Friday, February 12, 2016

My latest on Fangraphs.com: Baseball distance and demographics in Tampa Bay

Since I started this website, I've always tried to keep a few ideas aside for websites with bigger readerships. Whether other Rays websites or baseball-wide research websites, these articles are tests in both my conclusions and my ability to write for different audiences, many who are often unfamiliar with my work here.

One of my favorite national sites to write for is Fangraphs.com. For those unfamiliar, they are a site that focuses on in-depth baseball research. You gotta know your stuff to write there. Of course, not all of my work can go these - it is doubtful they care about daily attendance reports - but every so often I will submit to them an article with reach - either one that compares the Rays situation to others in the league, or one that can help clarify the complex realities that is Tampa Bay area professional baseball.

On Friday, Fangraphs published my most recent submission: an exploration of the 11-most populated zip codes in Tampa Bay, who they root for, and how far they to baseball. I looked at various zip codes in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas and the results were a little more extreme than I expected. Then I added the Facebook "Like" data from the New York Times article from a few years ago and saw who was were and who were they rooting for.

Needless to say, the Rays don't fare very well.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

The Complex Problem of Tampa Bay Baseball Distances and Demographics - Fangraphs.com