You should go to the Sabermetrics, Scouting, and the Science of Baseball seminar

13 Comments

Don’t even play: you’re not doing anything the weekend of August 16-17th and odds favor you either being in Boston, Massachusetts or being close to an airport that can put you there. And, if you’re reading this you (a) certainly love baseball; and (b) probably love sabermetrics and scouting porn.

As such, you should go to the Sabermetrics, Scouting and the Science of Baseball seminar that weekend. The proceeds of which benefit The Jimmy Fund. The playbill:

We have an incredible line-up of speakers for this year’s event, including World Series Champion Boston Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington, Houston Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow, Senior Baseball Analyst Tom Tippett (Red Sox), baseball physicist Alan Nathan, and SABR President Vince Gennaro. We will also feature top authors and sabermetricians from your favorite websites, such as Ben Baumer, Mitchel Lichtman (MGL), Baseball Prospectus (Analysts Dan Brooks and Harry Pavlidis) and Fangraphs (Editor/Author Dave Cameron and Analyst Matt Swartz). There will be a scouting panel, and talks on sports medicine, defensive evaluation, the role of statistics in the media… and more!

This is not just outsider baseball geekery. As evidenced by the speakers — and by the support it’s given by the Red Sox, Astros, Orioles, Royals, Mets, and Nationals — it’s a great look at what’s actually happening in front offices now.

If you’re inclined, go sign up for it. And go here for more information.

Anthony Rendon fan interaction video looked into by MLB

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
0 Comments

OAKLAND, Calif. – Major League Baseball is looking into a video circulating on social media that appears to show Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon grab a fan by the shirt through the bleacher guardrails after Thursday night’s game in Oakland, a league spokesperson said Friday.

Rendon looks to have grabbed the fan’s shirt near his chest through the bars of the railing and exchanged words with him before appearing to take a swipe at the bill of the man’s ballcap and walking into the tunnel.

Angels spokesman Adam Chodzko says the team has no comment. The Angels do not play Friday, but the club expects Rendon to address the video Saturday in the clubhouse before the game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland.

The video shows the fan, dressed in A’s colors, approach the railing as Rendon turns toward him from the tunnel walkway below. Rendon then appears to grab the man’s shirt and ask him what he just said, accusing the fan of calling him a derogatory term before swiping at his ballcap.

The A’s won the game 2-1.