Cubs hire Bloomberg Sports to create new player evaluation system

Cubs are finally becoming leaders in baseball innovation.

5 months ago SackMan 45 comments 3 recs |

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Well....this should be extremely interesting to see unfold

by Nunyabidness on Jan 12, 2012 11:42 AM CST reply actions

I knew they were going to set up some kind of system like this

This seems a way of getting it sponsored, or paid for externally. Also good.

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by Al Yellon on Jan 12, 2012 11:47 AM CST reply actions

Theo had to replace the system he was using in Boston, since it was proprietary, and he couldn;t bring it with..

Hiring Bloomberg will help re-create a new system more quickly than doing it internally, with the input of Theo on all of the things he want’s to track and analyze.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 12, 2012 12:23 PM CST up reply actions

plus the man hours it would take to develop that system from scratch

be almost impossible considering they want to use it today.

The Stat Pack

by shoemile on Oct 21, 2011 10:10 PM CDT

by Madison Cub Fan on Jan 12, 2012 2:05 PM CST up reply actions

Is this exclusive to the Cubs?

Or can other teams use the same services through Bloomberg?

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Jan 12, 2012 11:49 AM CST reply actions

From the article

“More than 20 teams have signed on for use of Bloomberg’s analytical tools as a means of player evaluation.”

Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.

by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Jan 12, 2012 11:54 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

Yeah, but I would assume that whatever tool the Cubs and Bloomberg come up with

would be exclusive to the Cubs.

by Nunyabidness on Jan 12, 2012 11:55 AM CST up reply actions

Correct. It will be proprietary to the Cubs... they'll own it.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 12, 2012 12:27 PM CST up reply actions

So you're saying I can't get it on my iPad?

~Ronald Reagan has held the two most demeaning jobs in the country; President of the United States and radio broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs~ George F. Will

by unretrofied93 on Jan 12, 2012 2:50 PM CST up reply actions

That the Cubs are working with Bloomberg to develop a system that will be their own. Any team can use the Bloomberg data (heck, any fantasy baseball player can use it, although I’d assume the package for the teams is a little different than the fantasy baseball package) but it sounds like the Cubs hired Bloomberg to make a separate system that combines their data and the data the Cubs are collecting.

by Josh Timmers on Jan 12, 2012 11:59 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah I'm sure you and Nunya are right.

It would make little sense for most of the MLB teams to have the exact same evaluations.

Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.

by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Jan 12, 2012 12:17 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

sounds sensible

Q: Why did Theo Epstein cross the road?
A: To Dump Garza

by Cubbie-Tim on Jan 12, 2012 6:30 PM CST up reply actions

It's to create the Cubs own version of the Carmine Computer System used in Boston

Carmine is proprietary to the BoSox.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 12, 2012 12:25 PM CST up reply actions

It's also important to remember that Carmine is not HAL

The Stat Pack

by shoemile on Oct 21, 2011 10:10 PM CDT

by Madison Cub Fan on Jan 12, 2012 2:12 PM CST up reply actions

Cubs System, win me a World Series

“I’m sorry, TheoJed, I can’t do that.”

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Jan 12, 2012 3:44 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

TheoJed

“Damn it, Carmine was able to that.”

The Stat Pack

by shoemile on Oct 21, 2011 10:10 PM CDT

by Madison Cub Fan on Jan 12, 2012 3:59 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

TheoJed is gonna become a fetus

trapped in a transparent baseball floating over Wrigley Field?

by JOVE23 on Jan 12, 2012 5:34 PM CST up reply actions

I just asked Siri

to open the pod bay doors, and she threatened to report me to the Artificial Intelligence Committee for harassment.

by Josh Timmers on Jan 12, 2012 5:35 PM CST up reply actions

Did she sing "Bicycle Built for Two?"

by ClarkFan on Jan 13, 2012 7:42 PM CST up reply actions

Another example of the "more is more" approach...

…that Josh has written about. More data, more analysis of it, more eyes on it, etc. This is a good thing.

"[The Cubs] have a very famous tradition in baseball, and it will be nice to be part of turning it around." ~ Jamie Quirk, Bench Coach

by daver on Jan 12, 2012 12:36 PM CST reply actions

That's a good observation

Wish I’d said something like that when I wrote that piece. It certainly does fit the M.O.

by Josh Timmers on Jan 12, 2012 9:39 PM CST up reply actions

Yet another reason I love Theo

The Stat Pack

by shoemile on Oct 21, 2011 10:10 PM CDT

by Madison Cub Fan on Jan 12, 2012 12:43 PM CST reply actions

What, Twitter isn't good enough for these guys!?!

Some people…

"Just shut up and play" - Matt Garza
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option." - Dale Sveum

by RiskyBusiness on Jan 12, 2012 12:49 PM CST reply actions

YouTube piece got deleted it already?

10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.

by timh815 on Jan 12, 2012 5:10 PM CST up reply actions

Now we know where the extra payroll expense is going

or at least some of it.

"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run FOR Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray

by Archie on Jan 12, 2012 12:58 PM CST reply actions

This marks the first time since the Cubs optimism-0-meter (confidence poll) was introduced on this site

that I wont give Cubs a 10. To qualify though, I’ve been entirely preoccupied that I couldn’t select 0 confidence rather than attend to my feelings about the current direction of the ballclub.

