Olson: Illini rely on student who geeks out on baseball analytics
From Eric Olson at the Associated Press on May 17, 2018, with mention of SABR member Alan Nathan:
Charlie Young, a student at the University of Illinois and a self-described baseball geek, was at the right place at the right time when the Illini became one of the increasing number of college teams to delve into analytics.
When coaches want to know about a pitcher’s velocity or spin of the ball out of his hand or a hitter’s exit velocity and launch angle off the bat, Young is their man.
He grew up near Chicago, in Naperville, and his interest in analytics piqued after the Cubs won the World Series in 2016. He read “Moneyball,” the 2004 Michael Lewis book that introduced analytics to the masses. He poked around in the Lahman Baseball Database, which holds every major league box score since 1871. He started working with Alan Nathan, an Illinois emeritus professor who researches baseball physics and consults major league teams.
Read the full article here: https://apnews.com/36af659c3ec449c7936aa9f061f133d2
Originally published: May 17, 2018. Last Updated: May 17, 2018.