Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Modeling The Performance-Based Compensation Of Mlb Catchers, William Deforest

CMC Senior Theses

How professional baseball players are compensated for their on-field performance and contribution to winning baseball games has been studied many times by baseball analysts, yet no real attempt has been made to focus solely on the catcher position. As one of the most demanding and specialized positions in the game, a talented catcher is vital to a team’s success. This paper attempts to utilize Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Offensive Runs Above Average (OFF), leading statistics that use Statcast data to measure defensive and offensive productivity, to determine which area of catcher defense is the greatest differentiator between elite defensive …

Ua19/16/2 Baseball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Archives Records

Press releases and game statistics for WKU baseball team in 2023.

The Houston Astros' Cheating Scandal: A Case Study On Crisis Communication In Sports, Wendy Edouard

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In January 2020, the Houston Astros organization was accused of cheating during the 2017 and 2018 baseball seasons. In 2017, the Astros had also won the World Series, thereby offsetting a sports scandal which dominated media coverage for several months. Owner of the Houston Astros, Jim Crane and his players released a statement to the press, a month after the investigation was concluded by the Major League Baseball organization. The investigation concluded that the Astros, in fact, had been stealing pitching signs from opposing teams and using technology to communicate signs to their pitcher. Crane’s response (relying primarily on shift …

Ua102 Alan Francis Sports Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Baseball and basketball score books created by Alan Francis for WKU men's and women's basketball, baseball and the Kentucky girls high school sweet sixteen tournaments.

Ua19/16/2 Baseball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Archives Records

Press releases, photos and game statistics for WKU baseball team in 2021.

The Perfect Game: An Ecological Systems Approach To The Influences Of Elite Youth And High School Baseball Socialization, Max Klein, Charles Macaulay, Joseph Cooper

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

The purpose of this study was to examine the elite youth and high school baseball socialization process as a whole and the role of professionalization and corporatization in this process. The unique nature of baseball’s development model in the United States (U.S.), through a dual-track feeder system (college or minor leagues) allows for a wide-range of challenges and sociological factors to influence elite youth and high school prospects. Understanding players’ experiences exposes these challenges and sociological factors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four former elite youth and high school baseball players, one parent of a player, two coaches, and two …

Important Factors Influencing Attendance At Northwoods League Games, Ryan Eiche

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of various factors as they related to attendance at Northwoods League baseball games. This league was an ideal fit for the study as little research has been conducted on this level of baseball. A survey was sent out via the Facebook page of the Lakeshore Chinooks to gather responses from fans on what factors encouraged attendance. Fans were asked to then rate how important each factor was on a five-point sliding scale. The research revealed that situational factors such as convenience, day and time, and weather of the game were …

Bringing Business Back To The Ballpark, David Drea

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This study uses ordinary least squares and quantile regressions to discover the determinants of total attendance for Major League Baseball teams. Furthermore, the study seeks to discover whether or not the average time length of a baseball game has any significant effect on total attendance. The data ranges from the year 2016 until 2018 and includes all thirty professional teams. The purpose of the quantile regression is to gain a deeper understanding of total attendance’s determinants and to see which distributions in the data are most affected. The results were that home runs are a significant stimulant in attendance and …

Ohio River Survey (Fa 656), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 656. Kentucky Folklife Program project titled: “Ohio River Survey,” which includes interviews, tape logs, photographs and other documentation of folklife along the Ohio River in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Interviews may include a description of belief, traditional occupation, practice, craft, or tool, informant’s name, age, birth date, and address.

