New Evidence in the Study of Shirking in Major League Baseball

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Richard J. Paulsen
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Major League Baseball ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Optimal Level ◽  
Adjustment Process ◽  
Significant Negative Relationship ◽  
Major League ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Player Performance ◽  
Level Of Effort

This paper uses Major League Baseball data to examine the relationship between years remaining on player contracts and player performance. There is a potential for moral hazard to arise in this principal–agent relationship as the player may choose a less than optimal level of effort from the perspective of team management when the player has many guaranteed years remaining. A player fixed-effects estimation strategy, which finds a significant negative relationship between years remaining and performance, is employed. The primary contribution of this work is to show that this relationship is due to shirking. Alternative explanations for this relationship, such as teams signing improving players to multiyear contracts or players facing an adjustment process when joining a new team, are addressed. Additional evidence which is consistent with shirking behavior shows that shirking occurs on offense, not defense, and for position players, not pitchers.

scholarly journals Concussion Incidence and Impact on Player Performance in Major League Baseball Players Before and After a Standardized Concussion Protocol

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 232596712091302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua G. Peterson ◽  
Vehniah K. Tjong ◽  
Michael A. Terry ◽  
Matthew D. Saltzman ◽  
Stephen M. Gryzlo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major League Baseball ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Baseball Players ◽  
Subsequent Performance ◽  
Major League ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Disabled ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Player Performance

Background: Sports-related concussions have garnered significant attention in recent years because of the negative effects they can have on a player’s cognitive health and performance. In response to this growing concern, Major League Baseball (MLB) introduced a standardized concussion protocol during the 2011-2012 season. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare the reported incidence of concussions and the subsequent performance of MLB players before and after the introduction of the standardized concussion protocol. We hypothesized that the introduction of the standardized concussion protocol would not have an impact on player performance postconcussion. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Players who suffered a concussion between 2001 and 2018 were identified from the MLB transactions page. Incidence and player performance were compared before and after the introduction of the standardized concussion protocol. Player performance was evaluated using traditional data and sabermetric data, which are advanced statistics used in conjunction with standard statistics to better compare players and teams. Player averages were calculated and compared using paired t tests for 30 days before and after concussion, 1 year before and after concussion, and career before and after concussion. Averages were also compared before and after the institution of the standardized concussion protocol using independent-measures t tests. Results: There were a total of 114 players who suffered 142 concussions, with 77% of those occurring after the introduction of the concussion protocol (32 before, 110 after). The average time missed because of concussion significantly decreased from 33.7 days (range, 10-122 days) to 18.9 days (range, 6-111 days) after the concussion protocol ( P = .0005). There was no difference in player performance (including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging for batters; earned run average, fielding-independent pitching, and walks plus hits per inning pitched for pitchers) after concussion at any time point (30 days, 1 year, or career) when comparing these statistics before versus after the MLB concussion protocol. However, batter performance was significantly poorer 1 year after concussion and over the remainder of the players' careers ( P < .05). Conclusion: The number of reported concussions increased after the introduction of the MLB concussion protocol. However, players spent significantly less time on the disabled list without any adverse effect on player performance. Despite these changes, long-term batting performance was significantly poorer after concussion.

Professional Athletes’ Social Media Use and Player Performance: Evidence From the National Football League

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Joon Ho Lim ◽  
Leigh Anne Donovan ◽  
Peter Kaufman ◽  
Chiharu Ishida
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
National Football League ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Media Content ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Player Performance ◽  
Game Performance ◽  
Insight Into

To examine how the level of humility expressed through athletes’ social media postings and post volume is associated with the athletes’ in-game performance, the authors collected National Football League players’ social media activities throughout one season, in addition to player performance and profile information. To account for the multilevel and panel structure of the data, they conducted a series of fixed-effects panel models. In addition to a negative relationship between social media posting frequency and performance, the authors found that players who post social media content with a higher level of humility are more likely to have better performances. However, this humility–performance association follows an inverted U-shaped relationship. The results provide insight into how critical athletes’ social media activity is for in-game performance. This study also provides important implications for athletes, team coaches, staff, and managers and provides guidance for future research.

