How Many Geeks Do They THINK Attend Games?

[JuanAgosto]

Im an old school weirdo. I tend to watch the actual game and dont care about staring at any of the boards.

[An Old Friend]

Let’s say Old is right (he’s not) that casual fans don’t care…Are casual fans turned off by them? What’s the downside to displaying them?

I am right.

Downside? It’s data overload. Focus on the game day experience. No one leaves a ball game with the core memories of launch angles or horizontal break on a “sweeper” (btw, call it a slider).

Someone sees a long homerun in the ballpark… what do they remember? The moment? The distance? Or is it the launch angle and exit velocity?

Would the enduring memory be that of Waino striking out Beltran? Or would someone recall for decades the vertical break on that deuce?

[An Old Friend]

More than a casual follower…

Alvarez hit one measured at 455

Then they told me all about launch angle and velocity…

455 pretty much told me all I needed to know….

And it’s what you remember because it’s what matters to the majority of fans.

On the list of things that makes the in ballpark game day experience a positive one for fans, access to advanced metrics on the scoreboard wouldn’t be near the top for anyone aside from the minority of fans highly engaged with analytics. And hell, you can find most of those guys live tweeting games every night as if they they think they’re doing something useful with their time.

[desertrat23]

Let’s say Old is right (he’s not) that casual fans don’t care…Are casual fans turned off by them? What’s the downside to displaying them?

I am right.

Downside? It’s data overload. Focus on the game day experience. No one leaves a ball game with the core memories of launch angles or horizontal break on a “sweeper” (btw, call it a slider).

Someone sees a long homerun in the ballpark… what do they remember? The moment? The distance? Or is it the launch angle and exit velocity?

Would the enduring memory be that of Waino striking out Beltran? Or would someone recall for decades the vertical break on that deuce?

It’s data overload to YOU. If someone’s enduring memory of Waino striking out Beltran was a 12-6 curveball — with 9.4 inches of break — so what? I can’t imagine how it would ruin someone’s game day experience. Not add to it? I’ll give you that for some folks. But ruin it? Nah.

If these new numbers are a way to get more casuals/younger folks into the game, that’s a good thing. Baseball needs all the fans it can get.

[An Old Friend]

Let’s say Old is right (he’s not) that casual fans don’t care…Are casual fans turned off by them? What’s the downside to displaying them?

I am right.

Downside? It’s data overload. Focus on the game day experience. No one leaves a ball game with the core memories of launch angles or horizontal break on a “sweeper” (btw, call it a slider).

Someone sees a long homerun in the ballpark… what do they remember? The moment? The distance? Or is it the launch angle and exit velocity?

Would the enduring memory be that of Waino striking out Beltran? Or would someone recall for decades the vertical break on that deuce?

It’s data overload to YOU. If someone’s enduring memory of Waino striking out Beltran was a 12-6 curveball — with 9.4 inches of break — so what? I can’t imagine how it would ruin someone’s game day experience. Not add to it? I’ll give you that for some folks. But ruin it? Nah.

If these new numbers are a way to get more casuals/younger folks into the game, that’s a good thing. Baseball needs all the fans it can get.

No need for straw men arguments. Not once have I said or implied that a game day experience could or would be “ruined” by it.

If that’s what you’ve gleaned, you should reread my actual responses… not dispute things never said.

[CraigPaquette]

I certainly don't see the point in advanced metrics when the team sucks.

[desertrat23]

Let’s say Old is right (he’s not) that casual fans don’t care…Are casual fans turned off by them? What’s the downside to displaying them?

I am right.

Downside? It’s data overload. Focus on the game day experience. No one leaves a ball game with the core memories of launch angles or horizontal break on a “sweeper” (btw, call it a slider).

Someone sees a long homerun in the ballpark… what do they remember? The moment? The distance? Or is it the launch angle and exit velocity?

Would the enduring memory be that of Waino striking out Beltran? Or would someone recall for decades the vertical break on that deuce?

