This is the first of three reviews I am posting in the next three days as after a lull in my reading time, I had plenty of time to read on a recent trip for a conference in Washington DC. As one who prefers train travel when possible, this meant extra reading time. For the first review, I am posting this one on a book on the use of data analysis in professional sports. Here is my review of "Game of Edges."
Title/Author:
“Game of Edges: The
Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports” by Bruce Schoenfeld
Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review: Fans of professional sports
are certainly aware that analytics are now an important part of their favorite
sports, no matter which one(s) they prefer.
While many do see the change in the games on the field due to the use of
data, they may not be aware that the same type of analysis is used by many team
owner for the business side as well.
This book by Bruce Schoenfeld does a good job of explaining this use of
data both on and off the field.
I found the discussions on the business aspect of analytics
most fascinating. Items that are mentioned cover mainly Major League Baseball
and the English Premier League but they are certainly applicable to most
professional sports franchises. It is especially
interesting to read about the Premier League franchises who used data to
determine how they may be able to sell more merchandise, for one example. Another excellent example of this was how
John Henry, the owner of baseball’s Boston Red Sox, arrived at the decision to
buy the Liverpool Premier League team.
For teams in the United States, one of the more interesting
concepts on the business side of analytics was something that anyone who has
attended a professional sports event in the past few years can see – the many
options outside of the game itself to bring fans (and their money) to the
area. The Red Sox are one example given –
Henry was looking to open Red-Sox themed pubs around Boston but was discouraged
from doing so by then-Commissioner Bud Selig.
The reason was that this might also be something the rival of the Red
Sox would do, the New York Yankees, and help them bring in more money and
therefore more wins. The other
interesting business analytics example was also in baseball. The owner of the Chicago Cubs looked to
partner with Draft Kings to open a gambling parlor at Wrigley Field to bring
that aspect (growing in leaps and bounds) to their business model as well. Both of these stories made for great reading.
Analytics that affect the games also are included in this
book, but it wasn’t as compelling as the sections on the business side. The best of this writing was actually about
an “anti-analytics” manager, Ned Yost of the Kansas City Royals. Schoenfeld does a nice job of explaining how
he had success with the team during the 2014 and 2015 seasons (in the latter,
the Royals were champions). There is also some good discussion of the 2020 World
Series between two teams who do embrace analytics, the Los Angeles Dodgers and
Tampa Bay Rays. The most compelling discussion here was about the Rays’
decision to pull their starting pitcher, Blake Snell, early in the decisive
sixth game. But overall, while good,
this isn’t quite as good as the business side of this discussion on the use of
data analytics in sports. It is a book
recommended for any fan of any professional sport.
I wish to thank W. W. Norton & Company for providing a
copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The views
expressed are strictly mine.
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