Ahead of the curve

MLB Network host and commentator Brian Kenny uses stories from baseball's present and past to examine why we sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic, even when directly contradicted by evidence.

Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Brian Kenny wants to reshape the way we think about baseball. The biggest proponent of sports analytics in the mainstream media, Kenny says that groupthink and tradition are standing in the way of smarter, better baseball. Ready to go to the next level? Try the following: Kill the win: It's a team statistic, not a pitching statistic; Ignore errors: they are a vestige of 19th-century baseball with almost no effect on today's game; Forget starting pitchers: "bullpenning" is the best way to use your pitching staff; The sacrifice bunt is good strategy--if you like scoring fewer runs; If your closer is your best pitcher, use him when needed, regardless of inning; Stop hiring managers based on their looks; Don't ever sign a big-money free agent. Kenny shows why blind spots and biases cause us to cling to strategies that belong in the nostalgia bin. Digging deep into baseball history, he explains how the game has evolved and why it's time to ditch outmoded thinking and herd mentality. Ahead of the Curve points the way to the future of baseball.--Dust jacket.