THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

I’d love to apply - what harm could it do, right? - but the bit about the “actuarial field” scares me. I don’t even know what the mathematical ability is in the actuarial field.

I think you can handle it, Colin.

Right Colin.  If you apply, and don’t mind moving, then I would give John my recommendation for you.

I’d assume the actuarial math is basically risk analysis applied to stat projections. Marcel does this pretty informally applying higher weights to younger players and lower weights to aging players. If you have a decent statistics and probability background I wouldn’t let it scare anyone off.

I feel more qualified for this position that I did for the Pirates’ opening which was eventually filled by Dan Fox.

Mapquest says Coplay is near Allentown...I’d never heard of it.

At this point in my life, I don’t think I’ll be relocating, and they probably wouldn’t pay me what I’m making now.

But I do think I would enjoy it. Sounds like what I do in my sparetime for free.

It sounds like a dream-job, and I’d only have to re-locate 300 miles. But considering the fact that I can’t hold a job for a respectable amount of time, lack a degree in computers and statistics, and have only been studying sabermetrics in detail for 4 months, my resume would be the first to get thrown out.

terpsfan101, don’t sell yourself short.  Sometimes you have to fake it till you make it.

MGL, Thanks for the advice.

I’m guessing that when John Dewan says to send him an email, this implies sending him your resume and cover-letter.

hey terpsfan101, when did you go to UMD?

Jay Gibbons,

I didn’t go to college at UMD. The Terps have always been my favorite NCAA team.

I have always been embarassed to admit what college I got my degree from. After I had flunked out of York College (PA) my Freshman year, I got my associates degree in Accounting from Central Pennsylvania College. It was a very small school, with some strange rules. When I attended CPC back in 2003 and early 2004, the school had a very strict dress-code. You had to wear a dress shirt, tie, and sports-jacket to class. I don’t think that the dress code is as strict anymore.

Is it a sign of the times that I could seriously actually toss away all this schooling that I’ve had and honestly make a living as a baseball nerd?  This makes me happy.

Pizza, I got a good laugh out of that. Back when I was in college my Dad would always pester me to get a “real” job in the summer instead of doing stats for a few hundred dollars. Now that I am out in the working world, many of the skills that have advanced me in this job I learned being a statistican who trained and hired scorekeepers, and spent all winter analyzing play by play.

I know John Dewan would laugh at my salary requirements, but I’d be willing to work for a lot less if I can work from home. Maybe I will write to him.