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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Astroball summary
Ben Reiter
The New Way to Win it All
21 mins
Brief summary
Astroball by Ben Reiter is a fascinating account of how the Houston Astros built a winning team using data-driven decision making and unconventional strategies. It provides insights into the team's culture and the special mixture of talent that led them to their historic World Series win in 2017.
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Astroball
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Key idea 1 of 8
When it comes to games, it’s better to trust the data than your gut.
In the late 1980s, Sig Mejdal, a Californian student and future NASA engineer, was paying his way through college by working night shifts at a casino. It was at the blackjack tables that he noticed something important: gamers usually trust their gut over reason.
Blackjack is a game of probability. The player’s aim is to beat the dealer’s hand without his own hand exceeding 21. Despite the superstitions of players, there’s always a statistically preferable option when it comes to choosing to draw another card.
Say a player has a hand amounting to 16. In most cases, he’ll be wary about drawing another card. After all, the chance of going bust – getting more than 21 – is pretty high, right? Well, yes, but there’s more to it. In fact, reason tells us the best move is to take another card. There’s a 74-percent chance the dealer has a winning hand of at least 17. Draw another card, however, and the player’s chance of defeat drops to 67.5 percent!
That got Mejdal thinking. What, he wondered, would happen if you applied the same logic to other games. He started looking more closely at baseball. His hypothesis? Since it’s a game just like any other, math might be more reliable than gut instinct.
It was an insight that paid dividends in one area in particular: player recruitment. Mejdal proved this in 2005 during his stint as an advisor to Jeff Luhnow, the scouting director at the Missouri-based St. Louis Cardinals. Mejdal’s data on player performance metrics told him that the best college player in the United States was Jed Lowrie of the Stanford Cardinals. Scouts had – literally – overlooked Lowrie because of his slight stature. Their gut instincts told them he was simply too small and slender to make it as a major league player.
Luhnow, however, decided to follow Mejdal’s advice and take a gamble on Lowrie, recruiting him to the Cardinals team. The result? Lowrie went on to become an all-star player with a relatively dependable batting average of .262 in 2018 in addition to his high skills as a defensive player in the shortstop position!
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What is Astroball about?
Astroball (2018) charts the managerial revolution that propelled the Houston Astros baseball team from mid-league mediocrity to winning the 2017 World Series. The secret? Ditching old-fashioned scouting and recruiting policies that relied on “gut instinct” and embracing the power of big data. Full of fascinating insights into the world of American baseball, with all its traditions and mores, this is a must-read book for both those who love the sport, as well as anyone fascinated by the way tech is reshaping our world.
Astroball Review
Astroball (2018) is a captivating book that takes readers behind the scenes of the Houston Astros' journey to winning the World Series. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- With its insider access to the Astros' front office, it offers a unique perspective on the team's innovative strategies and decision-making process.
- The book explores the intersection of data analytics and baseball, revealing how the Astros transformed themselves from a struggling team to a championship contender.
- It delves into the human stories and relationships that played a crucial role in the Astros' success, making the book not just about baseball, but about the people behind it.
Best quote from Astroball
Altuve couldnt grow physically, but no player has more eagerly consumed what the club was feeding him to grow anyway. – Jeff Luhnow
—Ben Reiter
Who should read Astroball?
- Baseball fanatics
- Tech-heads
- Lateral thinkers
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Astroball FAQs
What is the main message of Astroball?
Astroball explores the Houston Astros' journey from underdogs to World Series champions through data-driven decision making.
How long does it take to read Astroball?
The reading time for Astroball varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Astroball a good book? Is it worth reading?
Astroball is a captivating read for sports enthusiasts and fans of data-driven decision making. It provides valuable insights into the Astros' successful journey.
Who is the author of Astroball?
The author of Astroball is Ben Reiter.
What to read after Astroball?
If you're wondering what to read next after Astroball, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Moneyball by Michael Lewis
- Pig Wrestling by Pete Lindsay
- The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki
- The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda
- Live More Think Less by Pia Callesen
- How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
- Artificial Intelligence & Generative AI for Beginners by David M. Patel
- The Suggestible Brain by Amir Raz
- The Seven Tensions of Negotiation by Cash Nickerson
- Work Life Well-Lived by Kelly Mackin