positivity June 2018
In 1979, Barry Codell introduced an unconventional idea to baseball. He suggested that a player’s stats should be based on their base out percentages (BOP) rather than the traditional tally of hits at base. Up until that point, people had always looked at batting average statistics to determine a player’s worth, and most often, their salary. Barry recognized that batting average missed a lot of the picture. It didn’t account for steals, walks, or sacrifices, and it measured a home run and a single to be of equal value. Recognizing these flaws, BOP revolved around one simple concept: who gets on base and who moves more bases combined with who gets fewer outs. If you move more bases, you’re a valuable player to your team based on BOP. If you’ve ever seen “Moneyball,” this is the concept that Brad Pitt’s character implements to bring about the unprecedented success of the Oakland A’s. Instead of drafting players who have the highest batting averages, they choose relatively unknown players who are consistently showing high BOPs. The strategy worked, and the A’s saw success like they’d never seen before. Like most great minds, Barry has a counterintuitive way of thinking that brings out ideas no one else has been able to make work. Since he was a kid — even then a baseball-stats fanatic — he’s asked questions that others don’t think to ask and has come up with answers that others say won’t work. When Barry gets a hold of these ideas, though, they change the system. That’s what BOP did for baseball. In 2008, as a baseball player, fan, and stats-obsessed math nerd, I met Barry through a friend. Our shared passion and interest in statistics were apparent right off the bat. We and a Revolut i onary I dea
got to the topic of Barry’s innovation and discussed how incredible it would be to bring BOP to life so people could see the concepts at work. “What’s possible?” Barry asked. He entrusted me with transferring all of his “codes” — the thousands of stats he’d collected over the years — into an online database that is known today as the Barry Code. A serendipitous encounter led to one of the projects I’m most proud to say I was a small part of. I actually used similar concepts and equations for the Barry Code as I used for Math Celebrity, and for Barry, a man with a wealth of statistical knowledge but without a computer, it was magic to see his stats brought to life in this way. When I got asked to speak at a school a few years ago, after I’d talked about how students could access free tutoring through Math Celebrity, one of the kids raised their hand. They’d heard I had a site filled with baseball statistics. “There’s a site where you can find players who have the same birthday as yours!” the student announced to their classmates. The students started buzzing in their seats. I gave them an example of what the site could do. The excitement grew. One girl asked, “Do you have astrological signs?” We didn’t at the time, but after her question, we added that function to the site. We’ve added other fun features, and it’s a hoot to see what people use the site for. Barry Codell turned his passion and skills into a national phenomenon. It’s amazing to see what happens when numbers, creativity, and unconventional ways of thinking come together.
– Don Sevcik
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Whi ch I s Better for Your Camp ing Tr i p?
An RV is also a must when camping in bear country. Some areas require campers to use hard-sided shelters for safety reasons.
Are you Team RV or Team Tent? Die-hard tent campers swear you’re not “roughing it” unless you sleep on the ground with nothing but canvas and the stars above you. On the other hand, RV lovers will point out that there’s nothing heroic about freezing to death at night (or going to the woods without a TV). Neither camping method is better than the other, but each has its pros and cons. Tent camping is generally the less expensive option; two-person tents start at $40. The price of an RV can range up to $50,000 or more. Site fees for tents are also cheaper (or free) because they’re smaller and don’t require electricity or septic tank services. You just need a flat spot for your gear. A folded tent will fit into nearly any vehicle, and you can stow it in a closet when you get home. An RV will require dedicated parking space between trips. When it comes to comfort, RVs have it made. Air mattresses or foam sleeping mats are never going to be as comfortable as a real bed. RVs are also able to provide electricity, which gives you air conditioning, a stove, and a hot shower. And let’s not forget about private flushable toilets.
For many people, camping promises an escape from the business of modern life. If you really want to get away from it all and immerse yourself in nature, there’s no substitute for tent camping. An RV is like a miniature portable house. You can bring the comfort of your home with you, but you might not feel as close to nature. It all boils down to preference. You may be someone who enjoys being surrounded by nature in a tent, or you may prefer to have a toilet that flushes. Whichever camping experience you choose, remember to enjoy yourself and relax!
For the Perfect Catch
Watching my daughter learn to estimate the distance of the ball in the sky with the time it will take to land in her hand reminds me of a concept that a well-known analytics company uses. This company started filming every MLB game. With hundreds of hours of footage, all they were looking for was where the ball was hit, at what angle, and how close the fielder was to it. Based on this data, they can make highly accurate predictions about where a player should stand to get more outs in a game. If a team positions their players slightly to the right, implementing what the analytics company found, they may make more catches. Following those statistics may determine which team goes to the playoffs. Can you imagine getting paid to watch baseball in order to determine outcomes of World Series’ games? That’s just one example of where math skills can take someone — from financial analytics to video game design and baseball analytics, you can pursue your passion when you have the skills. Visit MathCelebrity.com to learn more about how to access 24-hour, year-round math tutoring for your children, from Common Core to calculus.
