This directed research project aims to make baseball statistics more accessible to broadcast audiences through interactive data visualizations. Currently, statistics are presented mainly through numbers and acronyms, which can be difficult for many viewers to understand. The researchers hypothesize that using visual representations like shape, size and color may help lower the learning curve and comprehension barriers. The research will involve analyzing current statistical tools, visualizations used in other fields, and developing new visual solutions to present example baseball data and integrate into television broadcasts.

1. Directed Research
Rob Bratney • Tom Klinkowstein

2. The Problem
Baseball statistics are at the heart of understanding the
game of baseball, but the way in which they are currently
presented to a broadcast television audience create
unnecessary barriers to widespread comprehension.
What can Design do to create a more less prohibitive
environment, and make mass consumption of baseball
statistics easier?

3. The Hypothesis
This thesis presents the hypothesis that a system of simple,
interactive data-visualizations that use shape, size, and color to
represent some of major league baseball’s most basic statistical
measurements could be more effective at representing detailed
information to a wider broadcast television audience than the
current system of numbers and acronyms.
The statistical metrics that are currently presented during television
broadcasts rely heavily on numerical representations, and while
these traditional numbers are valuable, they can only be understood
by a limited few. Adding visual representations to the environment
of baseball statistics may help lower the current learning curve and
make baseball easier for more people to understand.

4. The Research Outline
I. Overview
What are baseball statistics, and how are they useful?
• Brief history of important people and events, etc.
• Commonly-used statistics today, traditionally
• Definition of several specific metrics, to be referenced
throughout

5. II. The Problem & Hypothesis
III. Analytical Statistics Companies Today and Their
Proprietary Software/Visuals
Introduction to today’s baseball statistics landscape
1. Sportvision
PITCHf/x, HITf/x, FIELDf/x, COMMANDf/x,
Pitch Location & Stats, Virtual Advertising, MLB
At-Bat app
2. STATS
X-Info
3. Baseball Info Solutions
Defensive Runs Saved

6. IV. Current Statistical Visualizations Used/Developed by
Statisticians & Designers
Data-visualization tools by statisticians
• Gapminder Chart
• Chord Chart
• Milestones in the History of Statistical Graphics
• Visualization and Data Mining Software
By Designers
Nicholas Felton’s Annual Report
Flip Flop Fly Ball by Craig Robinson
Information Graphics by Sandra Rendgen

7. III. Applying the Visualizations Used By Statistics
Community to Baseball Statistics
IV. Using What Was Learned to Create Our Own, Better
Solutions
• Recontructing, then outlining visually-based approach
• Interactive graphic displays that show and tell
• Applying new approach to example pool of raw data
and in television broadcast
• Applying new system to television broadcast

8. V. Projections of Implementations for New Tool
• In Major League offices
• Online, fan sites
• Apps & proprietary software
• Television Broadcasts
V. Conclusion

9. Resource List
Baseball Stats (Definitions, history, and reference information):
• http://www.baseball-reference.com/
• http://www.fangraphs.com/library/
• http://www.baseballprospectus.com/
Data Visualization Tools:
• Chord Chart
• Statistical Graphics Throughout History http://www.
datavis.ca/milestones/
• Gapminder
• Data Mining and Visualization Software: http://www.
kdnuggets.com/software/visualization.html

10. Infographic Designers
• Nicholas Feltron’s Annual Report
• Flip Flop Fly Ball by Craig Robison
• Information Graphics by Sandra Rendgen
Data Visualizations in Baseball Today
STATS, Inc.’s X-Info
Sportvision

11. Books
• The Numbers Game: Baseball’s Lifelong Fascination with
Statistics by Alan Schwarz. 2005
• Moneyball by Michael Lewis. 2003
• Baseball Between The Numbers: Why Everything You Know
• About The Game Is Wrong by The Baseball Prospectus
Team of Experts. 2007
• The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill
James. 2003
• The Graphical Player by John Burnson. 2010
• Flip Flop Fly Ball by Craig Robison
• Information Graphics by Sandra Rendgen