“I Wanna Be Like Mike:” A Synthesis Of Sports Marketing From Babe Ruth To Michael Jordan, Michael John Duffy

Senior Projects Spring 2018

This project examines the rise and development of modern sports marketing, as well as its impact on the economy, society, culture, and professional sports. The project explores sports marketing through the lens of two legendary athletes – Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan. Ruth and Jordan are two pivotal figures that were major catalysts for elevating the role of sports and sports marketing to new levels in each of their time periods. Ruth was the first major athlete to sign lucrative endorsement deals as he opened the floodgates, fostering the rise of sports marketing and changing the sports economy. Moving to …

Beyond Moneyball: Changing Compensation In Mlb, Joshua Congdon-Hohman, Jonathan A. Lanning

Economics Department Working Papers

This study examines the changes in player compensation in Major League Baseball during the last three decades. Specifically, we examine the extent to which recently documented changes in players’ compensation structure based on certain types of productivity fits in with the longer term trends in compensation, and identify the value of specific output activities in different time periods. We examine free agent contracts in three-year periods across three decades and find changes to which players’ performance measures are significantly rewarded in free agency. We find evidence that the compensation strategies of baseball teams increased the rewards to “power” statistics like …

Dynamic Pricing In Major League Baseball Tickets: Issues And Challenges, John T. Drea, Andrew Nahlik

Atlantic Marketing Journal

With its origins in the airline industry, dynamic pricing has recently been extended to the area of Major League Baseball tickets in both the primary and secondary markets. The present study examines similarities in the application of dynamic pricing in the airline and MLB industries, as well as the key differences, which include the interactive effects of competitors in the airline industries and the presence of a secondary ticket market for MLB tickets. The “zone of reasonableness” concept used in freight pricing provides a useful framework for understanding the self-imposed upper and lower price limits for MLB primary market ticket …

Height, Weight, And Durability In Major League Baseball, Joshua Yeager

CMC Senior Theses

Using data from the 2000-2016 Major League Baseball seasons, this paper looks at the determinants of durability amongst baseball athletes, durability is measured in games played for batters and innings pitched for pitchers, with a particular focus on height and weight. This paper finds evidence that lighter, shorter batters play significantly more games than taller, heavier batters. Additionally, amongst pitchers, there is only circumstantial evidence that height and weight are important determining factors of player durability. Finally, I find that starting pitchers increase the likelihood of becoming injured in the regular season by 10.3% and 21.8% if their hits per …

Major League Baseball's Antitrust Exemption And The Impact Of The Curt Flood Act, Gina Scalzo

Senior Honors Theses

For many years, professional baseball has enjoyed a privileged antitrust exemption apart from other professional sports. With the passing of the Curt Flood Act in 1998 this exemption was removed; however, the act may not be as influential as it seems. Court rulings were prominent in initiating and maintaining the antitrust exemption for professional baseball. These include the Supreme Court Trilogy, especially the case of Curt Flood, a baseball player who fought against the reserve clause system which limited his and other players’ employment options. Collective bargaining as well as arbitration became dominant in professional baseball labor relations under the …

An Economic Impact Study Of The "Boom" Period Of Baseball Stadium Redevelopment, Emily Mcnab

CMC Senior Theses

The intention of this study is to analyze the economic impact of redeveloped Major League Baseball stadiums opened between 1991 and 2004. Using two empirical models, including an event study, this impact analysis captures the economic conditions of the cities during the opening year of the stadium, as well as the prior conditions leading up to the opening of the stadium, along with any lingering effects or gradual changes in conditions. The impact was measured in relation to the Metropolitan Statistical Areas corresponding to the 18 ballparks included, specifically looking at the impact on employment rates and per capita personal …

Ua19/16/3 Student Athlete Biographical File - Baseball, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Archives Records

Student athlete biographical sheets for baseball players 1994:

