Other Baseball Essays and Articles

Team Building and Front Offices

Much of my analysis and research on of front offices and team building can be found at the website for my book In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations From Deadball to Moneyball (coauthored with Mark Armour)
https://pursuitofpennants.wordpress.com/

Front Offices More Aggressive Than Ever in Looking for an Edge (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-levitt/front-offices-more-aggres_b_7011612.html

The new deal(er): Younger breed of techies replacing baseball lifers in GM roles (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/the-new-deal-er-younger-breed-of-techies-replacing-baseball-lifers-in-gm-roles/388040342/

Twins don’t make it into Dan Levitt’s baseball book, which is still a home run (C.J. Column Minneapolis Star Tribune)
http://www.startribune.com/c-j-twins-don-t-make-it-into-dan-levitt-s-baseball-book-which-is-still-a-home-run/311340151/

The Building of the 1965 Twins
https://sabr.org/bioproj/topic/building-1965-twins

The Late 1960s Twins
https://sabr.org/bioproj/topic/late-1960s-twins

John Schuerholz: Hall of Fame GM of Royals and Braves
https://sabr.org/node/44114

Ed Barrow: Hall of Fame GM of the Yankees
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/c9fdbace

George Weiss: Hall of Fame GM of the Yankees
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/56e50416

Lou Gorman: Longtime GM of the Red Sox
https://sabr.org/node/31411

Pennants Pursued, The Hardball Times, October 6, 2015.

The 2015 Season Preview in Pursuing Pennants, The Hardball Times, April 1, 2015.

Baseball Ops–Welcome to the Evolution, Our Game, March 22, 2015.

Business Management

How to acquire top talent like an MLB general manager does – June 2017

Business lessons from the Yankees’ first dynasty – March 2017

Major League baseball slides from Moneyball to Techball – December 2016

In business, as in baseball, differentiation is often key to success – September 2016

What business can learn from baseball: Get genius or get distinctive – August 2016

Historical

Landmark study of baseball demographics (with Mark Armour)
This demographic study was cited on Meet the Press July 15, 2018

MLBPA – Commemorating 50 Years: Mark Armour and I compiled the history of the MLBPA in timeline fashion, some of which they included in their 50th anniversary publication (see page 16 for the credits and page 26 for the start of the timeline)

The Hardball Times: November 2016
A History of the MLBPA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement Part 1 (with Mark Armour)
A History of the MLBPA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement Part 2 (with Mark Armour)
A History of the MLBPA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement Part 3 (with Mark Armour)

“History versus Harry Frazee: Re-revising the Story.” Baseball Research Journal. (SABR, 2008) [Cover story] (with Mark L. Armour and Matthew Levitt)

“Ed Barrow, the Federal League, and the Union League.” The National Pastime. Society for American Baseball Research, 2008, 97-103. See Volume 28 (2008) p. 97

“The Making of Ed Barrow.” Base Ball: A Journal of the Early Game, Volume 1, Number 2. McFarland & Company, 2008, 67-77.

“The Rise and Fall of the Tigers.” Sock it to ’em Tigers: The Incredible Story of the 1968 Tigers. Mark Pattison and Dave Raglin, eds. Maple Street Press, 2008, 251-255. (with Mark L. Armour).

“Working the Free Market: How the Seattle Mariners Won 116 Games in 2001.” Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest (SABR, 2006).

SABR: The National Pastime 25, 2005
“Early ERA Titles”. An examination of the changing qualifications of the official league leader.

SABR: Baseball Research Journal 26, 1996
“Lowest Season ERA? Ferdie Schupp”. A forgotten season revealed.

Select SABR-L Posts on Historical Topics (PDF)

Analytical

An analysis of Former Twins GM Terry Ryan
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2007/11/an_analysis_of.php

An Empirical Analysis of Bunting
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2007/11/an_analysis_of.php

Select SABR-L Posts on Analytical Topics (PDF)

Statistical

Baseball Analysts, 8/25/2005
The Predictive Value of Bases on Balls.

By The Numbers, February 2005
“Beyond Player Wins — Calculating Individual Player Pennants Added” (PDF)

By The Numbers, May 2004
“Resolving the Probability and Interpretations of Joe DiMaggio’s Hitting Streak” (PDF)

By The Numbers, August 2003
“Clutch Hitting and Statistical Tests.” (PDF)

By The Numbers, February 2003
“The Predictive Value of Half-Season Statistics.” (PDF)

SABR: The Best of By The Numbers, 2002
Speed and Opposition Errors. First published in By The Numbers, October 1998 (PDF)

SABR: Baseball Research Journal 30, 2000
“Pitch Counts”. Earlier hurlers threw more innings, not more pitches.

Levitt creates Win Probability Added and introduces it at the Halsey Hall Chapter of SABR meeting May 6, 2000. (PDF)

Baseball Think Factory, 2000
Fielding opportunities by position based on pitcher hand.

Baseball Think Factory, 2000
Speed Scores and Reaching Base on Errors. One effect of speed.

Baseball Think Factory, 2000
What if Joe Jackson Hadn’t Been Banned? A look at his hypothetical career.

Baseball Think Factory, 1999
The Batter-Pitcher Matchup. How important are the abilities of the batter and pitcher, relative to each other.

By The Numbers, August 1999
“Hits and Baserunner Advancement.” (PDF)

“The Batter/Pitcher Matchup.” (PDF)

By The Numbers, February 1999

Biographical

Bill Essick: Longtime Yankees scout
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/586d66b8

Paul Krichell: One of the greatest of all scouts
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/d85f37e8

Ferdie Schupp: Single-season all-time ERA record holder
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/6b376bb5

“Edward Grant Barrow, Manager, 1918-1920.” When Boston Still Had the Babe: The 1918 World Champion Red Sox. Bill Nowlin, ed. Rounder Books, 2008, 157-162.

SABR Biography Project
Vic Willis. Early 20th century Hall of Fame hurler
Pat Moran. Two-time pennant-winning manager.
Noodles Hahn. Excellent deadball era pitcher.
Stanley Coveleski. Hall of Fame dealball era pitcher.
Bill Davis. Minnesota Gopher star and Major League first baseman.
Paul Molitor (with Doug Skipper). Hall of Fame Minnesota baseball player.