| With the baseball season in full swing, it's time to | | | | suit and tie. Dr. Frank Jobe changed the fortunes |
| remember how geeks and technology have | | | | of hundreds of future professional pitchers when |
| transformed the game of baseball. Over the past | | | | LA Dodgers pitcher Tommy John asked him to |
| three decades, the internet, medical advances, | | | | "make up something" after he was diagnosed with |
| and the globalization media have fundamentally | | | | the career-threatening injury. The procedure, now |
| transformed how fans consume baseball and how | | | | famously called "Tommy John Surgery" , consists |
| ballplayers play America's pastime. Below is a | | | | of having the ligament in the elbow replaced with |
| survey of some of the ways technology has | | | | a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from |
| effected baseball, and some ideas on how some | | | | the forearm, hamstring, or foot). Today, |
| new technologies will continue to affect baseball. | | | | retirement is not the only ending, as success rate |
| Baseball, Technology, and Fans | | | | for this type of surgery is estimated at 85% - |
| 1. Video Games | | | | 90%. Recovery time is down to about a year for |
| From the beginning, video games have attempted | | | | pitchers, and a half a year for hitters. In fact, |
| to replicate baseball. In 1971, Don Daglow at | | | | pitchers often come back throwing a fewextra |
| Pomona College wrote ''Baseball.'' During the early | | | | MPH on the fastball. Just think, without this |
| 1980s, Atari and Mattel also released baseball | | | | procedure, Mariano Rivera, star closer for the |
| video games. In 1983, Mattel released Intellivision | | | | New York Yankees, would not have been able to |
| ''World Series Baseball.'' For the first time, players | | | | nail down all of those post-season victories and 4 |
| of ''World Series Baseball'' could use multiple | | | | recent World Series titles! Yankee |
| camera angles to show the action. A gamer could | | | | fanseverywhere owe you a big thank you Dr. |
| see the batter from a modified "center field" | | | | Frank Jobe. |
| camera, see baserunners in corner insets, and | | | | 6. Eye Enhancemants |
| view defensive plays from a camera behind home | | | | Many professional athletes have gone through a |
| plate. ''World Series Baseball'' also integrated fly | | | | well known laser eye surgery called LASIK. |
| balls into their interface. | | | | LASIK, an acronym for Laser-assisted In Situ |
| In 1988, baseball video games made another | | | | Keratomileusis, is a form of refractive laser eye |
| jump, when Electronic Arts (EA) released ''Earl | | | | surgery procedure performed by ophthalmologists |
| Weaver Baseball'', which added an actual baseball | | | | intended for correcting vision. Since baseball |
| manager provided run by artificial intelligence. The | | | | players rely heavily on their sight to pick up a 95 |
| important of ''Earl Weaver Baseball'' was | | | | MPH fastball whizzing past their noggin, it makes |
| acknowledged by Computer Gaming World in | | | | sense that LASIK has been so important. Jeff |
| 1996 when it named ''Earl Weaver Baseball'' 25th | | | | Bagwell, Jeff Cirillo, Jeff Conine, Jose Cruz Jr., |
| on its list of the Best 150 Games of All Time. This | | | | Wally Joyner, Greg Maddux, Mark Redman, and |
| was the second highest ranking for any sports | | | | Larry Walker have all reportedly upgraded their |
| game in that 1981-1996 period behind FPS Sports | | | | vision to 20/15 or better. The popularly of LASIK |
| Football. | | | | surgery has led the Minnesota Twins' medical |
| Nintendo also hit a homerun, in 1988 when it | | | | staff to diligently educate its players about the |
| released ''RBI Baseball.'' RBI was the first video | | | | benefits and risks of LASIK surgery. |
| game to be licensed through the Major League | | | | Similarily, a contact lens designed by Bausch and |
| Baseball Players Association. The game contained | | | | Lomb and marketed by Nike has been made to |
| authentic major league players and rosters, and | | | | aid hitters. The lenses are red and filter out |
| not surprisingly was a huge hit with players. | | | | certain shades to allow you to see the seams on |
| Twenty years after the first baseball video game, | | | | a fastball. The quicker the batter can follow the |
| ''Tony La Russa Baseball'' appeared on shelves | | | | ball leaving the pitcher's hand, the quicker they can |
