The Science of Baseball: The Math, Technology, and Data Behind the Great American Pastime

by Will Carroll, Peter Gammons (Foreword)

In  The Science of Baseball , sportswriter and injury expert Will Carroll shows how understanding the science behind the Great American Pastime helps fans appreciate its nuances and that it enhances, not detracts from the greatest game ever invented. Carroll, as well as several experts via interviews, covers topics like what makes the ball break, bounce, and fly; how material science and physics work together to make the bat function; how hitters use physics, geometry, and force to connect; sensors and cameras; injuries; and much more.  

Baseball aficionados and science geeks alike will better appreciate the game--no matter which teams are playing--after reading this comprehensive book!

Genres: Baseball

216 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2022

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s good to go over the basics, whether you’re a kid or an adult. I picked this book expecting a treatise and what I got was a primer, appropriate for young boys and girls learning baseball and old writers who could use a refresher.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Facts and figures make up Carroll's book on the science behind America's pastime. He does a great job of introducing us to the "new school," analytics-centric side of the sport. I wish sabermetrics were spoken about in a little more detail. Charts and diagrams would've been helpful as well. This is a great introduction, though.

My major takeaways are:
1. Athletes are the money makers. They're an investment and should be treated as such. Teams' focus needs to be on proper training and recovery to avoid injury and therefore avoid a loss of play.
2. Technology isn't going anywhere. We can now quantify a lot of what used to be uncertainties in this game and teams can use this to their advantage. However, the players are still human, and that sentient edge will continue to make the game fun.
3. Change is constant in baseball. This will hopefully lead to females being accepted in the sport.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment from page 1. The title of the book is suggests that this book would be based on an in-depth discussion of science and or math. It is not. It should be titled "Hey, Did you know that Baseball uses Science and Technology?", because there is very little explanation in this book, (but how many times can you tell me baseball uses computers to improve performance???). In the introduction...the author mentions "The Science of Baseball" and the "Physics of Baseball"...tempting the reader to think this is a modern book at those levels. It is not. If the self-inflicted expectations were not so high, maybe I would give it one more star.

After the first chapter, you know its going to be a let down. Dr. Wills is a topic in the chapter, she collected and dissected balls from many years...but there is no actual data provided. She mentions that there was one instance where there was an intentional change to the ball, but it performed opposite of what was expected. Great...please be specific...tell me what the change was...how they wanted it to perform...and why did it not meet expectations. But no...none of that.

We got close to science and data in chapter 4. We learn of an analytic called "Acute to Chronic Ratio". Awesome...something new. But the author doesn't even explain what it is. Then he points to a chart...again, how can I evaluate data and charts without knowing what the input variables are? At least tell me what an average ACR is and what might be considered extreme.

One final critique that I will mention...and it is really just bad luck for the author. This book came out in 2022. I started reading it while at spring training in 2023. The author mentions some things that might happen in MLB...but who knew the massive rule changes between 2022 and 2023. Pitching clock, limited pick-off attempts, and bigger bases...these will all have an impact on how the game is played, not just in length of games. They make his section on base stealing almost obsolete.

The author did open my eyes to the effect that robo-umps will have on the very important catcher skill of framing, so I learned something. But not worth 188 pages for that.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Science of Baseball: Math, Technology, and Data Behind the Great American Pastime” is a very different book. “Science” and “Baseball” gives us a very good that most people can read it. Carroll gives us a way to understand baseball. The book shows us the things that we have put more info into those who want to understand all of baseball. Chapter 2 tells us some things about “the bat.” Chapter 3 tells us about “hitting.” And Chapter 5 is “The Field.” These are short but do give us things to think about.

One chapter tells us about something that we don’t say much in talking. In Chapter 5, the author makes chapter “The Field.” He tells us that the “Field in baseball (number 5) is very different in a difference in football fields.” (p. 63-67). “This may be the best chapter.” And this book gives us about something’s of baseball that we miss things. This book tells us the game and not the guys plan the game.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

An incredibly shallow book. Every chapter can be summed up with “a thing happens in baseball, and changing it changes stuff.” The scientific foundation is rarely explained; players and brand-name technology are name-dropped on the assumption that everyone knows what they are and what they do. In many places it feels like the author is just listing changes that have happened in the sport in recent years without any attempt to say why or what the results were. Forget a full-length book, it’s not deep enough to make for a decent newspaper article.

I was hoping for something more like Keith Law’s “Smart Baseball” and “The Inside Game” which are actually meticulously researched and thoughtful, but this entire book is just sloppy.

[Les Abernathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. The title is a little misleading as the book has a good deal of information but lacks in actual science. Reading more like a Wikipedia article than a dissertation. The book also self-debates with itself over the pros and cons on analytics, taking a strange neutral stance given how this is supposed to be a book highlighting math. Overall, this is a good starting point if you're just getting into reading about baseball or have forgotten what a changeup is. More experienced readers might just want to read Moneyball again.

[Stephen]

Expected: lots of physics. Got that, but I also didn't realize how obsessive some teams were with creating and maintaining The Perfect Field. A little 'inside baseball", but not overly so. The way MLB baseball is being shaped by statistics, computer analysis of biomechanics, etc was honestly depressing. Much different from the "Do you know what we get to do today, Brooks? We get to play baseball" spirit of earlier years.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will has written a fun read. Loads of insight on the game plus it introduced me to a lot of technology I was not aware of. Readers might connect with different sections and there are chapters that I will definitely revisit. A good book to have on the shelf of any baseball fan.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read getting into the mechanics and science of the sport.