Russell A. Carleton

So it goes.

Hey, SABR hasn't put both its feet into bluesky yet (I know, a lot of its people have) but this is a good time to remind you that the SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards are open for nominations.

When you have a few minutes, please nominate some of your favorite baseball research from 2025.

Data Scientist Cleveland, Ohio, United States

The Cleveland Guardians are looking for talented Data Scientists to add to their R&D department. Apply here: job-boards.greenhouse.io/clevelandgua...
Fire questions my way if you want.

I also like that you are you.

Aww, thanks for taking two chances on me. Happy to have worked with Triumph.

Move fences back.

I command you to watch this space. ;-)

I've talked this one through with @cdgoldstein.baseballprospectus.com and the BP editorial staff and they have graciously allowed me to remain an author emeritus. I will still contribute to the annual and website here and there but much less frequently.

And for that, I am very grateful.

Between the "Pizza Cutter" days posting at Baseball Fever and Statistically Speaking and then @baseballprospectus.com, it's been almost 20 years and I'm not as 25 as I used to be.

The grind of weekly work and having a "real job" and a "real family" just got to be too much.

That's the entire story.

Some personal news: After 15 occasionally interrupted years @baseballprospectus.com providing weekly #GoryMath, I am taking a step back.

No, I haven't been hired by a team or another outlet.
No, I'm not doing a Substack.
No, I'm not mad at BP. They're amazing.

Yes, I will still write occasionally.

She said something about heading to San Diego.

My wife just hugged me. #HugWatch

As always, my sources tell me "Dude, we're a little busy today. Can't really talk."

They tell me that when it's not the trade deadline too.

So You’ve Decided To Change Some Rules | Baseball Prospectus An analysis of how likely MLB is to edit its rulebook, and what the effects might be.

Shameless self-promotion: Let's talk about actual rule changes that might just happen in the near future.

@baseballprospectus.com

www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...

The Guardian Angels of Rationality | Baseball Prospectus What the Angels did with the waiver wire in August has been analyzed again and again, but they were just one side of that equation.

From the archives: For some reason, this seems relevant.

www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...

In 1997, Jed Hoyer was an admissions officer at Kenyon College and I was a high school senior. After he did my admissions interview for what became my alma mater, he confided that he wanted to some day get a job working in baseball. Apparently, it worked.

1/ I wanted to bring this thread to BlueSky (with some new information!) It's about the "Sockalexis Myth" that the Cleveland Guardians, formerly Cleveland Indians, were so named as an honor to former player Louis Sockalexis.

There is very little evidence for this idea.

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The Spider Problem | Baseball Prospectus Outfields just aren't big enough for today's outfielders.

The Spider Problem
by Russell A. Carleton (@pizzacutter4.bsky.social) www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...

Couple years ago I wrote about how the O's had the right idea pushing the fence back, and the league as a whole should start changing dimensions all over to adjust to the kinds of athletes and analytics present in today's game, a la the NBA over its history. Vindicated by @pizzacutter4.bsky.social

I hadn't thought about the distribution becoming more homogenous. That's a really good point. That would make things easier.

My Klingon cousin.

Shameless self-promotion: My humble case for bringing back the infield shift. @baseballprospectus.com

He's always been in the "Yeah, he's pretty good, I guess" category for me. I get why people like him. I respect the career. It just doesn't land.

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Every decade or so, I get a reminder that I used to be Catholic.

"You knew what I was when you picked me up."

On being called DEI and why it isn’t the burn they think it is

So deserved. Congrats!

Send Meredith your game-used balls for SCIENCE