A different kind of nerd

I haven't posted on here in forever, but that doesn't mean I have forgotten about this blog. Recently I saw a commercial on ESPN where two jock looking high school students wearing letterman jackets are sitting in the cafeteria discussing baseball statistics. To be more specific they are arguing about the ERA difference between San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum for home games versus away games. Then several geeky looking kids are seen standing over the jocks and one of the dorks says: "Nerds."

No, this article isn't about the stereotypes of the commercial, but rather how much truth there is to that commercial. I have always been a sports fan. When I was in junior high I watched basketball. In high school I started watching football and more recently for me, I have gotten into baseball. One of the things that the people I work with and talk baseball with have noticed I have become a fan of the stats side of baseball and I believe this is one of the main reasons I have really connected with the sport as of late. More than any other sport, baseball allows me to bring my nerdiness and use in a sport!

When basketball fans talk, they reminisce of the spectacular jam. Football players talk about an amazing hit, or great touchdown run. Baseball players talk in numbers. Pujols went 3 for 5. Zambrano lasted 6 and 2/3 innings with only 1 earned run. While I have never been good at math, exploring different formulas and ways of calculating a player's worth has kept me fascinated well past the final inning of a great game. So much that I actually went to a SABR meeting!

Baseball. The sport of nerds...unless you count chess.