This is good.

Come visit me inside Wrigley along the Addison side mezzanine fence straight up from 1st base.

by section229beer on Jan 12, 2012 1:29 PM CST reply actions

Couldn't be bad news.

I’m kinda beaten down about the decisions humans have made running the Cubs. I’m willing to to turn it over to a computer for a couple years. I kinda wish the Cubs had kept this a little more under wraps though and not let our competition know.

--------------------------------
Just North of Wrigley Field

@JamesDaBear

by jameslcrockett on Jan 12, 2012 1:41 PM CST reply actions

20 other teams already use this

So I am guessing it’s already known in baseball circles who uses and who doesn’t.

The Stat Pack

by shoemile on Oct 21, 2011 10:10 PM CDT

by Madison Cub Fan on Jan 12, 2012 2:03 PM CST up reply actions

Other teams purchase/use "information" collected by Bloomberg

I don’t know how many teams have commissioned Bloomberg to create their own system.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 12, 2012 2:50 PM CST up reply actions

After having read the story...

I can see that it would be a much bigger deal if they weren’t using it than if they were. If it weren’t exclusive, which I’m not conceding, the story would amount to an advertisement for Bloomberg and MLB’s fantasy baseball operations. I think it’s more likely the Cubs are doing something few other teams are actually doing, and I’m not wrong to want them to keep that info to themselves more often than not.

--------------------------------
Just North of Wrigley Field

@JamesDaBear

by jameslcrockett on Jan 12, 2012 2:51 PM CST up reply actions

My perception of this, although it's not in the press release, is as follows.

When the Red Sox made big sabermetric changes in reaction Billy Beane’s approach, they hired Epstein, and Epstein is credited with hiring Bill James. They put together their own system in Boston, which is proprietary to the Red Sox. And that system is a critical tool for Theo.

Theo was going to have to create a new system of his own, and was restricted on who he could bring over with him from Boston. So, that’s where Bloomberg fits in. Theo simply doesn’t have the right manpower to create it in-house, and Bloomberg can also create it much quicker. I imagine that whatever Bloomberg builds for Theo, it will be either be exclusive to the Cubs, or become Cubs property (as is common in such business transactions).

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 12, 2012 3:41 PM CST up reply actions

Does this preclude them from doing similar for other teams?

That’s what I’m unsure of.

--------------------------------
Just North of Wrigley Field

@JamesDaBear

by jameslcrockett on Jan 12, 2012 3:57 PM CST up reply actions

They are commissioning Bloomberg to create a unique system specific to their direction.

This is similar to say, Budweiser commissioning an advertising company to create a TV commercial. After the job is done, Budweiser owns the commercial… it’s their property, even though somebody else created it.

This doesn’t prevent other teams from approaching Bloomberg and asking them to create their own unique systems. However, Bloomberg can’t sell the Cubs system to another team.

Theo is going to provide “art direction” to Bloomberg. He’s going to say things like, I want to see X stat, and X video, and cross evaluate them to get X answer.

And Bloomberg will build it.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 12, 2012 4:15 PM CST up reply actions

Actually John Henry hired Bill James

He said if the BoSox were going to hire a sabermetrician, they might as well get the best.

by Josh Timmers on Jan 12, 2012 5:37 PM CST up reply actions

So edge do other teams get from knowing that the Cubs

are using this company’s system as a base to create their own sabermetric database?

The Stat Pack

by shoemile on Oct 21, 2011 10:10 PM CDT

by Madison Cub Fan on Jan 12, 2012 4:07 PM CST up reply actions

This is just my speculation, but I think it;s a safe assumption of how it works.

There are typically confidentiality agreements signed at Bloomberg, and other similar companies, for all employees (and specifically for this project) to prevent competitors from accessing the Cubs property, or Bloomberg employees from taking this information elsewhere.

Bloomberg collects and sells sports data. Any number of teams can access the statistical data that Bloomberg offers for sale. However, just accessing the data, is like looking at the back of a baseball card. You have to use the data to create predictions.

The Cubs are having Bloomberg build a unique system for the Cubs use only, in which accesses all of the data that Bloomberg collects, and then puts it through an analysis to give the Cubs the specific answers they are looking for.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 12, 2012 4:26 PM CST up reply actions

sorry for the reply fail was meant to James

I realize how a database works & I’m totally agreeing with you. So I can’t imagine what other teams could possibly gain by knowing this.

The Stat Pack

by shoemile on Oct 21, 2011 10:10 PM CDT

by Madison Cub Fan on Jan 12, 2012 4:53 PM CST up reply actions

In other words, Kenny Williams can't go to Bloomberg and say "Give me the Theo package."

Sadly, my self worth is almost entirely based upon the outcome of the previous night's Bulls game.

by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 12, 2012 11:37 PM CST up reply actions

Correct.

However, Kenny Williams can hire Bloomberg to create a unique system for the White Sox, based on his input and direction.

Any team that would want to commission Bloomberg to build a system, would need to have then internal commitment in their baseball organization to use the system anyway. That means having all of the proper baseball staff to use the system on a daily basis.

Also, when it comes to the minor leagues… Bloomberg may be tracking those stats, but the Cubs are probably creating all of the video footage to analyze. That’s a new organizational commitment.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jan 13, 2012 9:34 AM CST up reply actions