My daughter just started T-ball, and the coaches are trying to teach the players how to catch a pop-up. “Keep your eyes on the ball,” the coaches say. It seems like a simple task, but it actually involves a lot more work than you’d think.
In order to catch a ball, there are thousands of connections that have to be carried out between your eyes, brain, and
body. To catch a ball, you need the angle between the ball and your eye to stay at about a 45-degree angle, or else you’ll lose the ability to cut off the ball’s arc. For example, when you’re running left to catch a ball, if you’re running too fast, you’ll have to crane your head back and lose that perfect angle. If you’re running too slow, you’ll bring your neck in to keep sight of the ball, and you’ve also lost the angle. But if you’re running at just the right speed, you’ll be able to track the ball at a consistent 45-degree angle, keeping the ball in the right space before your eyes.
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assignments with their parents. Afterward, the students reported that working on the assignment with their parents had a positive effect on their learning. This time is valuable. Spending more time with parents doesn’t only help grades; it also helps you bond. Luckily, there’s a way for you to help your child succeed without it being a headache. There is a resource that gives you 24-hour access to a math tutor who can answer all your questions. You’ll be able to text, call, or email the expert when you join the Homework Mastermind group. Membership to this group comes with a phone that gives you 24-hour access to the math tutor who created Math Celebrity. When you become part of the Math Celebrity Mastermind Homework Club, you’ll not only have 24-hour access to the math tutor behind you, but you’ll also improve your relationship with your child. Instead of frustration, you’ll both experience the joy that comes with understanding how to solve any math problem that comes your way. Visit us at MathCelebrity.com/homework-mastermind.php.
Our time with our kids is precious. We know that only too soon, they’re going to be graduating and moving on to their next step in life. Research also shows that the quality time we spend with our kids might have more of an impact than we think. A study by Brown University outlined in the American Journal of Family Therapy that children who spent more time with their families had better academic performance, better sleep patterns, and healthier social and emotional behavior. So sit back and enjoy your family dinners. The research is all well and good, but what do you do when, night after night, your child’s homework is the cause of conflict? Instead of spending quality time together, you find yourselves pacing the floor, arguing, and throwing your hands up. Maybe you’ve hired a math tutor, but when it comes to crunch time for that last assignment and the tutor has the flu, you and your child are left frustrated and unsure of what to do next. You want to help your child succeed, but how? You may feel like the only option is to give up. But think about this: In another study by the Institute of Education Sciences, 67 students worked on 20
bra in puzzles
Father ’ s Day Chi l i L ime Chi cken Wings
[inspired by foodnetwork.com]
Ingredients • 4 pounds chicken wings • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened • 1 1/4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste • 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce • 1 lime, halved • Extra-virgin olive oil • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • Chopped cilantro for garnish
directions 1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes or until skin becomes crisp and brown. 3. Blend butter, red curry paste, honey, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl. 4. Toss wings in butter mixture. Squeeze lime juice on top, transfer to serving plate, and garnish with cilantro.
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1521 Rohde Avenue Berkeley, IL 60163 USA www.MathCelebrity.com
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A Code as Fascinating as DaVinci’s
RV vs. Tent Camping
Why the Center Fielder Is in the Right Spot
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The Precious Gift of Time and Where to Find It
Father’s Day Chili Lime Chicken Wings
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Cut Down on Flight Costs With This Simple Rule
go up or down an average of 71 times, about $33 each shift. When you purchase your flight is nearly as important as where you’re going. But how do you choose a booking window that will maximize your savings? According to the CheapAir.com study, in which they evaluated 921 million airfares, the best time to book is 21–105 days in advance of your flight, on average. If you want to get even more specific, try to book 55–75 days out, and book on a Sunday. Many travelers swear by Tuesday and Wednesday bookings, but as Condé Nast Traveler reports, Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation say that Sunday is the way to go, based on data from billions of flights. Tuesday and Wednesday are usually the cheapest days to actually fly, though. The CheapAir.com study also pinpoints the absolute best windows for specific seasons: 54 days for winter trips, 75 days for spring, 76 days for summer, and 45 days for fall. Of course, these are averages, but if you stick to these rules and check fares regularly on sites like Kayak.com, SkyScanner.com, Momondo.com, and on the handy app Hopper, you can rest easy knowing you’re getting close to the best price possible.
In case you haven’t noticed, traveling is expensive . It can feel like you’re signing away your soul when you sit down to plan a vacation. But when it comes to flights, there’s good news: They’re getting cheaper! company ODIGEO, long-distance trips across Europe fell 7 percent last year. Luckily, the same trend is reflected in North American airlines as they engage in a price war to woo a growing base of ultrafrugal travelers. According to a 2017 report published by online travel
Still, a $600 summer flight to Honolulu isn’t exactly pocket
change. What’s worse, flight prices are slippery; CheapAir.com’s 2017 Annual Airfare Study determined that the fares for any given trip
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