[Update, April 12, 2017: Due to unexpected scheduling changes, the Baseball Legends Night Dinner planned for Friday, April 21, and the Baseball Analytics Symposium planned for Saturday, April 22, are cancelled. For more information, including details about refunds on ticket and/or table purchases, please contact the Department of Sport Management at 315.443.9881. The premiere of the documentary, “Analytics: Changing the Fan Experience,” will take place at a later date yet to be determined. Newly admitted students from the Class of 2021 who had planned to attend the April 22 Baseball Analytics Symposium can meet with faculty members from the sport analytics and sport management programs during the Falk College Admitted Student Reception taking place on Friday, April 21.]
As Falk College’s Department of Sport Management prepares to welcome its inaugural class of sport analytics majors this fall, it is teaming up with the National Baseball Hall of Fame to host baseball fans, sport industry professionals, researchers, alumni and students for a special two-day event April 21-22 in Syracuse.
The Baseball Legends Night and Baseball Analytics Symposium will bring attention to growing career opportunities in sport analytics while highlighting analytics’ role as an essential business decision-making tool in sports. The events will be of special interest to baseball fans as analytics continue to transform how they watch the game. Both days will feature insider perspectives from Roberto Alomar and Ryne Sandberg. The title sponsor for these events is Key Foundation.
Ryne Sandberg. Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
“Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar and Ryne Sandberg, whose playing careers intersected with the early stages of big data in baseball, will provide their insight and experiences for this lead-in to Syracuse University’s new Sport Analytics program,” says Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “As players—and for Sandberg as a major league manager—Robbie and Ryno had access to an ever-increasing arsenal of baseball information, but the application of that information remains a very human task.”
Tickets for the 2017 Baseball Legends Night on Friday, April 21, at The Oncenter are available through Ticketmaster (surcharges apply) at https://falk.syr.edu/event/baseball-legends-night-and-baseball-analytics-symposium/ or by telephone through The Oncenter at 315.435.2121 or Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000. Individual general admission tickets are $100, and a limited number of VIP tickets are available for $250. General and VIP tickets include a cash bar reception, dinner, silent auction and roundtable discussion with the Hall of Famers. The VIP ticket additionally includes a private pre-dinner VIP reception with either Alomar or Sandberg and an autographed baseball. Tables of 10 may also be purchased through Ticketmaster (surcharges apply) or the Department of Sport Management at 315.443.9881.
Roberto Alomar. Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
“We are extremely pleased to collaborate with the iconic National Baseball Hall of Fame on this one-of-a-kind event in Syracuse,” says Michael Veley, director and chair of sport management and the Rhonda S. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management. “No sport engages generations of fans like baseball, especially through statistics. These events also provide exceptional experiential learning opportunities for our students planning the dinner and symposium.”
The Baseball Analytics Symposium on Saturday, April 22, in Grant Auditorium on the Syracuse University campus is free and open to the public, with advance registration required (limited to the first 300 people to sign up) at https://falk.syr.edu/event/baseball-legends-night-and-baseball-analytics-symposium/.
In addition to a panel discussion with Alomar and Sandberg highlighting their views on how data has changed the way the game is played, the symposium will include presentations by sport industry professionals, academic researchers, and past and current Syracuse University students. The symposium will feature the debut of the documentary, “Analytics: Changing the Fan Experience.”
“In addition to a weekend showcasing new and exciting career paths in sports, without a doubt it will show students that Syracuse University is the place to study sport analytics. We are exceedingly proud to partner with the National Baseball Hall of Fame in this endeavor,” says Diane Lyden Murphy, dean of Falk College.
In May 2016, Falk College announced a bachelor of science in sport analytics to prepare students to think conceptually and analytically while applying these principles to real issues in sport organizations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market for various data analyst disciplines is growing at 27 percent annually, far exceeding the national job growth average of 11 percent. The sport industry is the fifth largest economic sector in the U.S. economy, generating slightly less than $500 billion in 2014-15.
Statistics have always been an integral part of baseball. But today, the combination of evolving technologies that capture more data in new and different ways, the availability of powerful analytics tools, the use of this information by networks to enhance the viewing experience, and the rise of fantasy sports continue to transform the way the game is played, managed, and consumed. Data helps teams make advancements in player evaluation and customer engagement. Players can now consistently and methodically monitor and improve their on-field performance. Because baseball analytics can help fans more fully understand the game in ways that previously went unnoticed, it is leading to a deeper enjoyment of the game by serious fans while promoting a baseball appreciation for the casual fan.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information, visit baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200.
For more information about the April 21-22 events, contact the Department of Sport Management at spmbhof@syr.edu.
