On episode five of Class is in Session with Doug Glanville presented by UI Health, Doug Glanville dives into the influence of analytics in baseball, including a discussion with one of the major pioneers of the field, Bill James. To watch the full episode, click here.

During the wide-ranging discussion, Glanville and the panel of guests discuss the evolution of analytics in the game of baseball and how the data can be used by fans to better understand the game, and by MLB executives to better influence the future of the game.

Guests for this episode include:

• Bill James – Sabermetrics pioneer, baseball writer/historian and former Red Sox executive
• Sarah Langs – MLB reporter and researcher
• Jimmy Rollins – 17-year major league veteran and 2007 N.L. MVP

Doug Glanville, the show’s host, creator and one of its executive producers, was nominated for a 2021 Sports Emmy Award for his “Enough” video essay and draws on his experience as a veteran MLB player, baseball analyst, writer, and college professor of sport and society as he interacts with this distinguished panel of guests.

“This episode is a lot of fun because I reunite with old teammates and colleagues, Jimmy Rollins and Sarah Langs,” said Glanville. “It is a conversation about how analytics in baseball are more than just about data; they are a way to tell the stories of the game. Yet, there are some beautiful parts of the game that rely on what we cannot count. We tie it all together by sitting down with legend Bill James, the founder of Sabermetrics, the analytics of baseball. It is a great group!” 

About Class is in Session: A monthly show hosted by Doug Glanville, exploring the intersection between sports and larger society. Each month, Glanville sits down with a distinguished panel of guests, analyzing and providing solutions to the most challenging issues in the world of sports.

Previous episode topics include the lack of minority coaches in sports today (guests Dusty Baker and Herm Edwards), the impact and importance of establishing legacy as an athlete (guests Cameron Maybin, Chris Long and Dr. Edwin Moses), the current state of NCAA amateurism (guests Sonny Vacarro, Prof. Kenneth Shropshire and Dr. Victoria Jackson) and MLB’s decision to move the All-Star Game (guests Jason Heyward, Curtis Granderson and Ken Rosenthal).

About Doug Glanville: Glanville, a nine-year MLB veteran, is a Marquee Sports Network analyst and the host of “Class is in Session with Doug Glanville” presented by UI Health, a half-hour panel show exploring the intersection between sports and larger society. Glanville was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 1991 MLB draft and made his major league debut with Chicago in 1996. After spending five-plus seasons with Philadelphia and Texas, he returned to the Cubs in 2003 and hit a go-ahead triple in the 11th inning of Game Three of the NLCS against the Marlins. He was the first African American Ivy League graduate to play in the MLB.

A writer and multi-media journalist, Glanville is a frequent contributor to numerous outlets, including ESPN, the New York Times and The Athletic, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut. His “Enough” video essay is nominated for a 2021 Sports Emmy Award (The Dick Schaap Outstanding Writing Award – Short Form) by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Glanville is the author of The Game From Where I Stand, an inside look at the human side of the game of baseball, and is outspoken on topics relating to the human condition, including culture, diversity, overcoming adversity, and community-building. He also teaches a course at the University of Connecticut titled “Sport in Society.” The highly praised course examines the relationship between sports, celebrity, and its impact on society. Glanville is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.