Baseball and Probability
People often call baseball a game of probability. Every play is recorded,
and we can recreate the game or predict the future using these records. In
the past, recording data might have started in terms of people’s interest in
baseball, to know more about the game. Now all 30 teams in MLB
transfer results into data, creating a professional department to manage
the team with the data. Data analysts, who were previously treated as
simply a scorer, are now one of the most important people in the team.
Through an analysis of datas and continuous observations and practices,
teams make wisest choices for best probability.
// Permutation and Combination
Before the game is playballed, the manager of each team writes a list of
players who will play on the game on a lineup card and submit it to the
umpire. The line-up card has a list of starting line-up, starting pitcher,
and the bench including bullpens and in-and-outfielders. Managers are
stressed daily about deciding which player to start in which order of
batting. Then how many combinations of starting line-up are possible?
Official rules allowed MLB teams to have a maximum of 25 players in
their roster. Let's say 12 pitchers, 2 catchers, 6 infielders and 5 outfielders
were registered in the roster.
Deciding left fielder, centerfielder, and right fielder out of 5 outfielders
has 5x4x3=60 ways.