Bally's Broadcast Embraces the Analytic Revolution

[Peter Labuza]

Although Twins fans will likely have to live in limbo over the season over the future of where they may actually watch the season given the troubles at Diamond Sports Group, the crew at Bally Sports North has added some new school analytics lessons into this year’s television product. 

During the second game of the season against Kansas City, the broadcast returned from a commercial break to a graphic featuring statistic that had probably never been uttered in the history of Twins broadcast: WRC+. Glen Perkins’s explained that the goal was for fans to understand the kinds of numbers they might use in the broadcast this year and what Derek Falvey and crew “use to evaluate the players that they have or they maybe want to acquire.”

As Dick Bremer explained in the first game against the Marlins, the broadcast would be exploring some of the “new nomenclature being used.”

Over the years, most baseball fans have become familiar with a number of new terms to evaluate players. At least since the publication of Moneyball, fans have learned that for better or worse, there are better ways to approach building a roster than just strong and good players. But as statistics have become more complicated and nuanced thanks to the work of researchers at Baseball Prospectus and Fangraphs, those terms are usually avoided in broadcasts. In fact, fans have been more likely to tune into John Smoltz on Fox complaining about “analytics” as ruining the game despite watching the best players in the history of the sport.

But the Twins are moving in a different direction. Why not trust fans to understand some of these newer terms? As Perkins’ explanation of WRC+ demonstrated, it just takes a few quick examples. He noted that the definition of weighed simply meant that runs made in Coors Field as opposed to the Oakland Coliseum were quite different, and then the + meant 100 would be an average player. Dick then added, “It’s important to note the baseline so fans know what the standard is” before a second graphic showed the list of top players last year for the stat, led by an obvious candidate in Aaron Judge.

Other terms have popped up so far in this short season: Run Value, wOBA, and ISO. 

I’ve watched quite a few other games across the league—Bally’s affiliated and beyond—and have yet to see others taking the same approach (though some commentators like Joe Davis for the Dodgers and Jason Benetti for the White Sox have been experts at this for years). But the Twins broadcast are treating it as educational. If they have the smartest fans in the game, they can have the smartest broadcast.

What is perhaps best about it is the interaction between the hosts: Bremer seems genuinely curious to learn, acting as an audience surrogate. Perkins and Justin Morneau remain entirely affable as they do, and try and relate it to specific situations fans will know. Want to know why Joey Gallo hit all those homers the day before? Here’s Morneau to explain Barrels. 

All this makes sense when the analytic revolution isn’t just a front office thing anymore. As has been oft-reported, Carlos Correa will cite these stats as much as anywhere else. Using simple stats made more sense last year when the best stat to follow was batting average with Luis Arraez, but as long as Falvey is building a very different kind of team, a different kind of appreciation is needed. 

Of course, fans might discover Max Kepler's ISO and have a new reason to scream at their TV instead. But all for the analytic revolution, and fans should be excited to watch the team build a smarter, more nuanced conversation during the game.

 

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[Trov]

I so wish Bert was still there for this.  He hates it, and would love to listen to the old man complain about the use of these stats more and more.  I mean long is gone is his, keep the ball down and any pitch above the knee is a bad patch and expected to get hit hard.  He would hate that we talk about fastballs up in the zone is actually a good pitch, as long as not middle middle. 

[Whitey333]

The analytics IS ruining the game. What good is it to have great barrel rates, good spin rate, etc if you don't get results?  This crap about the process being more important than the results is just that: a bunch of crap.  Thank God that this wasn't around when real starting pitchers not only faced batters a third time but a fourth time as well. It seems that many of the new stats are there to only put a positive spin on an average to poor player and team to make them appear better than they are.  Good players and good managers make good teams.  Just as bad players and bad managers make for bad teams.  Doesn't anyone care about win ing anymore?  Why has the goal changed from winning to just making sure " the plan " is followed at any cost?

[jmlease1]

Perkins and Morneau are both pretty comfortable explaining these terms, and I'm enjoying hearing them talk about it. Bremer's interest and curiosity makes for a nice foil as he's usually asked reasonable questions about them that help put the stat into context without sounding dopey or grouchy about it. (BTW, here's rooting for a rapid recovery from COVID for Mr. Bremer!)

It's fun seeing them talk a bit about different stats, and I think they've been doing a good job working them into the graphics.

Honestly, they've been treating fans as dumb with the "rules" change explanations before the games kick off and as smart when introducing new analytics and stats. That's kinda odd.

