SABR Analytics Conference: Scouting and Analytics Panel
The SABR Analytics Conference, presented by Bloomberg Sports and Major League Baseball, announces its Scouting and Analytics Panel. Scouts and stats have often been characterized as being at odds with one another, and at one time that may have been true. In today’s game we are seeing not only a co-existence, but the integration of scouting and analytics, including the emergence of new sources of scouting data and information. This panel will discuss the impact of technology and data capture on scouting, as well as the way in which data analyses are blended with scouting information to assist teams in their decision-making.
The Scouting and Analytics Panel — scheduled for Saturday, March 17* — will include:
- Joe Bohringer, Chicago Cubs: Joe is the Director of Pro Scouting for the Chicago Cubs. Bohringer was previously a major league scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners. Before embarking on a full-time scouting career, he spent three years as Senior Manager of Player Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- A.J. Hinch, San Diego Padres: A.J. is Vice President/Assistant General Manager of the San Diego Padres. Prior to joining the Padres as Vice President of Professional Scouting in September 2010, Hinch served as manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks and spent three-plus seasons as the Diamondbacks’ Director/VP of Player Development.
- Dan Migala, PCG (moderator): Dan is the founding partner of Property Consulting Group, a Chicago-based team marketing advisory firm and publisher of The Migala Report, a sports business monthly periodical. He has helped design some of baseball’s most innovative revenue-generating concepts. He is a co-owner with Mike Veeck of the Class A Fort Myers Miracle and author of three sports marketing texts.
- Corrine Vitolo, SmartKage: Corrine is CEO of SmartKage, an innovative technology that provides quantitative analysis for the Amateur and Collegiate Baseball markets. SmartKage captures 50 objective metrics on every athlete, ranging from spin axis for pitchers to cognitive reaction time for hitters. With a data network powered by 300 locations and 3,500 colleges, SmartKage is well positioned to lead the integration of scouting and analytics.
The SABR Analytics Conference will begin on Thursday, March 15 and conclude on Saturday, March 17 at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa in Arizona. The schedule will consist of a combination of Guest Speakers, Panels and Research Presentations — plus the inaugural SABR Case Competition, in which graduate students will analyze and present a real baseball operations decision.
For complete information and to register for the conference, visit SABR.org/analytics.
* subject to change
Originally published: February 23, 2012. Last Updated: February 23, 2012.