scholarly journals Analysis of Injuries and Pitching Performance Between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball: A 2-Team Comparison Between 2015 to 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 232596712110088
Author(s):  
Ryan L. Crotin ◽  
Toshimasa Yanai ◽  
Peter Chalmers ◽  
Kenneth B. Smale ◽  
Brandon J. Erickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Major League Baseball ◽  
Professional Baseball ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Mechanism Of Injury ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Minor League ◽  
Major League ◽  
Player Game ◽  
And Performance

Background: There has been minimal research investigating injury and pitching performance differences between Major League Baseball (MLB) and other professional leagues. Purpose/Hypothesis: This 2-team comparison between MLB and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) involved affiliated players over 5 years. We hypothesized that teams would differ in the injury incidence, mechanism of injury, pitch velocity, and pitch type usage. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Between 2015 and 2019, pitching data as well as injury statistics for the highest level and minor league affiliates of the Los Angeles Angels (MLB) and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (NPB) were reviewed for significant differences in the injury prevalence, injury type, mechanism of injury, and days missed. In total, 3781 MLB and 371 NPB injuries were studied. Results: MLB-affiliated players were significantly younger, taller, and heavier ( P < .001) than were NPB-affiliated players. MLB-affiliated pitchers threw faster than did their NPB counterparts ( P = .026). MLB minor league pitchers threw more curveballs than did NPB minor league pitchers ( P = .004), and MLB minor league relief pitchers threw more sliders than did NPB minor league relief pitchers ( P = .02). The MLB team had a 3.7-fold higher incidence of injuries versus the NPB team (0.030 vs 0.008 injuries per player-game, respectively) as well as more repeat injuries, with fewer days missed per injury (15.8 ± 54.7 vs 36.2 ± 55.1 days, respectively; P < .001). The MLB team also had a higher percentage of injuries that were throwing related ( P < .001), were contact related ( P < .001), and occurred outside of competition ( P < .001) compared with the NPB team. Conclusion: This is the first empirical study examining injury trends and pitching characteristics between MLB and NPB athletes. MLB-affiliated pitchers threw faster and relied more on breaking pitches in comparison with NPB-affiliated pitchers. From injury data, MLB players were younger, taller, and heavier with a higher percentage of throwing-related injuries, contact injuries, and injuries sustained outside of competition. Overall, the MLB team indicated a 3.7-fold higher rate of reported injuries with fewer days missed per injury than did the NPB team. Competitive conditions are distinctly different between MLB and NPB, and thus, more extensive research collaborations in the future can identify best practices to advance health and performance for both leagues.

scholarly journals The relationship between inter-organizational trust and performance

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 89-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Fiala ◽  
Martin Prokop ◽  
Iva Živělová
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Organizational Trust ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Fit Indices ◽  
Supplier Performance ◽  
Significant Negative Relationship ◽  
Model Fit Indices ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

The article deals with an investigation of the relationship between inter-organizational trust and performance. Using data obtained in a questionnaire survey in 373 organizations with more than 20 employees with their seat in the Czech Republic, we found the relationship between inter-organizational trust and supplier performance, mediated by the level of conflict. Also, the statistically significant negative relationship between inter-organizational trust and costs of negotiation and the statistically significant positive relationship between supplier performance and perceived performance were confirmed. The hypothesis on the statistically significant relationship between inter-organizational trust and negotiating costs was not confirmed. The structural equation modelling technique was used in the calculations. The calculated model fit indices (CFI, NFI, NNFI) with values over 0.9 demonstrate a very good quality of the model.

It’s a Party in the MLB: An Analysis of Shirking Between Games in Major League Baseball

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Richard J. Paulsen
Keyword(s):  
Moral Hazard ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Major League Baseball ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Baseball Player ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Estimation Strategy ◽  
Major League ◽  
Triple Difference ◽  
And Performance

This paper uses game-level Major League Baseball data to identify whether players with greater job security shirk in their preparation between games. Past work has identified evidence of moral hazard arising in multiyear Major League Baseball player contracts, but little work has been done in identifying when shirking takes place. Using a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, this study finds evidence of an inverse relationship between the number of years remaining on player contracts and performance when the player is playing on short rest, when opportunity to rest is scarce, but not on long rest. Using a triple-difference specification, evidence is found that this inverse relationship between years remaining on a player’s contract when playing on short rest occurs for games played in “party cities.” This evidence would suggest that between game preparation is one avenue through which players on multiyear contracts shirk.

