The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Moves, and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves

The game of baseball has changed because of the surge in reliance on analytics to develop players, build a team, and design in-game strategy. Law’s previous book, Smart Baseball, delved into why some of the most trusted stats in baseball actually don’t convey what they are intended too. This latest focuses more on the reasons why different decisions were made, both positive and negative, and what can be learned from them. One example is whether players drafted in the first round receive more chances than players who are not drafted in the first round. He looks at various statistics to see if this is true, along with other evidence, such as better placement in the minor leagues and more coaching. Another example focuses on whether the batter’s count factors into whether the umpire calls the pitch a ball or strike and the reasoning behind this. In a market saturated with baseball books, Law’s stands out by exploring key decisions in the game.