| across the country. The game made significant | | | | react to it. Is this any different than steroids? |
| advancements in baseball game play. First, ''La | | | | 7. QUESTEC |
| Russa'' included a circular Fly Ball Cursor that | | | | QuesTec is a digital media company known |
| appeared where the ball was going to land, and | | | | mostly for its controversial Umpire Information |
| grew or diminished in size based on the height of | | | | System (UIS) which is used by Major League |
| the ball. If the wind was blowing the cursor would | | | | Baseball for the purpose of providing feedback |
| move its location to reflect the changing course | | | | and evaluation of big league umpires. The |
| of the ball. The Fly Ball Cursor introduced real fly | | | | company, based out of Deer Park, New York, |
| balls and pop-ups to computer baseball games, | | | | has been mostly involved in television replay and |
| eliminating the last segment of the sport that had | | | | graphics throughout its history. In 2001, however, |
| never been simulated accurately. Second, ''La | | | | the company signed a 5-year contract with Major |
| Russa'' allowed users to conduct drafts and set up | | | | League Baseball to use its "pitch tracking" |
| their own leagues, all with access to the game's | | | | technology as a means to review the |
| comprehensive player statistics. Third, ''La Russa'' | | | | performance of home plate umpires during |
| was the first baseball game to offer accurate | | | | baseball games. |
| stats for each individual pitcher against each | | | | The UIS system consists of 4 cameras placed at |
| individual hitter, data that actual managers use | | | | strategic locations around a ballpark that feed into |
| extensively in the dugout. In contrast to many | | | | a computer network and records the locations of |
| sports celebrities who merely lent their names to | | | | pitches throughout the course of a game. |
| games, Tony La Russa spent extensive sessions | | | | Computer software then generates CDs that |
| over a period of years working to make the | | | | umpires and their higher-ups can review and learn |
| game's artificial intelligence as accurate as possible. | | | | from. These CDs include video of the pitches as |
| The quality of baseball games has continued to | | | | well as graphic representations of their locations |
| develop since ''La Russa.'' The development of | | | | plus feedback on the umpires' accuracy. |
| EA's ''MVP Baseball'', Sony's ''MLB The Show'', Out | | | | Controversy over the Umpire Information |
| of the Park Developments' text-based simulation | | | | System surfaced over the next several years as |
| ''Out of the Park Baseball'', and the and growth of | | | | umpires and players alike voiced concern over the |
| gaming systems (from Genesis to XBox360) has | | | | system's accuracy on one side, and the partial |
| transformed the depth and reality of baseball | | | | and potentially biased coverage of major league |
| games. Even players themselves admit to using | | | | games on the other. The company installed its |
| them prepare for games. According to an FHM | | | | cameras and computers in only 10 of the 30 |
| article written by 2004 AL Cy Young Winner | | | | stadiums around the league. Umpires filed a |
| Johan Santana (April 2006 pg. 113), "I can see the | | | | grievance with the National Labor Relations Board |
| hitting zones of each player and statistically where | | | | (NLRB) to get rid of the technology; meanwhile a |
| he doesn't like the ball. I can also get a feel for | | | | more hands-on approach was taken by Arizona |
| when he will swing at fastballs and when he may | | | | Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling. Schilling used a |
| not expect a change-up. I wouldn't say that I | | | | bat to smash one of QuesTec's field cameras, an |
| would pitch to a guy in a real-life game the same | | | | act that led to a fine for the former World Series |
| way, but it gives you ideas of how to approach | | | | MVP. |
| certain hitters." | | | | 8. Stat Analysis |
| 2. Internet Fantasy Baseball | | | | Over the past few years, several teams |
| Hate it (girlfriends, wives) or love it (practically | | | | throughout Major League Baseball have changed |
| every baseball fan), fantasy baseball has become | | | | their approach to running their organization. |
| as popular as the sport itself. Once regulated to | | | | Traditionally, players are evaluated by scouts using |
