Article: Twins' broadcaster Cory Provus discusses advanced stats in the booth

[Parker Hageman]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1797-Twins-broadcaster-Cory-Provus-discusses-advanced-stats-in-the-booth

[snepp]

A+ piece.

 

Provus was a fantastic addition right from day one.

[Seth Stohs]

I truly enjoy listening to Provus. I agree that putting out too much in terms of advanced stats would be detrimental to the broadcast. It would be better on TV because a viewer can see (graphics) and hear. Radio is meant for stories. Such a small percentage of the listenership would want to hear that. They just want to know what's happening. I'd enjoy it, and I think Twins Daily readers would enjoy a little bit of it. The average Twins fan, listening on the radio or watching on TV, wouldn't want it. But like Cory said, it should be fun. Kris Attebery likes to discuss such things from time to time when he's on air.

[JB_Iowa]

Thanks for the great read. I wish that I would remember to listen to the games more than turn on the TV because I also enjoy listening to Provus.

 

I am especially appreciative of what he says in the following quote and wish that the TV broadcasters would heed it even more than the radio guys:

 

I think that it goes back to the way I was brought up in baseball broadcasting where dead air isn’t the worst thing in the world. In baseball it is good to let game breathe; Let people hear the sounds, let people hear the emotions of the crowd, the vendors hawking programs and hot dogs, hearing the PA guy, hearing the crack of the bat. I would rather do that then get into stat after stat after stat.

 

Stat after stat would be one thing from the TV crew; unfortunately most of what they say is just drivel.

[Mike Sixel]

Agree with every comment in this thread.....

[nicksaviking]

Provus is a great addition. I like that he feels his job requires him to be familiar with all aspects of the game, anecdotal, visual and statistical. I think he's the first person associated with the Twins that I've heard utter the word Fangraphs.

[Twins Daily Admin]

If it does not fit well in the broadcast, where do you see the conversation being had about statistical analysis on the air?

I think it’s a good conversation during a rain delay. I think if we have time to kill during a rain delay, it’s not a bad thing to approach but I go back to how many people are really going to understand it with the medium of radio?

 

Radio is a tough medium for this stats stuff, no question. When we were doing the "bloggers minute" on 'CCO, that became pretty clear. It's also clear from doing podcasts.

 

The more natural medium is the same that works for math and science - whiteboards, demonstrations, etc. But it almost HAS to be visual. Even podcasts that take on science often steer clear of math. It's too visual.

 

I've really enjoyed Provus' broadcasts. He was a hell of an addition. And he is always very prepared. We're witnessing a star on the rise right now.

[Parker Hageman]

The average Twins fan, listening on the radio or watching on TV, wouldn't want it. But like Cory said, it should be fun.

 

See, this is what I don't understand. Obviously the broadcast shouldn't be a simple recital of the advanced statistics or metrics, but a blend of the information into the broadcast. For example, Provus absolutely nailed what it should be in his second response. He took the information from Fangraphs.com and created a discussion around Lackey's success that used data AND drew from his past experience with Bob Uecker. THAT, is what using advanced metrics and statistics in a broadcast is all about and average fans can understand those concepts.

 

I believe the average fan does not want to be placated. Sure, 88-year-old Mama Jo Bickerstaff from Brackenridge may not be interested in the players stats at all but that is an outlier of the listeners, not the standard. In my experience, most want to learn and have their knowledge of the game grow -- be it through strategy, stats or other.

[ltwedt]

Good article - I would love to mute Bert and Dick, and just go with Provus and Gladden (even though Danny forgets to tell me about some of the things happening as they happen). But here's my dilemma - when I watch the game in HD there is a delay between what I hear and what I see. Thanks to Comcast, I can hear what happens, and then look at the screen and see it happen. OK for a while, but hard to do it for the entire game.

[Mike Sixel]

Same issue with football.....the delays between channels is annoying as heck.....

[MichiganTwins]

Since I am not able to watch the games, I have to listen to the radio. It is a great joy to listen to the Twins broadcast. Great Article.

[boomerb5]

I like Provus. Better than I ever liked John Gordon. (I still miss Herb so very much). He knows how to call a game. Some stories. Some stats. But mostly just painting the picture of what is happening on the field. That last point is something Dan Galdden still has ZERO ability to do. When I catch part of a game on the radio is is sadly almost always a Dazzle inning...and I wind up turning it off because more often than not I have no clue what the score is, what the inning is, who is pitching and hitting, or even what teams are playing.

[Seth Stohs]

See, this is what I don't understand. Obviously the broadcast shouldn't be a simple recital of the advanced statistics or metrics, but a blend of the information into the broadcast. For example, Provus absolutely nailed what it should be in his second response. He took the information from Fangraphs.com and created a discussion around Lackey's success that used data AND drew from his past experience with Bob Uecker. THAT, is what using advanced metrics and statistics in a broadcast is all about and average fans can understand those concepts.

 

I believe the average fan does not want to be placated. Sure, 88-year-old Mama Jo Bickerstaff from Brackenridge may not be interested in the players stats at all but that is an outlier of the listeners, not the standard. In my experience, most want to learn and have their knowledge of the game grow -- be it through strategy, stats or other.

