Pitch Classifier

Posted by Dan Turkenkopf - 10/04/08 at 07:04:42 am

I’ve decided to start work on a pitch classifier similar to what Josh Kalk describes over at from small ball to the long ball. I know he’s already built a good one, and can generate some really cool graphs from it, but he hasn’t released the algorithm, and it’s a good opportunity for me to use my Programming Collective Intelligence book. I know he’s got some advantages over me… rumor has it that he’s a theoretical physicist (and so is John Walsh)… but it should be a fun attempt nonetheless.

The goal is to use the PITCH f/x data to automatically classify each pitch as a fastball, curveball, whatever. Besides the obvious usefulness of this data for evaluating pitchers, I think it can be used to enhance some of my work with catchers.

Anyway, this could be a fairly long process (and there may be some other interesting things coming along with it). I figure I’ll post progress updates here. After all, what is a blog but a place for me to blather on about things no one is interested in?

April 10, 2008 | In PITCHf/x | No Comments

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