It’s data overload to YOU. If someone’s enduring memory of Waino striking out Beltran was a 12-6 curveball — with 9.4 inches of break — so what? I can’t imagine how it would ruin someone’s game day experience. Not add to it? I’ll give you that for some folks. But ruin it? Nah.

If these new numbers are a way to get more casuals/younger folks into the game, that’s a good thing. Baseball needs all the fans it can get.

No need for straw men arguments. Not once have I said or implied that a game day experience could or would be “ruined” by it.

If that’s what you’ve gleaned, you should reread my actual responses… not dispute things never said.

If anything, I guess I’m just confused by what your actual argument is. There are too many metrics on the scoreboard? OK, that’s your opinion. You only seem capable of viewing this through your own lens, so OK.

[Bomber1]

They need an out-of-town scoreboard AND advanced metrics. There's more people interested in advanced metrics than keeping their own score.

This organization erring on the side of modernization is not a bad thing.

I think most fans couldn’t care less about spin rates and associated data.

“Man, did you read the spin rate on that slider?? Incredible!”

Said nobody at a game.

[desertrat23]

They need an out-of-town scoreboard AND advanced metrics. There's more people interested in advanced metrics than keeping their own score.

This organization erring on the side of modernization is not a bad thing.

I think most fans couldn’t care less about spin rates and associated data.

“Man, did you read the spin rate on that slider?? Incredible!”

Said nobody at a game.

“Nobody” is a pretty bold statement.

[An Old Friend]

Let’s say Old is right (he’s not) that casual fans don’t care…Are casual fans turned off by them? What’s the downside to displaying them?

I am right.

Downside? It’s data overload. Focus on the game day experience. No one leaves a ball game with the core memories of launch angles or horizontal break on a “sweeper” (btw, call it a slider).

Someone sees a long homerun in the ballpark… what do they remember? The moment? The distance? Or is it the launch angle and exit velocity?

Would the enduring memory be that of Waino striking out Beltran? Or would someone recall for decades the vertical break on that deuce?

It’s data overload to YOU. If someone’s enduring memory of Waino striking out Beltran was a 12-6 curveball — with 9.4 inches of break — so what? I can’t imagine how it would ruin someone’s game day experience. Not add to it? I’ll give you that for some folks. But ruin it? Nah.

If these new numbers are a way to get more casuals/younger folks into the game, that’s a good thing. Baseball needs all the fans it can get.

No need for straw men arguments. Not once have I said or implied that a game day experience could or would be “ruined” by it.

If that’s what you’ve gleaned, you should reread my actual responses… not dispute things never said.

If anything, I guess I’m just confused by what your actual argument is. There are too many metrics on the scoreboard? OK, that’s your opinion. You only seem capable of viewing this through your own lens, so OK.

Says the guy troubled by an opposing viewpoint. I’m not necessarily speaking from my own lens. I’m a baseball nerd. I look at Statcast data on Baseball Savant frequently. I’m way down the page on Fangraphs. I’m in the miscellaneous stats on Baseball Reference. I look at arm angle trends to see if I see anything nefarious that could explain improvement or declines in velocity, command, arm health, etc.

I also know no one personally that looks into that stuff as much as I do. So my “lens” is one of an enthusiast, and if I see no value in seeing movement profiles and launch angles at the ballpark, why would you ever assume that Johnny Casual Fan would?

The majority of fans are NOT analytics junkies. That’s the minority.

[desertrat23]

I guess I just wouldn't be so presumptuous as to speak for the majority. But that's just me.

[sikeston bulldog2]

They have opted NOT to have the out of town scoreboard in favor of a Geek Board showing advanced metrics. Their own Geek Squad has seen one game between them. Do they think real baseball fans care about the break ratio of some guy’s slider more than what’s happening around baseball. Though it doesn’t matter this year, we’re coming to the point of the season where fans are watching the scoreboard almost as much as the game.

The Geeks don’t like no Freaks.