| stat junkies who painfully calculated and managed | | | | stats that have been around for centuries, such |
| everything on their own, the expansion of the | | | | as Runs Batted In, Batting Average, and just how |
| internet has allowed millions of fans to participate | | | | fast a pitcher can throw. The "Moneyball" school |
| in leagues with friends and other fans throughout | | | | of thought (named after a book by Michael M. |
| the country. This couldn't possibly affect the | | | | Lewis released in 2003 about the general manager |
| actual sport itself right? Wrong. Fantasy Baseball | | | | of the Major League Baseball team Oakland |
| has a huge impact on fan interest. Did your team | | | | Athletics, Billy Beane) believe this method to be |
| throw in the towel mid-season, or currently in an | | | | subjective and flawed. Now, General Managers will |
| unwatchable rebuilding year? That's OK. You can | | | | evaluate their players directly from their laptops, |
| still follow your fantasy team and can continue to | | | | that crunch all sorts of numbers that are |
| watch games involving your players via the MLB | | | | centered around the ability to not record an out |
| Baseball Cable Package. Major League Baseball is a | | | | (hey, that is the general basis of the game, innit?). |
| product, and anything that allows your customers | | | | So who can draft a better ballteam, a Windows |
| to constantly read, write, and talk (thus | | | | XP machine (with service pack 2 of course - |
| promoting) about your product in a passionate | | | | without it will draft all Minnie Mendoza's) or a scout |
| way becomes important. | | | | that has seen millions of innings of baseball over |
| Fantasy baseball would not have becomes popular | | | | the last 30+ years? |
| without technology. Computers and the internet | | | | 9. Steroids |
| ushered in this sports revolution. The advent of | | | | We can't have a baseball article without |
| powerful computers and the Internet | | | | mentioning the S-Word now can we? Steroids are |
| revolutionized fantasy baseball, allowing scoring to | | | | an invention of modern medicine. German |
| be done entirely by computer, and allowing | | | | scientists first developed anabolic steroids in the |
| leagues to develop their own scoring system, | | | | 1940s, learning to produce testosterone in a |
| often based on less popular statistics. In this way, | | | | laboratory setting. |
| fantasy baseball has become a sort of in-time | | | | Now, two San Francisco Chronicle reporters have |
| simulation of baseball, and allowed many fans to | | | | written a book detailing Barry Bonds' steroid use, |
| develop a more sophisticated understanding of | | | | called ''Game of Shadows'', which goes into alot of |
| how the real-world game works. | | | | detail behind everything Bonds did to chemically |
| According to a recent Fortune article, the | | | | enhance his body. Bonds allegedly used every |
| "American male's obsession with sports is nothing | | | | conceivable method of steroid use, including pills, |
| new, but try this on for size: More than half of | | | | liquid, creams, and injections (by himself and |
| fantasy sports fanatics spend over an hour a day | | | | trainer). His methods obviously worked (though |
| just thinking about their teams." Fantasy baseball | | | | there was no testing to get around), because |
| is a ''billion dollar industry.'' However, Much like the | | | | Bonds (now 41 years old) bulked up tremendously |
| RIAA and MPAA, Major League Baseball is putting | | | | over the past 8 years and starting hitting homers |
| clamps on the fantasy technology that fueled | | | | at record paces. |
| professional baseball's rebirth after the 1996 strike. | | | | The more that comes out about these players, |
| MLB has decided to dramatically restructure how | | | | the more 1995-2004 will be forever known as the |
| it licenses companies that run fantasy games on | | | | "steroid era." We might never know exactly who |
| the Web. Official licensees will now likely be | | | | took steroids during this time, but everyone will |
| restricted to a Big Three of ESPN, CBS Sportsline, | | | | definitely treat the stats over the last decade |
| and Yahoo! (some reports add AOL and The | | | | with skepticism. Now that MLB has finally started |
| Sporting News as well). "Mom and pop" shops that | | | | testing the players, will certain players desperate |
| helped usher the fantasy baseball phenomenon | | | | for that extra edge try new technologies that |
