Springer: Searching for the formula for team chemistry
From Stephanie Springer at The Hardball Times on May 10, 2018:
Though we have yet to quantify the intangible quality players refer to as team chemistry, even the most statistically driven among us cannot rule out interpersonal dynamics as a factor in a team’s overall performance. Beyond the sabermetric community’s desire to understand and quantify the game, giving weight to team chemistry is a way to connect with our favorite team. It’s a way to humanize players who possess seemingly superhuman abilities. They’re human, just like us! And who among us doesn’t benefit from a positive, fun work environment?
Generally speaking, discussions about team chemistry revolve around the 25 players in the major league clubhouse. It’s difficult to take 25 different personalities into account, and arrive at one value. Many people have tried, and as Russell Carleton’s extensive work in this area has made clear, group dynamics is a massive field of research unto itself. Not only are we trying to quantify team chemistry and determine whether or not it is helping or hurting our team, we are trying to figure out what goes into that chemistry.
Read the full article here: https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/exploring-team-synergy/
Originally published: May 10, 2018. Last Updated: May 10, 2018.