The Soul of the Game: Is Baseball Losing Its Romance?

The Soul of the Game: Is Baseball Losing Its Romance?

With the advent of analytics in baseball, many fans feel that the “romance,” the personal stories about the players, has been abandoned during game broadcasts in favor of statistics.

Jim Beattie, a retired professional baseball player who spent almost 40 years in the industry, will share his experiences and insights into the world of baseball. He will discuss several metrics used by broadcasters during games and share his perspective on which statistics fans follow and enjoy. No longer are fans introduced to and get to know the players more intimately through game broadcasts; now, this happens only in small ways through social media, curated by the players themselves. 

Jim will also present tips on watching pitches, as time allows, to help fans watch games more closely, either in person or on TV.

Jim Beattie has extensive knowledge of baseball, from playing in college at Dartmouth to working in the industry until 2018 before retiring in Hanover, NH. Jim started out playing baseball and basketball at Dartmouth College before being drafted to the New York Yankees Minor League (1975-1977) and then the MLB (1978-1979). He then left the East Coast and spent time as a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners (1980-1986). Jim has not only been part of professional baseball as a player, but has also held many other roles, including Minor League Director for the Seattle Mariners, VP/General Manager for the Montreal Expos, Special Assistant for the Montreal Expos, Executive VP/General Manager for the Baltimore Orioles, Wealth Management for Alliance Bernstein, and Major League Scout for the Toronto Bluejays.

This lecture is part of Osher at Dartmouth's "Hot Plates, Hot Topic" series. Our Hot Plates series offers attendees a chance to enjoy a delicious lunch and a presentation by a knowledgeable speaker. Each session features a new speaker and topic. Past locations have included Jesse's Restaurant and Salt Hill Pub in Lebanon, NH.