Comments on: The secret weapon http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/08/the-secret-weapon/ Canada's only national weekly current affairs magazine. Thu, 23 May 2013 23:32:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: darkestsecrets http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/08/the-secret-weapon/comment-page-1/#comment-291720 darkestsecrets Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:12:22 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=118631#comment-291720 well it cannot hurt :) well it cannot hurt :)

]]> By: colbycosh http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/08/the-secret-weapon/comment-page-1/#comment-291719 colbycosh Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:11:48 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=118631#comment-291719 Yes, there is more to statistics (and capital-S Statistics too) than linear regression. Unfortunately for your point, the worst abusers of linear regression (and significance levels) in sabermetrics are the heavily-credentialed academics like David Berri. I don't really think you know what you're talking about. Yes, there is more to statistics (and capital-S Statistics too) than linear regression. Unfortunately for your point, the worst abusers of linear regression (and significance levels) in sabermetrics are the heavily-credentialed academics like David Berri. I don't really think you know what you're talking about.

]]> By: DMG http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/08/the-secret-weapon/comment-page-1/#comment-291718 DMG Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:04:27 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=118631#comment-291718 "What, exactly, qualifies Tango and other "sabermetricians" the qualification of baseball scholar?" Nothing, inherently. But then neither does having an MS of PhD in statistics, at least not inherently. You have to go out and prove that you understand how what happens on the field contributes to wins and losses - filter the signal from the noise, so to speak - and develop ways of quantifying it. Tango's developed statistics that have proven to be useful, written a book, and worked with professional teams. It's not as if he's just standing up and saying "Hey, I know some things about statistics! I'm relevant and important!" I agree that it's more complicated than it looks and that most people who have some basic statistics training and think they're going to become gurus are deluding themselves, but I think that Tango specifically has demonstrated he knows what he's doing and has something useful to offer. "What, exactly, qualifies Tango and other "sabermetricians" the qualification of baseball scholar?"

Nothing, inherently. But then neither does having an MS of PhD in statistics, at least not inherently. You have to go out and prove that you understand how what happens on the field contributes to wins and losses – filter the signal from the noise, so to speak – and develop ways of quantifying it. Tango's developed statistics that have proven to be useful, written a book, and worked with professional teams. It's not as if he's just standing up and saying "Hey, I know some things about statistics! I'm relevant and important!"

I agree that it's more complicated than it looks and that most people who have some basic statistics training and think they're going to become gurus are deluding themselves, but I think that Tango specifically has demonstrated he knows what he's doing and has something useful to offer.

]]> By: Nicholas http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/08/the-secret-weapon/comment-page-1/#comment-291717 Nicholas Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:46:27 +0000 http://www2.macleans.ca/?p=118631#comment-291717 What, exactly, qualifies Tango and other "sabermetricians" the qualification of baseball scholar? Many of these failed investment bankers and IT "cable men" have little to no formal training in the Statistics discipline, and fail miserably at their attempts to explain the game through it. Perhaps when baseball clubs begin hiring individuals trained in the discipline (see: Dan Kantrovitz of the Oakland Athletics), "sabermetrics" could be respected as an application of statistical methods. There really is more to Statistics than linear regression. What, exactly, qualifies Tango and other "sabermetricians" the qualification of baseball scholar? Many of these failed investment bankers and IT "cable men" have little to no formal training in the Statistics discipline, and fail miserably at their attempts to explain the game through it. Perhaps when baseball clubs begin hiring individuals trained in the discipline (see: Dan Kantrovitz of the Oakland Athletics), "sabermetrics" could be respected as an application of statistical methods. There really is more to Statistics than linear regression.

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