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thomcat's review
4.0
A wide variety of topics with two things in common - sports and statistical analysis. Kind of surprised these cubs fans don't know why an umpire is likely to call a 3-0 pitch a strike if at all possible, but conversely I was surprised how many close 0-2 pitches are not called strikes. Enjoyed the debunking of hot streaks, momentum and others, and greatly enjoyed the breakdown of the cubs for the last chapter. A good read!
bethanymiller415's review
3.0
The subtitle of Scorecasting- the hidden influences behind how sports are played and games are won – sums up accurately what the book is all about. The authors, one a sports writer and the other a professor of finance, examine various aspects of sports from an economics perspective. They use research and statistical analysis to debunk conventional sports wisdom. In one chapter, they make the case that football coaches should always go for it on fourth down. In another, they show that the idea of the “hot hand” or momentum in sports is mostly a myth. They also set out to answer some seemingly unanswerable questions such as are the Chicago Cubs really cursed? Throughout the book, they show how their findings with regard to sports can also be applied to other aspects of life.
This book has been compared to Fereakonomics by many people (including the author of Freakonomics according to the cover of the book), and the comparisons are definitely warranted. The focus on sports, however, makes Scorecasting unique and will definitely extend its appeal to readers who enjoy sports writing. Readers who are not “numbers people” may occasionally feel a bit overwhelmed by the data and statistics, but for the most part it is very readable and will hold the attention of those who are interested in looking at sports in a whole new way.
This book has been compared to Fereakonomics by many people (including the author of Freakonomics according to the cover of the book), and the comparisons are definitely warranted. The focus on sports, however, makes Scorecasting unique and will definitely extend its appeal to readers who enjoy sports writing. Readers who are not “numbers people” may occasionally feel a bit overwhelmed by the data and statistics, but for the most part it is very readable and will hold the attention of those who are interested in looking at sports in a whole new way.
jfranco77's review
3.0
Commonly called "Freakonomics for sports" but I think it's more comparable to "Sway" or "The Tipping Point" - it's the same idea though.
Like Sway, scorecasting provides an overview of numerous studies that were done and research that was conducted. Also like Sway, it's merely an overview that leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
Since I know a lit more about sports than sociology, it's easier for me to see the holes and wonder if the authors left the information out of their summary, or if it isn't there.
For example, the authors talk about how traveling is called less at the end of basketball games, but don't mention if they controlled for the fact that there are better players on the court at the end of the game. maybe they did, or maybe it doesn't natter, but I'm left wondering, and the chapter on parity and length of season started off on an interesting note but fizzled out without a conclusion.
The chapters are not anywhere near equal in length, which isn't necessarily bad. The chapters on the Rooney Rule is only a few pages and doesn't really offer any conclusions. The chapters (yes, chapters) on Home Field Advantage are much longer and could have possibly been their own book. It is by far the best researched and most convincing topic covered, and researchers far smarter than me have already weighed in, so I'll just point you to their work:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=13003 (I'd say this is the definitive commentary)
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/the-ump-in-the-home-field-advantage/
http://sabermetricresearch.blogspot.com/2011/01/scorecasting-is-home-field-advantage.html
Scorecasting is a good book for someone with almost no background in the subject of sports and statistical research, but more knowledgable readers may find more questions than answers.
Like Sway, scorecasting provides an overview of numerous studies that were done and research that was conducted. Also like Sway, it's merely an overview that leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
Since I know a lit more about sports than sociology, it's easier for me to see the holes and wonder if the authors left the information out of their summary, or if it isn't there.
For example, the authors talk about how traveling is called less at the end of basketball games, but don't mention if they controlled for the fact that there are better players on the court at the end of the game. maybe they did, or maybe it doesn't natter, but I'm left wondering, and the chapter on parity and length of season started off on an interesting note but fizzled out without a conclusion.
The chapters are not anywhere near equal in length, which isn't necessarily bad. The chapters on the Rooney Rule is only a few pages and doesn't really offer any conclusions. The chapters (yes, chapters) on Home Field Advantage are much longer and could have possibly been their own book. It is by far the best researched and most convincing topic covered, and researchers far smarter than me have already weighed in, so I'll just point you to their work:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=13003 (I'd say this is the definitive commentary)
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/the-ump-in-the-home-field-advantage/
http://sabermetricresearch.blogspot.com/2011/01/scorecasting-is-home-field-advantage.html
Scorecasting is a good book for someone with almost no background in the subject of sports and statistical research, but more knowledgable readers may find more questions than answers.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A neat piece of writing throwing out theories on why things happen in sports in ways that we sometimes do not realize. The "Freakonomics-for-sports" tag is accurate. Some chapters aren't as fleshed out as could be and that is frustrating but for the most part, it is a really well presented book. Hopefully it catches on in the mainstream because for those such as myself who have been familiar with many concepts (no such thing as momentum, luck in baseball stats, probabilities, hot hand, the "Me" in team, etc.) it can feel like beating my head against a wall with all the vapid arguments we've had to endure over the years.
jibraun's review against another edition
4.0
The authors lay out their arguments in each chapter with strong qualitative and quantitative arguments. Each chapter is interesting, well thought out, and logically argued. My only complaint with the book is that the authors should have at least provided an appendix with the math and modeling used to prove each of their quantitative arguments. I understand that such information likely could not be put into the body of the text because the text was written for a general audience. However, this should have been provided somewhere in the book. That is the only thing preventing me from giving this book five stars. Other than that, the book is a great read, and I highly recommend it.
ejdecoster's review
2.0
Presenting statistical arguments against conventional sports wisdom. Interesting on the whole and with a final chapter on the Cubs and how their fanbase is more sensitive to beer prices at Wrigley than the team's record. However, for a book that prides itself on being about statistics and not anecdotes, I'd like to give the authors a hearty "fuck off" on behalf of the half-century of filled-out Cubs scorecards in my dad's possession. A few drunk afternoons at Wrigley where all the author did was creep on coeds is hardly the profile of an entire fanbase.