The State of F/X: MLB.com Gameday and Baseball Analysis Improves

While the accuracy of the plate location is so precise, it makes you shake your head, the pitch tracking itself, from release all the way to plate, is nearly as good. Alan Nathan has calculated an approximate 2.2 inch noise factor in pfx_x and pfx_z (not the same for each, I believe). He has an improved approach that tightens that up a bit, and I believe Ike Hall's ideas on data normalization along with a lengthy discussion of the coefficient of drag will take Sportvision closer to even better data quality. But, let me tell you this much, this stuff is tight. I can't say "this curveball broke down 6 inches" for two reasons - it could be four or eight, and, Matt Lentzner would want me to add gravity and then adjust back to the hitter's reference point. But I can say, with the exception of Matt's idea, which I think will become the way of the future, or close to it, "his average curveball breaks down 6 inches". I got to see the operations with my own eyes, and they super-impose actual and calculated trajectories on the display, and, wow, this stuff is pretty tight.

There are, however, issues. Camera positions vary, since they need to be placed such that the screen/net is not in the way. They don't pick up all the way to the rubber (or, at the ground at least) to conserve pixels and get the richest data possible on the flight. These are amongst potential factors leading to variance in release points. I also include mound height in there. I also had the chance to point out the Great American Ballpark anomaly, about 7 inches of distortion in spin movement, to Sportvision, and realized (a) my own obligation to provide the feedback and (b) their thirst for it. Good scientists work transparently, and it produces better work.

This brings me to Kerry Wood's back-up slider. I have to take in some more data, but, so far, I do believe I can see it (I did show it at the Summit, so you can download the slide), but the GAB effect and the small sample don't allow me to declare it so. But, I think I'll find it clearly enough, soon enough, to make that declaration.

Marv White did point out we are asking the piano playing cat to sing, but he seems to be driven by innovation as much as anyone. He is a business man, too, and that's a key to this. It is a business venture, which I was pleased to learn more about, and developed an even greater understanding and respect for the work done by all the parties involved, from the stadium grounds crew, to teams and the league. So, I'll end this by thanking Marv, Justin, Ross, Rand, Catherine, who deserves to be thanked twice, so I will, Catherine, Greg, Peter, the Lookout Landing guys, Mike Fast, Max "Professor Pepper" (come back to the US and sign that ball, please), Ike, Tom, Zach, Helen, Alan, Mont, along with a great high school physics teacher from San Mateo, and everyone involved in the Gameday, the Summit and PITCHf/x. Apologies to everyone I forgot.

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