There’s A Stat For That! by Stephanie

There’s A Stat For That! by Stephanie - February 2019 Scholarship Essay

Sports journalist Arthur Daley once wrote, “A baseball fan has the digestive apparatus of a billy goat. He can, and does, devour an set of diamond statistics with insatiable appetite and then nuzzles hungrily for more.” Daley uses this analogy to accurately describe baseball fans’ love of the game. My passion for baseball and the statistics that go along with it has helped fuel my desire to follow my dreams and pursue statistics as my career.
Growing up, the thought of college was always in the back of my mind. I knew that eventually I would go to college, but that time in my life seemed so distant. I was never someone who knew exactly what major they wanted to study or exactly what college they wanted to attend. I was reminded by my family and friends that I had time to decide on my choice of college and career. However, high school is passing quickly, and I have realized that my “time” to decide is constantly decreasing.
Choosing a major that interests me is very important. Before deciding on a course of study, I made sure to consider my skills and hobbies. Since I was little, I have been athletic. I enjoyed playing on sports teams all year long with my friends. Also, I have loved baseball and have grown up watching and cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. I still cherish all the memories that I shared with my family, friends, and the whole city of St. Louis as we cheered on the Cardinals to an improbable World Series Championship in 2011. This passion for sports, combined with my mathematic academic skills, led to my decision to major in statistics. Of course, it would be amazing if I could work for the Cardinals’ organization computing the stats of all the players. Ideally, I would attend every home game, create scorecards, research prior game data for every player, and compile general stats and information for announcers. I realize I may not be able to work for the Cardinals right out of college, but I could possibly start with a smaller organization and work my way towards my goal.
In my dream job, I would be keeping track of player statistics. Of course, I would record batting statistics such as homeruns, hits, walks, strikeouts, batting average, slugging percentage, etc. And of course, I would track statistics for pitchers like strikeouts, walks, hit by pitch, wild pitches, pitch velocity, innings pitched, earned run average, etc. I would also enthusiastically follow my favorite types of unusual, once-in-a-lifetime statistics. For example, Fernando Tatis is the only person in Major League Baseball history to hit two grand slams in the same inning. Matt Adams hit a three-run homerun off of All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw in Game Four of the National League Division Series in 2014. At that point, Kershaw had not given up a three-run homerun in two years prior, and it was the first home run Kershaw had given up to a left-handed batter against his curveball in his entire career. Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Albert Pujols, and Pablo Sandoval are the only four players that have hit three home runs in a single World Series game. Stats like these capture my attention and refuse to let it go. Every game whether it be a Spring Training game, a regular season game, or a Postseason game contains hundreds, maybe thousands, of once-in-a-lifetime statistics. I want to be the person who researches all of them. Who wouldn’t want to find out which players have gone hitless in three at-bats before hitting a grand slam on a Saturday before the All-Star Break?
Although I am currently still undecided about which college I would like to attend, I know that majoring in statistics will help me fulfill my career dreams. In order to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, I would take all the general education classes along with an Introduction to Probability and Statistics class, Mathematical Statistics I and II, and other interesting math electives. The colleges I am considering all have strong mathematics programs that will jumpstart my career. By furthering my education in college, I would have the professors and academic resources to achieve my dreams. After graduation, I would then be able to obtain a job in the statistics field that will give me a very rewarding life and career as I uncover baseball stats that no one ever dreamed possible.