Bill James

George William "Bill" James is an American author, known for his significant contributions to the field of baseball literature and statistics. Born on October 5, 1949, in Holton, Kansas, James has been a trailblazer in the analysis of baseball, using a scientific approach that relies heavily on statistical data. His work has been instrumental in determining why teams win and lose, and his writings have paved the way for modern websites that use sabermetrics to study the game.

James has written more than two dozen books on baseball history and statistics since 1977, with his Baseball Abstract books in the 1980s serving as the precursor to modern websites that use sabermetrics, such as Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Think Factory. His influence on the sport has been recognized worldwide, with Time magazine naming him one of the most influential people in the world in 2006. In addition to his writing, James has also been a Senior Advisor on Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox since 2003.

In addition to his work as a baseball writer and analyst, James has also appeared on television speaking about baseball and has been featured on The Simpsons. He has even written under the pen name of David Craig. James' contributions to the sport have been significant, and in 2010, he was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. His work has had a profound impact on the way that baseball is studied and analyzed, and his legacy in the sport is secure.