• Akins, Carlos
• Alepra, Andrew
• Blackburn, Christian
• Bowles, Matt
• Bowling, Mark
• Buchanan, Michael
• Cahill, Kirt
• Campbell, Troy
• Chabala, Chad
• Crisorio, Jeff
• Davis, James
• Frazier, Ryan
• Giles, Kevin
• Gutermuth, Todd
• Hankins, Ronald
• Hayes, Charles
• Hynes, David
• Kelly, Kevin
• Konopacki, Kenny
• Luebkert, Brian
• McKenzie, Shannon
• Martin, C.J.
• Meadows, Chad
• Metzger, Erik
• Mielke, David
• Monelle, Gregoire
• Osborne, Brian
• Simon, Jonathon
• Smith, Brian
• Sopko, Michael
• Sullivan, Joshua
• Talley, Joseph
• Thigpen, Robbie
• Wehrman, Paul
• Wilder, Jay
• Wolfe, Timothy
• Wolfsmith, Matthew

Ua94/6/1 1986-1987 Athletic Scrapbook, Linda Johnson

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

Athletics scrapbook created by Linda Johnson:

• 1985-86 Lady Toppers
• 1985-86 Men’s Basketball Team
• 1986-87 All-Sun Belt Conference, np, nd
• 1987 Coach & Player of the Year – Murray Arnold, Tellis Frank, np, nd
• Abell, Gene. Western Joins University of Kentucky, University of Louisville & Indiana University on Successful Team Lis, np, nd
• Becker, Debbie. Western Kentucky Seeks Replay of Miracle, USA Today, nd
• Big Apple Next for WKU, np, nd
• Bozich, Rick. Three-Pointer Changes Game, np, nd
• Branch, Bruce. Western Dunks South Alabama 85-70 as Tellis Frank, Kannard Johnson Slam, np, nd
• Brown, Russ. Western Makes the Grade, But University …

Ua94/6/1 1971-1986 Athletics Scrapbook, Linda Johnson

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

Athletics scrapbook created by Linda Johnson:

• 1979-80 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, np, nd
• Becker, Debbie. Western Kentucky Hopes String of Upsets Continues, USA Today, nd
• Big Red, np, nd
• Clem Haskins Has Steve Miller Time, Could Have Brian Fish on Friday, np, nd
• Clemons, J.C. The Slipper Fits: Western in Big Ball as Ole Miss Falls, LCJ, nd
• Douchant, Mike. College: Rating the Conferences, np, nd
• East Tennessee 106-83 Victim of Western Kentucky, LCJ, nd
• Fillies Call Brenda Chapman Star; Olmstead Native Scores Pro 43, np, nd
• Fred Tisdale, Steve Miller Lead All-Staters, np, nd
• Grace, Lee. Family Affair: Clemette Haskins …

Ua3/6/9 Presidential Scrapbook Xiv, Part 2 Athletics, Wku President's Office - Zacharias

WKU Archives Records

Scrapbook regarding WKU athletics for period August 1982 through August 1983 compiled by the president's office.

Ua3/6/9 Presidential Scrapbook Xii, Part 2 Athletics, Wku President's Office - Zacharias

WKU Archives Records

Scrapbook regarding WKU athletics for period August 1980 through August 1981 compiled by the president's office.

Ua3/4/9 Presidential Scrapbook X, Part 2 Athletics, Wku President's Office - Downing

WKU Archives Records

Scrapbook regarding WKU athletics for period August 1978 through August 1979 compiled by the president's office.

Ua3/4/9 Presidential Scrapbook Ix Part 2 Athletics, Wku President's Office - Downing

WKU Archives Records

Scrapbook regarding WKU athletics for period August 1977 through August 1978 compiled by the president's office.

Ua3/4/9 Scrapbook Viii, Part 2 Athletics, Wku President's Office - Downing

WKU Archives Records

Scrapbook regarding WKU athletics for period August 1976 through August 1977 compiled by the president's office.

Ua3/4/9 Presidential Scrapbook Vii, Part 2 Athletics, Wku President's Office - Downing

WKU Archives Records

Scrapbook regarding WKU athletics for period August 1975 through August 1976 compiled by the president's office.

Ua19 Athletic Records, Wku Athletics

WKU Archives Records

Athletic records for basketball, football, tennis, baseball, track and golf 1943/44 to 1966. Records for cross country 1962-1964.