Mariners plan department devoted to statistical analysis - 美國職棒

新聞最近報導，Mariners 將成立一個部門專門來分析統計棒球數據

除了可以幫助球隊收集情報作為比賽用外，也會用來Scouting

過去Mariners都是請顧問來提供需要的數據，

但新任GM 傑克覺得應該要有更多內部的資訊來源 (T_T 感人!)

決定請過去在Brewers 的同事 Tony Blengino 主持這個新設的部門

看來傑克真的是個好GM，至少他為水手的Front office 帶來許多新氣象

在別隊早己進入工業時代時，至少我們現在也已知用火了 (淚)

開始有些期待水手們未來幾季的表現了！

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2008393351_mari15.html

Mariners plan department devoted to statistical analysis

By Geoff Baker

There was speculation a few weeks back that the new Mariners front office
might try to do a little more work with statistical analysis.

It turns out the Mariners are planning to do a whole lot more. In fact,
they're in the process of creating an entirely new department to deal with
the subject.

The department will fall under the auspices of Tony Blengino, a longtime
baseball stats analyst and a special assistant to new Mariners general
manager Jack Zduriencik. Details of the department's mandate and size are
still to be worked out, but the move could vault the Mariners from their
perceived Stone Age approach to stats to one in which they're seen as one of
the game's more progressive franchises.

"We want to take all the information at our disposal and combine it with our
scouting," Blengino said Friday.

Zduriencik has been on the job only a few weeks, and has been busy —
specifically with his search for a manager — so it could be some time
before the statistics department becomes a reality.

Zduriencik interviewed seven managerial candidates this week, and said Friday
night there's a "very slim chance" he will bring in any others for interviews.

Zduriencik said he plans to speak with the seven candidates by phone this
weekend, then possibly invite two finalists back for second interviews on
Monday and Tuesday.

The Mariners have relied on freelance stats consultant Mat Olkin the past few
seasons. Olkin was employed simultaneously by the Kansas City Royals last
season and worked primarily out of his home office in Connecticut.

While former Mariners GM Bill Bavasi used Olkin as a sounding board for
potential moves, he intentionally never let the consultant know just how much
of his advice he was taking. Olkin has a confidentiality agreement with the
team that prevents him from disclosing details of their discussions with
other clubs he might be working for at the same time.

The new department could theoretically see its employees headquartered in
Seattle or, at least, become full-time team employees rather than outside
consultants.

"I'm not going to say it's a bad approach ... " Blengino said of the current
consultant route. "But the idea is to have as much in-house information as
you can get."

Blengino said the team has yet to contact Olkin about reviewing his mandate
for next year.

"I've always had that statistical information in addition to scouting," said
Blengino, a former baseball stats writer for RotoWire, whose first job out of
college was as a CPA. "It's an aspect I brought to Jack when we were in
Milwaukee together. That's where my core is. That's where I started."

Several teams have stats experts working on staff.

Bill James, widely recognized as the founder of sabermetric research, is part
of the baseball operations staff of the Boston Red Sox. The Toronto Blue Jays
used to employ Keith Law — a top stats columnist for ESPN.com — as a
special assistant to GM J.P. Ricciardi.

"I can't imagine there are any teams that don't pay heed to some form of
statistical analysis," Blengino said. "We have to take great care to make
sure we do it right."

--