BRotD Entry 0267 - Major League Baseball and AI

Best Reading of the Day

 Data is the currency of sports in the modern era. 

We have seen the major leagues transformed over the last two decades--moneyball in baseball--and the effort is ongoing and continuous.

The latest is AI-driven analysis of extreme video footage of baseball players: both pitchers and hitters.

This story is eye-opening:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/10/op-moneyballai/

Here is a snippet from the piece.

Boddy [the owner of the data company] and his engineering team now rely on AI to blend dozens of data streams to create customized coaching regimens. I cannot emphasize enough how little this is like your weekly personal training session. Video analysis breaks down individual muscles and movements by the inch. Hardware (bats and balls) is equipped with software (sensors) that tracks every baseball action and renders them into equations that measure force and torque. Like all data-gobbling AI software, the process gets smarter as it goes; Driveline has collected enough historical performance data that it can correlate five non-baseball related physical tests into dead solid predictions of fastball velocity and bat speed.

Even in its infancy, Driveline helped Bauer become one of baseball’s best pitchers. 

The most shocking part of the story? This is coming for all of our jobs yet almost none of us will be able to afford to protect our data from our employers. The conclusion of this piece is telling:

“I have friends who are lawyers and prop traders, and it’s shocking to me how far ahead sports is when it comes to these technologies,” says Boddy. “A lot of them don’t see what’s coming.” 

Got your attention yet?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Apple's September Event

This is the day Apple announces all of the new goodies in its hardware product lineup.  Awesome right?!!?

Not so fast.

The expectations by those following the leaks are painting an unhappy picture.  What will the day actually bring?  Time to find out.

Apple Watch
Apple is following up on the release of the Apple Watch by announcing ... new bands.  New colors.  Fancy (and expensive) new partnerships.  Etc.

Next one up will be big right?

iPad Pro
We've been hearing about a large size iPad for some time now and Microsoft is seeing increasing success with its Surface lineup of tablet/PCs.  Apple has to respond right?  And they will amaze us right?

Not so fast.

At 12.6" vertical this tablet is huge and is quite powerful.  Plus you have the option to buy more goodies to go with it!  Like ... a pencil.  Or ... a keyboard.

Wait isn't that the Microsoft Surface Pro 3?

This thing is expensive.  It starts at $799 for the 32GB version, and you can add $99 for the pencil and another $169 for the keyboard.  Wow.  Will the war for the Enterprise be won be a pure tablet?  This is positioned head to head with the Surface lineup so we are going to find out.  The biggest surprise however was ... Microsoft on the stage with Apple to show you MS Office.  Wow!  Didn't see that coming.

So, something huge will come right?

Apple TV
Finally an update to Apple TV. Do I really care at this point?  My smart TV does everything I can imagine, including cook my dinner.  Do I need to shell out more for this new widget from Apple?

Maybe.  Improved apps.  A solid UI.  A good looking and seemingly intuitive remote control that can be a game controller as well.  Games.  Hmmm.  They might sell a bunch of these.  It'll use tvOS instead of iOS.  That means it is now its own platform, just like the Watch or the Phone, or even the iPad.  More software sales for Apple, but they make almost all of their money on hardware anyway. Another plus for the Apple TV is integration with Siri for voice control ... assuming it works okay since Siri doesn't seem to provide value for many folks on their iPhone or Apple Watch.

I do think MLB is doing great work in the digital streaming space. The app for Apple TV is excellent looking.  Marrying data to live game coverage is awesome.  But I don't watch sports anymore anyway so this means nothing to me.

Starts at $149 for 32GB or get the 64GB version for $199. This will sell.

iPhone Update
iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.  Basically the same as last year's but with big changes inside.

A new color: Rose Gold.  A new screen called Ion-X, not the Sapphire screen on the more expensive Apple Watches.  Still, anything to help the screen's toughness is good.

3D Touch - As expected Apple has taken the 'Force Touch' screen interaction from the Apple Watch and brought it to the iPhone. They didn't get good press for the use of "Force".  A friend of mine described this as essentially "right-click" for all you Windows users out there.  That seems right to me.  You can interact with apps without opening them through 3D Touch.  I like that new layer of interaction.  They've worked hard to embed this in the OS so it impacts many things you are familiar with. Now you just have to figure out when you can use the feature.  "Can I right-click this?  Left-click?  Oh, okay."

Haptic touch engine to allow the phone to essentially vibrate and interact with you.  Another feature on the Watch.

Big performance updates which also means improved performance for games.

The camera is much better at 12 megapixels but there are others far better on the market today. The dern camera lens still protrudes from the back of the phone.  I have disliked that a LOT with my iPhone 6 and have cracked lens already as well. Nice software updates for the camera.  Only pros need a dedicated camera now.  Seriously.  Of course, 12 megapixels mean the pictures will be much bigger and require much more storage on your phone.  It will take 4K video, that is 2160p resolution.  Also a huge drain on storage.

