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  • New baseball podcast: José Mota on the interesting Angels

    On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by longtime Angels broadcaster José Mota (@JoseMota05) to preview the upcoming season.

    Mota provides perspective on what to watch for from several Angels key players, giving insight on how Mike Trout works at-bats (1:30), explaining what Anthony Rendon will bring (4:36), sharing what Andrelton Simmons does that makes him a special defender (5:55), and providing insight on why David Fletcher is a hidden gem (8:51).

    José also talks about what it’s been like to watch (and learn Japanese from) Shohei Ohtani and Saya Nomura – check out Jose’s Instagram for more of that – (10:20) and explains how Albert Pujols could still be valuable (13:05).He also discusses how Joe Maddon will handle the pitching staff (15:02), how he delivers analytics to a Spanish-speaking audience (16:44), how he feels about the inevitable decline of pinch-hitter usage (his father Manny was an all-time great pinch-hitter) and how teams will strategize with the new rules in place for this season (19:25). Finally, he also tells of his family’s charity work, which can be found at Motasfaces.com. (21:55)

    And yes, we know we didn’t even get to Jo Adell! Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay well and stay safe.

  • New NFL podcast: An early look at fantasy football

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    Sports Info Solutions head of business development Corey March (@corey_march1) and football analytics pioneer Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) of Football Outsiders (@fboutsiders) welcome Football Outsiders Senior Analyst Scott Spratt (@Scott_Spratt) to the show to talk all things fantasy football for the 2020 season. The group discusses expectations for rookies (4:00) and roster construction strategies and league changes that could be useful during the COVID era (10:44). They then transition into an explanation of the KUBIAK fantasy rankings (16:27) before looking at under- and overvalued fantasy players at quarterback (21:51), running back (31:33), wide receiver (39:08), and tight end (45:38).

    You can email the show with feedback at offthecharts@ww2.sportsinfosolutions.com and don’t forget to follow on Twitter @SportsInfo_SIS and Instagram @sportsinfosolutions. For more, check out: sportsinfosolutions.com footballoutsiders.com sportsinfosolutionsblog.com SISDataHub.com

  • New podcast! Bengie Molina on Pitcher-Catcher Relationships

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    On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon ( @MarkASimonSays)asks the question – how can we measure catchers beyond pitch blocking, pitch framing, and caught stealing? Longtime former MLB catcher Bengie Molina (@BengieMolina1) , now a Spanish-language radio broadcaster for the Cardinals, tries to help us out.

    Bengie talks about the different factors that come into play for a catcher (0:57) and the different personality types he dealt with from Ramon Ortiz and Jarrod Washburn (5:32). He explains how you deal with stubborn pitchers and how he worked with the pitchers he got along with best (7:50). He also relays how things can change for a catcher in the walk back to home plate after a conference at the mound, using Yadier Molina in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Mets as an example (11:45).He offers his take on the difficulties of being a rookie catcher (14:32) and bridging the language gap by encouraging all catchers to be bilingual (16:12).

    He talks about why he likes watching Buster Posey, Salvador Perez, and his brother Yadier so much (19:24). He also discusses what he would say to someone who wants to catch like a Molina (22:12), how difficult it is to deal with foul tips off the mask (23:08), and how important it is to factor in umpires when calculating framing metrics (26:13).

    Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay safe and stay well.

  • New podcast: Brandon Guyer moves into mentoring

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    On this episode, Mark Simon talks to Brandon Guyer ( @BrandonGuyer), who just retired after an 8-year, 500+-game MLB career in which he was known for his ability to hit left-handed pitching and his penchant for being hit by a pitch. Guyer (with the help of his wife) has just written an 80-page book, The Fully Equipped Athlete and started a new business to mentor aspiring athletes ( fullyequippedathlete.com). We often talk on this podcast about the statistical and physical side of the game. Brandon talks about giving athletes the mental foundation to succeed.

    Guyer discusses what went into his retirement decision, how he looks back on his career, getting hit by pitches, and hitting lefties so well (1:13). He then walks us through 2 plate appearances from Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and what allowed him to come through them successfully (7:39). From there, the conversation shifts to the book, what it was like to put everything he learned on paper, why humility was his top point of emphasis, his friendship with a diverse group of players such as Chris Archer and Yan Gomes, and whose words are most impactful to him (11:43).

    He also talks about learning proper breath control and meditation and how that allowed him to maximize his talents (22:08). Lastly he talks about his overall goals for the future as he makes the transition to dad/businessman (26:55).

    Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

  • New football podcast: All Mahomes!

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    Former NFL scout Matt Manocherian (@mattmano) of Sports Info Solutions and football analytics pioneer Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) of Football Outsiders (@fboutsiders) devote a full episode to Patrick Mahomes after the Chiefs locked up their franchise QB with a mega-contract earlier this week. The duo discusses what the contract means (1:46), what separates him from other QBs (6:28), if there is an aspect of his game that has been unexpected (10:07), where he stands in terms of injury risk (12:46), what’s the best way to try to defend him (15:44), which Chiefs receiver has the most upside (21:32), how good the offensive line is (25:03), the impact of rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (28:33), and if his stardom means anything beyond his on-field performance (32:52). 

