The original Moneyballers?

Just when I think I have a handle on who actually started using advanced analytics in baseball I found I’m wrong. I mean we all know Bill James if the founder of modern-day baseball analytical thinking. But who actually started putting into practice in baseball first? First, I thought it was Billy Beane. But no, he got a guy from the Indians that helped develop their EDGE system. So they must’ve been there first. While reading Baseball Maverick (the Sandy Alderson story basically), I find that they were trading for Apple computers in the 80’s to build their system.

NOW, Grantland runs a piece about AVM Systems. While it looks like they didn’t come on to the scene after after Stats Inc, they appeared to at least be a pre-cursor to Beane’s Moneyball activities in Oakland. I have heard about a lot of different companies but I have never heard of AVM. In fact, the article states that several baseball GM’s haven’t heard of them. It’s hard to imagine they can top what’s being done by Statscast et al. So either they have been replaced or are doing work so good that non one wants to talk about it. Either way, interesting article.