[John Belinski]

Maybe that is why Rocco wanted Correa back this year, but so far Correa has been a complete bust. Numbers will never make Rocco a good manager and it appears Twins fans will have to wait until he is replaced before the Twins become a winning team. Rocco had one of the worst records in baseball in 1 run games and in extra inning games. Good managers always have winning records in these games.

[LiamC]

I love this! I haven't been able to tune in to many games live so far, but this sounds incredible! I really do like our broadcasting crew—and it's fun to see these sorta stats also be brought up and described well.

[garn from vancouver]

correa 6 - 33 thus far. run that through the analytics machine. not so good.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I have loved hearing Perkins (especially) and Morneau on the stats explainers. A little over a year ago I wrote up a blog about John Madden’s impact on football and MLB’s need for a teacher, maybe Perkins is that guy.

I absolutely love it, I love that the Twins are leading the way, and it’s making for a fun season (at least for me)

[Richie the Rally Goat]

1 hour ago, John Belinski said:

Maybe that is why Rocco wanted Correa back this year, but so far Correa has been a complete bust. Numbers will never make Rocco a good manager and it appears Twins fans will have to wait until he is replaced before the Twins become a winning team. Rocco had one of the worst records in baseball in 1 run games and in extra inning games. Good managers always have winning records in these games.

Cite your stats please. How do you know Rocco’s record in 1 run games is bad, how do you know a good manager “always” has a winning record in 1 run games?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

3 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

The analytics IS ruining the game. What good is it to have great barrel rates, good spin rate, etc if you don't get results?  This crap about the process being more important than the results is just that: a bunch of crap.  Thank God that this wasn't around when real starting pitchers not only faced batters a third time but a fourth time as well. It seems that many of the new stats are there to only put a positive spin on an average to poor player and team to make them appear better than they are.  Good players and good managers make good teams.  Just as bad players and bad managers make for bad teams.  Doesn't anyone care about win ing anymore?  Why has the goal changed from winning to just making sure " the plan " is followed at any cost?

well, I’d say yes, they do care, every bit as much as the fans, or more.

https://m.startribune.com/minnesota-twins-spring-training-rocco-baldelli-sonny-gray-kyle-garlick-world-baseball-classic/600253105/?clmob=y&c=n&clmob=y&c=n
 

“Baldelli also repeated his exhortation from last week to the pitching staff: That it's up to each individual to do what's necessary to improve, but that the ultimate goal is a team one: Winning, first and foremost.”

"That's the only reason I'm still playing this game. Winning is the only thing that matters," said Gray, 33. "Goosebumps even talking about it, because it's something I personally believe wholeheartedly. Whatever goals you may have stem from winning."

[DJL44]

4 hours ago, John Belinski said:

Maybe that is why Rocco wanted Correa back this year, but so far Correa has been a complete bust. Numbers will never make Rocco a good manager and it appears Twins fans will have to wait until he is replaced before the Twins become a winning team. Rocco had one of the worst records in baseball in 1 run games and in extra inning games. Good managers always have winning records in these games.

Quote

correa 6 - 33 thus far. run that through the analytics machine. not so good.

Looks like they need to explain "small sample size" in the next broadcast.

[garn from vancouver]

8 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Looks like they need to explain "small sample size" in the next broadcast.

oh we know that it's a small sample size however, most saw this coming - the days off early (early injuries?) and slow starts. it's still a real thing.

[DJL44]

Is not paying your bills part of the analytic revolution?

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Is not paying your bills part of the analytic revolution?

Helps optimize the cash flow.  At least in small samples.

[Johnny Ringo]

I have encountered seemingly a zillion people who say Moneyball is ruining the game. I always politely ask, " Have you read the book?" I don't think I have heard one "yes". 

Sabermetrics in many respects just quantifies things that those players and managers with super high baseball IQs (certainly not me) know intuitively.

Ted Williams penned The Science of Hitting in 1971. If Ted hadn't lost five years of his career to two stints of war service, he might own the record book. Ted wrote about his approach to hitting (he played from 1939-1960) and it really can be thought of as the precursor to modern baseball analytics. He charted pitchers, pitches, pitch sequences etc. and it guided him always at the plate. 

He was his own quant department. The result? A career 1.1155 OPS. No one cursed him for ruining the sport. I guess it was all in the labeling. 

[garn from vancouver]

Moneyball.

truth is they had some great pitchers on that billy beane built team.

the truth is somewhere in the middle.