  • New MLB Podcast: Baseball Writers Roundtable

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    On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by Thomas Harding, Rockies beat writer for MLB.com, Alex Speier, who covers the Red Sox and MLB for the Boston Globe and Alex Coffey, who covers the Athletics for The Athletic.

    Almost every other episode of this podcast deals with statistical subjects or looks at the “how-to” of defensive play. There will hopefully be a time and place for that in the future. This episode is a little different.

    This episode focuses on 2 subjects:

    1) How teams and players are dealing with Coronavirus-related issues.

    2) How players, teams and MLB are responding to social justice concerns

    Thank you as always for listening. Stay healthy and stay safe.

    *More information:*

    Read Thomas Harding’s coverage at MLB.com

    Red Alex Speier’s coverage at BostonGlobe.com

    Read Alex Coffey’s coverage at TheAthletic.com

  • New baseball podcast: KBO star Mel Rojas Jr.

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    On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by KT Wiz outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. ( @melrojasjr) arguably the best hitter in the KBO and the league’s leader in hard-hit rate. If Mel’s name sounds familiar, it should – his father pitched 10 seasons in the majors including a strong run as the closer for the Expos. Mel talks about his family’s baseball history, which includes the Alou family, and explains why he’s a hitter and not a pitcher (1:11). He talks about what the season has been like and how improved plate coverage has led to more success (3:31). He also explains what it takes to hit or lay off a nasty forkball and how his family’s history may have come in handy regarding his knowledge of that pitch (7:03).

    Mel also discusses his defense and playing/living in Korea (10:40) and what it has been like to play without fans and how KBO fans are highly positive, even when their players are in slumps (16:30). He also explains why he chose to come to the KBO and why he chose to stay (17:38). He picks out some of the league’s other top players and references one who should be a future MLB prospect (20:00). Lastly, he offers advice for anyone considering playing in the KBO (22:23).

  • New football podcast: Analytics on TV!

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    Former NFL scout Matt Manocherian (@mattmano) of Sports Info Solutions and football analytics pioneer Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) of Football Outsiders (@fboutsiders) welcome ESPN Stats and Info Research Specialist Evan Kaplan (@EpKap) to the show to discuss how football stats and analytics are represented on TV. The group opens with some Cam Newton discussion (1:01) before transitioning to an explanation of Evan’s job at ESPN and how he works with hosts to prepare them for shows (9:00), how he balances serving both analytically-inclined and casual fans at the same time (12:24), how much push-back he gets from ex-players when it comes to analytics (17:26), and what the future holds for football analytics on TV (25:16).

    You can email the show with feedback at offthecharts@ww2.sportsinfosolutions.com and don’t forget to follow on Twitter @SportsInfo_SIS and Instagram @sportsinfosolutions. For more, check out: sportsinfosolutions.com footballoutsiders.com sportsinfosolutionsblog.com SISDataHub.com

  • New podcast: SIS and Basketball Analytics

    New podcast: SIS and Basketball Analytics

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    On this special edition episode, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Sports Info Solutions Director of Basketball, Jake Loos (@Jake_Loos). SIS recently announced that it would be entering the basketball business. Jake, the former director of basketball analytics and technology for the Phoenix Suns will head up our operation. Jake talks about his background, which includes an MBA from MIT and what he loves about basketball and statistics (1:12). He then details the challenges of basketball analytics and trying to explain it to non-analytically inclined fans (7:26).

    He also explains what SIS will be doing with basketball data and the challenges of trying to do the kind of player evaluation he wants to do (11:18). He also talks about why Joe Ingles of the Jazz is one of his favorite players (20:24), why Stephen Curry and Dwyane Wade’s stats are his favorite (22:24), and gives advice both on how to watch the game smarter (25:48) and how to pursue a career in basketball analytics (26:48).

    Back to our usual programming later this week. Thanks for tuning in! 

  • New football podcast: All things Buccaneers

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    Former NFL scout Matt Manocherian (@mattmano) of Sports Info Solutions and football analytics pioneer Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) of Football Outsiders (@fboutsiders) welcome Football Outsiders Almanac contributor Thomas Bassinger (@tometrics) of the Tampa Bay Times to the show to talk about the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The group opens with an update on the team workouts organized by Tom Brady during the COVID outbreak (0:54) before moving on to how Brady fits into the Bruce Arians offense (4:29) and what to expect from Rob Gronkowski and OJ Howard (14:23). The discussion then shifts to whether the defense can be as good as they were in 2019 (22:22) and which under-appreciated players could jump into the spotlight thanks to increased media coverage this season (28:23).

    You can email the show with feedback at offthecharts@ww2.sportsinfosolutions.com and don’t forget to follow on Twitter @SportsInfo_SIS and Instagram @sportsinfosolutions. For more, check out: sportsinfosolutions.com footballoutsiders.com sportsinfosolutionsblog.com SISDataHub.com