In an era when every MLB franchise "allocates significant resources into analytics, no clubs do it better -- and perhaps more exhaustively" -- than the Astros and Dodgers, who face each other in Game 1 of the World Series tonight, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. However, neither team would be the "last ones standing if not for chemistry." Nightengale: "Don't let those algorithms fool you." Dodgers P Tony Watson said, "The numbers are very important here, but I also think you can’t just throw away the clubhouse culture. We’re not robots. There are a lot of personalities in here, but the fact we get along so well here is extremely important to our success." The Dodgers and Astros "still lead the free sports world in data," but no amount of talent will "overcome divisiveness." Dodgers P Rich Hill said, "They provide us with all those metrics and scouting reports and it can get us as detailed as you want. ... But there is no quantifying how important it is to have the right guys in the clubhouse. I’ve always believed that. You can get the most talented guys in the room, and it doesn’t mean you’re going to be successful. Front offices are now realizing that even more and more now" (USA TODAY, 10/24).
GIANT TASK AT HAND: In S.F., Ann Killion writes the Astros and Dodgers are "proof of how far the Giants are behind the times." What worked for the club that won World Series titles in '10, '12 and '14 "does not work now." The Dodgers and Astros have been "created through heavy use of analytics." The Astros have been "aggressively crunching the numbers for years as they rebuilt their team," while the Dodgers have a "sky-high payroll, but they also have an enormous analytics department." Meanwhile, the Giants just "upended their coaching staff over the weekend," a group as "old-school ... as you’ll find." The Giants "want a new look." Giants Senior VP & GM Bobby Evans said of a replacement for pitching coach Dave Righetti, who is moving to the front office, "There are candidates we’ve already interviewed that have been dealing in more (of) the analytical world for longer. I think that’s one perspective that will be in front of us" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/24).
