Working in the Land of the Metricians

Abstract

The research of sports economists often addresses issues of interest to nonacademics. The shared interests often lead to interactions that have benefits and costs. The benefits center on nonacademic research—found in the ‘‘sabermetric’’ and ‘‘APBRmetric’’ communities—that can inform the work of academic economists studying sports. However, nonacademic research should be interpreted with caution because it is not subject to an academic peer review. This essay discusses how economists can benefit from sabermetric advances while avoiding its pitfalls.