| into existence will be severely limited by the | | | | can't be detected? Its ironic though. Mark McGwire |
| licensing deal. They will only be allowed information | | | | and Sammy Sosa practically saved the sport |
| to service 5,000 customers apiece. Everyone else | | | | after the 1994 strike by captivating the fans with |
| using baseball statistics to run small fantasy | | | | their 1998 chase for Roger Maris' home run |
| leagues will have to choose between scaling back | | | | record of 61. Now, after numerous congress |
| their operations, closing up shop, or receiving a | | | | hearings and alot of "no comments," their |
| visit from MLB's lawyers. | | | | reputations are completely tarnished due to |
| 3. User Created Media | | | | alleged steroid use. Yet they may have saved |
| Before the internet, media creation was limited to | | | | baseball. |
| professionals. Newspapers, radio, television, and | | | | Future of Baseball and Technology |
| niche sports magazines like Sports Illustrated | | | | 10. User Controlled Broadcast |
| possessed a virtual stranglehold over the | | | | Just this week, Rupert Murdoch, speaking to the |
| dissemination of sports news and information. | | | | Worshipful Company of Stationers and |
| The first user created sports media occurred with | | | | Newspaper Makers, said: "A new generation of |
| the advent of Sports Talk radio. An extension of | | | | media consumers has risen demanding content |
| talk radio, which has existed since the 1940s, | | | | delivered when they want it, how they want it |
| sports talk radio took off in the early 1980s. | | | | and very much as they want it." What does this |
| Today, over 30 major sports talk radio stations | | | | mean for baseball? |
| exist throughout the country. Sports talk radio | | | | Baseball on demand will continue to develop. Wait, |
| provided fans a soapbox to voice their complaints, | | | | one minute! Can't I already get baseball on |
| thoughts, and analysis of sports. However, instead | | | | demand? I can buy the MLB Package on cable tv |
| of ranting only to their friends and family, sports | | | | or can stream every game with MLB.TV. True, |
| talk radio gave fans the ability to transmit their | | | | but we're talking about the future here, and the |
| ideas to a potentially large audience. | | | | scope of on-demand sports will only broaden over |
| Wanting a voice, sports fans used technology to | | | | the next couple of decades. |
| disseminate their ideas over the internet. The first | | | | Don't be surprised if Major League Baseball takes |
| of these technologies was sports messageboard | | | | a cue from video games and starts to give |
| communities. While sports messageboards have | | | | consumers control over how they watch a |
| never reached mainstream popularity, they have | | | | baseball game. Imagine the following: you turn on |
| a solid presence on the net. A quick search for | | | | a ballgame and with your remote control you are |
| "baseball messageboards" in Google will return | | | | given the option of choosing the camera angle |
| over 8.5 million hits. | | | | you want to view the game. You want to watch |
| Internet messageboards also represented the | | | | the game from the catchers perspective, click |
| first Petri dish for user-created media. This | | | | your remote and you can what a big league slider |
| sentiment is best exemplified by a scandal that | | | | looks look. Want to watch a play from an |
| occurred at the beginning of the 2000 season. | | | | outfielder's perspective? Its your choice, you |
| Bobby Valentine, then the New York Mets | | | | control how you want to view the game. |
| manager, gave a lecture at the Wharton School | | | | Fans will also be given the opportunity to choose |
| of Business -- an "off-the-record" talk. But | | | | an announcer. Think Joe Morgan should be fired? |
| "off-the-record" is only a term relevant to | | | | Why be forced to listen to his broadcast? Instead, |
| journalists. While the ''Daily Pennsylvanian'' (Penn's | | | | fans will be given a choice between a wide range |
| school newspaper), gave a perfunctory mention | | | | of announcers. Want funny announcers? Click. |
| to the speech, one student-attendee went much | | | | Want home-town announcers? Want to hear the |
| further. Brad Rosenberg, using the username | | | | game in Russian? Click. Its your call. |
| brad34, logged onto a Mets message board and | | | | Don't be surprised if many of these announcers |
