Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagMajor League Baseball and probability

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Vintage baseball on a weathered American flag

The World Series of Coin Flips

Here we go again with the annual coin-flipping ritual known as the World Series
With the Yankees and Dodgers so evenly matched, this World Series will be somewhat like a coin-flipping contest. That's the paradox of luck and skill. Read More ›
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Baseball

This Time, Houston Was Blessed More by Luck Than by Stolen Signs

The victory parade over, let’s look at whether luck had more to do with the Astros’ success than Astro fans want to admit

The Houston Astros are the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Champion — this time, as far as we know, without relying on electronically stolen pitching signs sent to batters by banging trashcan lids or using buzzers hidden under uniforms. Now that the champagne has popped and the victory parade has been held, let’s consider the fact that maybe, just maybe, luck had more to do with the Astros’ success than Astro fans want to admit. Athletes and fans want to believe that the team that wins the World Series, Super Bowl, or any other championship is the best team that year. The reality is that in every sport — some more than others — outcomes are influenced by good Read More ›