scholarly journals Performance and Return to Sport After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery in Major League Baseball Players

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 232596711982583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Jack ◽  
Kyle R. Sochacki ◽  
Takashi Hirase ◽  
Justin Vickery ◽  
Patrick C. McCulloch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major League Baseball ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Arthroscopic Surgery ◽  
Return To Sport ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Postoperative Performance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Major League ◽  
And Performance

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common cause of hip pain that may lead to decreased performance in Major League Baseball (MLB) players. Purpose: To determine the (1) return-to-sport (RTS) rate in MLB players after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI; (2) postoperative career length, innings pitched (IP) (pitchers), and plate appearances (PA) (position players); (3) preoperative and postoperative performance; and (4) postoperative performance compared with control players matched by position, age, years of experience, and performance. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: MLB athletes who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI and matched controls were identified. Demographic and performance data were collected. RTS was defined as playing in at least 1 MLB game after surgery. Continuous variables of each group were compared using a 2-tailed paired-samples Student t test for normally distributed data. The chi-square test was used to analyze categorical data. The Bonferroni correction was used to control for multiple comparisons, with statistical significance defined by a P value of ≤.007. Results: A total of 50 players (57 surgeries) were analyzed (mean age, 30.4 ± 3.9 years; mean MLB experience at the time of surgery, 7.0 ± 4.6 years). Pitchers (31 surgeries; 54.4%) represented the largest proportion of players analyzed. Of these players, 42 (47 surgeries; 82.5%) were able to RTS at a mean of 8.3 ± 4.1 months. The overall 1-year MLB career survival rate of players undergoing FAI surgery was 78.9%. Players in the control group were in MLB a similar number of years (4.0 ± 2.9 years) to players who underwent surgery (3.3 ± 2.4 years) ( P > .007). There was no significant decrease in IP or PA per season after surgery ( P > .007). There was no significant difference in performance for pitchers and nonpitchers compared with matched controls after surgery ( P > .007). Conclusion: The RTS rate for MLB athletes after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI was high. There were similar IP, PA, and career lengths postoperatively compared with preoperatively and with matched controls. There was no significant difference in performance for pitchers and nonpitchers compared with matched controls after surgery.

Fund Flow Volatility and Performance

2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Rakowski
Keyword(s):  
Mutual Fund ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Fund Flows ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fund Flow ◽  
Performance Differences ◽  
Significant Negative Relationship ◽  
Equity Funds ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis paper provides a detailed analysis of the impact of daily mutual fund flow volatility on fund performance. I document a significant negative relationship between the volatility of daily fund flows and cross-sectional differences in risk-adjusted performance. This relationship is driven by domestic equity funds, as well as small funds, well-performing funds, and funds that experience inflows over the sample period. My results are consistent with performance differences arising from the transaction costs of nondiscretionary trading driven by daily fund flows, but not with performance differences arising from the suboptimal cash holdings that arise from fund flows.

scholarly journals Trading activity on social trading platforms – a behavioral approach*

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Dorfleitner ◽  
Isabel Scheckenbach
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Behavioral Approach ◽  
Trading Behavior ◽  
Trading Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Trading ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Trading Networks

PurposeSocial trading platforms are considered to be amongst the major innovations in online trading. The purpose of this article is to analyze the trading activity of traders on social trading networks by taking a behavioral approach. Additionally, the authors investigate the factors that influence the irrational part of trading activity derived from the key characteristics of these platforms, i.e. those dealing with social interaction.Design/methodology/approachThe investigation utilizes an extensive set of trading data from two major platforms in Germany to study the trading behavior. The authors apply a fixed effects two-stage least squares (2SLS) approach to quantify the relationship between trading activity and performance and define overconfidence as the part of trading activity that is irrationally motivated and results in negative returns.FindingsThe results provide evidence for the negative relationship between overconfidence and return on social trading platforms. The authors find that the number of followers and some platform-specific features significantly affect the trading behavior of the traders.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the existing literature by exploring how the novel social interaction characteristics of online trading impact trading activity by giving rise to a new dimension of overconfidence. In addition, the authors evidence that the different frameworks of the platforms motivate heterogenous behavioral responses by the signalers. Finally, the authors refine existing studies by applying a distinct methodology for modeling overconfidence.

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