The inside game Bad calls, strange moves, and what baseball behavior teaches us about ourselves

Law (Smart Baseball), a senior baseball writer at The Athletic and former special assistant to the general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays, takes a thought-provoking look at human behavior through the lens of major league baseball. Building upon the work of psychologist Daniel Kahneman and others, Law uses the sport to explain "some key ideas about how we think and make decisions" in a way that will appeal to sports fans as well as business-minded readers. For example, research on how umpires call ambiguous pitches, which could arguably be either a strike or a ball (they are much more likely to follow a ball with a strike, and vice-versa) makes clear the concept of anchoring bias, in which the mind's estimate of probability is affected by previous information. Another factor in faulty decision making is what he calls availability bias (a "cognitive illusion where you misjudge the frequency of some event or characteristic because of how much you can remember seeing it")--a plausible explanation for the selection of Joe DiMaggio, with his 56-game hitting streak, as MVP in 1941, despite Ted Williams's historic statistical season. Law's take is as entertaining as it is informative. This intelligent and accessible work is a grand slam. (Apr.)

The game of baseball has changed because of the surge in reliance on analytics to develop players, build a team, and design in-game strategy. Law's previous book, Smart Baseball, delved into why some of the most trusted stats in baseball actually don't convey what they are intended too. This latest focuses more on the reasons why different decisions were made, both positive and negative, and what can be learned from them. One example is whether players drafted in the first round receive more chances than players who are not drafted in the first round. He looks at various statistics to see if this is true, along with other evidence, such as better placement in the minor leagues and more coaching. Another example focuses on whether the batter's count factors into whether the umpire calls the pitch a ball or strike and the reasoning behind this. In a market saturated with baseball books, Law's stands out by exploring key decisions in the game. VERDICT Highly recommended for serious followers of baseball and readers interested in how statistical analysis and trends can be applied in any sport.--Pamela Calfo, Bridgeville P.L., PA