A Mathematician at the Ballpark

In A Mathematician at the Ballpark, professor Ken Ross reveals the math behind the stats. This lively and accessible book shows baseball fans how to harness the power of made predictions and better understand the game. Using real-world examples from historical and modern-day teams, Ross shows:
• Why on-base and slugging percentages are more important than batting averages
• How professional odds makers predict the length of a seven-game series
• How to use mathematics to make smarter bets

A Mathematician at the Ballpark is the perfect guide to the science of probability for the stats-obsessed baseball fans—and, with a detailed new appendix on fantasy baseball, an essential tool for anyone involved in a fantasy league.The ultimate math book for baseball fans. (Keith Devlin, Stanford University, and “The Math Guy” on NPR)

Table of Contents

 

A PLUME BOOK

Title Page

Copyright Page

Preface

 

Chapter 1 - Who’s the Best Hitter? Averages

Chapter 2 - But Which Team Are You Betting On? Odds & Probabilities

Chapter 3 - Will You Win the Lottery? Expectations

Chapter 4 - What Would Pete Rose Do? Professional Betting

Chapter 5 - Will the Yankees Win if Steinbrenner Is Gone? Conditional Probabilities

Chapter 6 - How Long Should the World Series Last? Repeated Tries

Chapter 7 - When Should You Stop Betting? Double-or-Nothing

Chapter 8 - What About Streaks? Statistics

Appendix 1 - Now a Word from Our Statisticians

Appendix 2 - The Binomial Theorem

Appendix 3 - Fantasy Baseball and Statistics Dan Schlewitz, Eugene, OR

Annotated Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Index

A PLUME BOOK

A MATHEMATICIAN AT THE BALLPARK

KEN ROSS, Ph.D., taught math for thirty-five years at the University of Oregon, and is a past president of the Mathematical Association of America. He lives in Eugene, Oregon.