First published 2016
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller face every baseball fan's dream scenario when the Sonoma Stompers hand them control of team operations. These statistics experts must prove their data-driven approach works in the real world of professional baseball. They assemble rosters using advanced metrics, set lineups based on numbers rather than tradition, and implement strategies that challenge decades of baseball wisdom. The team features colorful personalities including general manager Theo Fightmaster, the first openly gay professional player, and the first Japanese manager in American professional baseball. Even José Canseco appears along the way. The central question drives every decision: can sabermetrics deliver a championship, or will traditional baseball knowledge prevail? The authors document their experiment with humor and enthusiasm as players either maximize their potential to attract major league scouts or risk their careers on unproven theories. The story reveals whether outsiders armed with spreadsheets can truly contribute to America's pastime without ever stepping into the batter's box.
Genres: business, contemporary, sports, non-fiction, baseball, academic
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, outsiders
Setting: America, Sonoma
Period: 21st-century
368 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt and Co.