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Abstract:
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The grand slam in major league baseball, where four runs are scored on one hit, has fascinated Sabremetricians since regular league play began in the late nineteenth century. It is generally thought that the number of grand slams has increased over time and continues to increase as 'hitter friendly' ballparks are built and this is true when the volume of grand slams is analyzed. We examine the number of grand slams hit by year, by ballpark, by team, and by era (deadball, initiation of the designated hitter, steroid) and control for number of teams, players, and innings played to examine this claim using both standard statistical tests and models as well as data mining techniques. In addition, anomalies and outliers are identified and examined with visualization techniques.
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