice at Dudy Noble before an away game than to travel earlier for a practice session on the away field.

[Will James]

I doubt they're telling the truth.

Well the Diary isn't telling the whole story.

IU coach (really the only wannabe luddite) even said "Do I look at some of the statistical stuff? Yeah but we're not big on scouting" Not sure sabermetrics actually comes into play when scouting for a one game scenario. IU coach was just playing to the old school mentality because thats somehow the cool thing to do.

LOU coach - "I got a degree in mathematics, I like statistics, I like the law of averages" Little different than what the Diary said aka the Diary made that shit up

Cohen- "I love numbers" He then goes into playing teams 3 times which again is my point of sample sizes. You use the numbers and odds for YOUR team over the entirety of a season to maximize output, not for a one game setting against an opponent. Which is why I kind of don't bother much with the "How do we match up against Oregon State" question. Its one game in baseball, you cannot predict it like matchups in football. Cohen continues "I love the numbers part I read all that stuff"

OSU coach "Assistants do that everyone collects numbers" The diary claimed he said I dont know any numbers? Who is he Forrest Gump or Lenny? If my baseball coach said "Duh George I dont know any numbers George, the rabbits" I'd want him institutionalized. Of course thats not what OSU's coach said.

Its always funny to me the rush to "Ah well we dont rely on that its all the gut instincts of the manager" bullshit. Sabermetrics in ALL levels (http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2013/5/3/4294202/the-sabermetrics-of-little-league) of baseball is simply maximizing your team's potential and regardless of what they say, they all use them. Indiana's best 3 hitters aren't hitting 7-8-9 I can guarantee you that. Oh and Indiana let the Big 10 in walks and OBP.

[CadaverDawg]

Been wondering where you were hiding. Glad to know things are back to normal around here.

[The Croom Diaries]

How did that bait taste Will. Ha, just wanted to bust your balls.

[Todd4State]

The thing about sabermetrics and college baseball that is different from MLB is you have a wider range in the talent levels of a team. For example, the Cardinals are arguably the best team in baseball right now- going by wins and not being a homer- but there is not really that much of a difference between them and the Astros at least to the point where it would be incredibly shocking if the Astros beat the Cardinals.

In college, you have teams that are CWS caliber like Dear old State but then you have teams like Mississippi Valley State where it may be a stretch for them to beat MSU 1 out of 10 times. And then you have a lot of teams in between. What that does is it makes college stats somewhat more difficult to infer to a degree- remember the year Ryan Duffy feasted on SWAC pitching as an example- so everyone has skewed stats to some degree compared to MLB where the players and competition are more similar.

But every coach uses sabermetrics to a degree, but they also utilize their "instincts" as well. Like I have said before, it is more of an individual pitcher vs. hitter thing rather than broad "don't do this ever in this situation" thing. You have to be able as a baseball coach to combine the information that you are given, figure out what is relevant to the situation and then use that along with your experience to make the best informed decision possible. You have to know your players and evaluate how they are doing in game as well. I could see where a college coach would be less likely to use sabermetrics simply because they don't have the sample sizes a lot of times to use- we may play Oregon State this one time in a ten year span. When a coach goes by the book or doesn't use their instincts, it makes them and their team very suceptible to something "out of the ordinary" like a double steal or a hit and run on a count that is not a typical hit and run count.

I'll say this- one thing that has changed baseball coaching as much as anything is video. You can look at at bats and see pitch sequences and figure out how teams are working hitters, you can find flaws, and you can use it as an educational tool for players by comparing their at bats and physically showing them what they are doing right and wrong. Same with pitchers as well. Stats on paper can tell you something, but sometimes it's a matter of correcting something which can change stats as well.