| claimed that Bobby V blasted some players and | | | | aren't hired by a professional sports teams. |
| management. The mainstream media ran with it; | | | | Instead, these announcers might be your |
| then-general manager Steve Phillips hopped on a | | | | neighbor, your friend, or even your grandma. The |
| plane to Pittsburgh to pow-wow with Valentine; | | | | continued growth of podcasting and the inevitable |
| and minor scandal was in the works. | | | | maturation of podcasting distribution channels will |
| Today, the phenomenon that started on message | | | | make it easy for anyone to try their luck out as |
| boards has extended to blogs. Over the past two | | | | a professional broadcaster. |
| years, blogs have exploded. Everyone (from | | | | 11. Information Markets to Predict Gameplay |
| grandmas to infants) are starting their own blogs, | | | | Information markets aggregate information in an |
| and not surprisingly a number of these blogs talk | | | | attempt and appear to be the best tool human's |
| about sports. Blogs provide individuals with the | | | | have to predict future events. Building on the |
| community of a sports talk radio and potentially | | | | ideas of Friedrich Hayek, various different |
| infinite world-wide reach. A powerful combination. | | | | professions and organizations have begun using |
| Today, there are approximately, 1158 baseball | | | | information markets to help them make better |
| blogs floating around the internet. | | | | decisions. For example, the Iowa Electronic |
| 4. Satellite Television | | | | Markets, TradeSports, and WahlStreet have |
| Satellites beam baseball games around the world, | | | | predict election outcomes better than opinion polls. |
| fueling global baseball. While the first satellite | | | | Google also uses information markets forecast |
| television signals were relayed in the early 1960s, | | | | product launch dates, new office openings, and |
| widespread consumer television reception took | | | | many other things of strategic importance to |
| off in the 1980s. For the first time, geography did | | | | Google. |
| not limit the dissemination of moving pictures. | | | | How does an information market work? |
| Television's power with no geographic limits | | | | Information markets aggregate the decisions of |
| translated into new opportunities for major league | | | | individuals and translate those decisions into a |
| baseball. | | | | consensus probability that a given future event will |
| By the late 1990s, baseball games could be | | | | occur. For example, at Google, the company |
| seamlessly and relatively inexpensively transmitted | | | | issues stocks for 146 events in 43 different |
| throughout the globe. This allowed Major League | | | | subject areas (no payment is required to play). |
| Baseball to reach into foreign labor and | | | | Much like a stock market, Google employees buy |
| commercial markets, most notably Japan. Without | | | | and sell these shares reaching a market price--the |
| satellite television, the Seattle Mariners probably | | | | consensus decision. Google looks at these market |
| would have passed on MVP outfielder Ichiro | | | | prices when deciding whether to make an |
| Suzuki, the New York Yankees would have | | | | important decision. |
| passed on All-Star Hideki Matsui. Satellite television | | | | The same tool that has helped transform Google |
| helped transform regional icons like Ichiro and | | | | to one of the most powerful companies in the |
| Matsui into worldwide phenomenon. | | | | world will eventually be employed by professional |
| Today, if you take a trip to Japan, you might see | | | | baseball teams to make important baseball |
| Hideki Matsui's at-bat broadcasted in a a Tokyo | | | | decisions. Baseball teams will use these markets |
| bar, subway station, or even on the side of a | | | | to decide when to promote their a prospect from |
| building. Satellite Television helps baseball remain on | | | | AAA to the majors, whether or not they should |
| the march. | | | | trade their aging star for a young prospect. |
| Baseball, Technology, and Players | | | | Just as baseball statistics transformed the |
| 5. Improved Surgeries | | | | operation of baseball teams in the 1990s and |
| Before 1974, if you were a pitcher and happen to | | | | 2000s, information markets will transform the |
| tear your unlar collaterl ligament in the 'ol elbow, | | | | way baseball organizations operate in the future. |
| you would be trading in your hat and spikes for a | | | | |