 

Like i said, I would enjoy hearing that, I don't know if others would. I also don't think that finding pitch percentages is necessarily advanced metrics. You need to go to a fangraphs site to find them, but that fits well into their conversation and helps them paint the picture of maybe why Lackey is doing what he's doing. that's a great example of Provus tying it all together because he put the numbers with comments from scouts and in the end, everyone wins.

 

I just don't think people wanna hear about WAR (BR or other), FIP, xFIP, stuff like that. Again, I don't mind it, but it's not something that listeners can (or should have to) try to grasp on the fly.

[Parker Hageman]

I also don't think that finding pitch percentages is necessarily advanced metrics. You need to go to a fangraphs site to find them, but that fits well into their conversation and helps them paint the picture of maybe why Lackey is doing what he's doing.

 

Right. It's a form of statistical analysis, not an advanced metric.

 

I just don't think people wanna hear about WAR (BR or other), FIP, xFIP, stuff like that.

 

See, this is the problem. The accepted belief is that "people don't want to hear about WAR, FIP, xFIP, etc" is false. Has there ever been a poll conducted or study that showed this? I just don't believe that is inherently true. Plenty of broadcasts have injected statistical analysis and advanced metrics into their air time without alienating their viewers. I'm not suggesting Provus needs to do anything different, but the idea that "people don't want that" is completely unfounded.

[IdahoPilgrim]

See, this is what I don't understand. Obviously the broadcast shouldn't be a simple recital of the advanced statistics or metrics, but a blend of the information into the broadcast. For example, Provus absolutely nailed what it should be in his second response. He took the information from Fangraphs.com and created a discussion around Lackey's success that used data AND drew from his past experience with Bob Uecker. THAT, is what using advanced metrics and statistics in a broadcast is all about and average fans can understand those concepts.

 

I believe the average fan does not want to be placated. Sure, 88-year-old Mama Jo Bickerstaff from Brackenridge may not be interested in the players stats at all but that is an outlier of the listeners, not the standard. In my experience, most want to learn and have their knowledge of the game grow -- be it through strategy, stats or other.

 

I think I need to respectfully disagree with you on this. I think the "average fan" you know is different than the "average fan" I know. I went through a good part of my life watching Twins baseball on TV and, more relevantly, listening to it on radio. I had absolutely no interest in learning the game, nor in advanced statistics. I just wanted to be entertained. Most of the Twins fans I know (or knew, now that I have relocated) fell into that category, not the one you describe.

 

It was only when I started coming to this website that I even developed an interest in going beyond the pure entertainment aspect, and even at that I have not developed the interest in advanced statistics that many on this site have.

[Willihammer]

I think the worst thing would be for Provus to spend any more time informing. Either slip in an advanced stat without wasting time on background, or bin it. The savvy will know what he is talking about, and the people who don't care won't have to be bored to tears as he explains what he's talking about.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Sure, 88-year-old Mama Jo Bickerstaff from Brackenridge

 

Hey, I know her. She's listed on those "See who has been arrested in Minneapolis" ads all over the site.

 

Didn't know she was a Twins fan.

[Mike Sixel]

Interesting story on one of the NPR podcasts on those ads, and how most people have not been arrested that are in those ads.....and how the algorhythm used to show the ad in different ways seems to make more black people show up as arrested, and white people in more generic searches.......but how most people don't view the ads as racist per se, but that the "system" is racist and the math generating the ads reflects that system. It was a great listen on the long drive last weekend.

[Mike Sixel]

Dang, I should start using real periods......

[IdahoPilgrim]

Dang, I should start using real periods......

 

Those are overrated - stream of consciousness is the way to go these days...

[jay]

I think he's the first person associated with the Twins that I've heard utter the word Fangraphs.

 

Right. It's just unfortunate we're talking about the radio play-by-play guy and not someone who actually influences the roster or game play.

[UCLA_YANKEE_COLA]

I love the way Provus describes what he is seeing so clearly. I feel like I'm at the game, I can picture it in my mind. Then Dazzle comes on and I have no clue what's going on, he just glazes over whole at bats. Hopefully they pull him out of the pbp role and let him focus on telling stories and (presumably) combing his hair with a switchblade comb.

[TheLeviathan]

I wonder how awesome Provus would sound of his cohort was capable. He seems like the kind of guy that would be excellent with some witty banter. But Gladden doesn't seem remotely capable of that.

[jokin]

I wonder how awesome Provus would sound of his cohort was capable. He seems like the kind of guy that would be excellent with some witty banter. But Gladden doesn't seem remotely capable of that.

 

For Gladden, less is more.....unfortunately, dead air doesn't work well doing play-by-play.

[thegreyeagle2]

Provus is ok. He is no John Gordon or Herb Carneal. I can't help but think someone better will eventually come along.

[Oldgoat_MN]

I like Provus. A lot. I cannot see ever wanting to hear him more than Herb Carneal.

 

But then, it's all about what you get used to.

Anyone who remembers Halsey Hall knows exactly what I mean.