Pricing: Still starts at $199 for the 16GB model.  For $299 you can get 64GB.  They are pushing you to spend ridiculous rates on memory.  As usual.  However, they've created an installment plan so you can endlessly upgrade, and endlessly give Apple more money.  Okay, that last bit might have been harsh.  But wait!  You can use iCloud storage to handle your memory needs.  At an additional cost.

Overall I find myself laughing at this non-event event.  Will there be one more thing?

The band is playing.  I think we are at the end.  Only 2 hours too.

BRotD - Entry 0228 MLB.com Streaming Video

Best Reading of the Day

The story behind MLB.com and the success of its digital efforts and streaming video is impressive reading.  When you add the recent addition of HBO cutting the cord through this service, and now the news of the NHL coming onboard it becomes truly impressive.

This is your best read of the day:

http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/4/9090897/mlb-bam-live-streaming-internet-tv-nhl-hbo-now-espn

Here is a snippet from the story:

When baseball’s then commissioner, Bud Selig, created BAM back in 2000, he had relatively modest goals in mind. The unit would be in charge of creating websites for each of the teams and consolidating MLB’s digital rights. By pooling resources, he would prevent the bigger teams from outpacing their smaller market rivals. And to keep the division honest and efficient, BAM would operate as its own company. The teams agreed to contribute a combined $120 million to the venture, $1 million each over the first four years, with each taking an equal ownership stake.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Baseball Analysis as Opening Day Nears

A bit more fun this week, though the analysis is quite serious.  If you are a data geek as I am then you should be hitting up 538.com every day for their latest and greatest.

The Boston Red Sox have been at the front of much of this work though everyone seems to trail that Moneyball guy over on the West Coast.

Here is a great little piece on the changing game of baseball as data shifts the thinking of everyone involved with the game.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/three-trends-to-watch-in-baseball-this-year/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Baseball is changing. I suppose that’s nothing new — baseball has always been changing, but now novel technologies and team philosophies are reshaping the game to a near-unprecedented degree. Pitch tracking, new kinds of defensive positioning, hyper-specialized relief pitching — all are altering the tactical landscape of MLB.

FiveThirtyEight’s season preview is about some of those changes. Tons of season previews concentrate on the teams — our friends at Grantland have been doing a great one of these — so we looked elsewhere for our inspiration. Below you’ll find three of the season’s most important trends alongside three of the players likely to be affected by them. These are the storylines worth keeping an eye on in the 2015 season regardless of your rooting interest. Embrace the change.

Go RedSox!

J.W. Gant

iBeacons Rolling Out

The first retailer other than Apple to do a complete rollout of iBeacons, using the latest BLE technology, has made their announcement.

http://www.retailonlineintegration.com/aggregatedcontent/why-alex-ani-embracing-ibeacons-all-its-stores

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The rush of retailers rolling out iBeacons is beginning. On Thursday, the jewelry store Alex and Ani announced it's using the sensors in its 40 stores nationwide, which is believed to be the first full deployment of iBeacons in a retailer aside from Apple.

This article from Mobile Commerce Daily is a bit more informative:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/alex-and-ani-scales-ibeacon-to-aid-in-product-education

Just a bit more news on the iBeacon/Beacon front.  Major League Baseball is all set for opening day.

http://pocketnow.com/2014/02/14/mlb-ibeacons-ready-for-march-game

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant

Major League Baseball - Mobile and iBeacons

Major League Baseball has announced work to utilize the iBeacon technology in Apple's flagship device, the iPhone.  This will be rolled out as a coupon experience first then more to come later.  2014 should see this capability generally available at ballparks.

MediaPost has a short write-up on this:

mlb-tests-ibeacon-app-feature-to-send-mobile-coupons

Here is a short snippet from the article:


On Thursday, Major League Baseball Advance Media (MLBAM), the league’s interactive unit, demonstrated a prototype integration of iBeacon in its At The Ballpark app at Citi Field in New York. MLB officials showed how coupons can pop up on a fan’s iPhone as soon as they walk into a souvenir shop. And other features appear when fans are near landmarks, according to an AP report.

Do you have the "At The Ballpark" app yet?

Here is a short write-up of the app:

http://blog.laptopmag.com/mlb-at-the-ballpark-app-will-let-you-buy-better-seats-from-your-phone

Look pretty fun for you?  I like the idea overall and this is certainly a trend we are seeing in major league sports in the United States.

When will this be available for Fenway Park??  I'd love to play around with it.

Have a great weekend,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE**

Very good article on this at CNet:

http://news.cnet.com/baseballs-beacon-trials-hint-at-apples-location-revolution/