Full Nelson: Tech Innovation, San Francisco Giants StyleFull Nelson: Tech Innovation, San Francisco Giants Style

Stadium Wi-Fi, video-based player development tools, and other cool stuff, as seen through the eyes of a cranky L.A. Dodgers fan.

Fritz Nelson, Vice President, Editorial Director information Business Technology Network

June 3, 2010

2 Min Read

Tracking Players

The Giants also have cameras--part of its Sportvision Player Tracking System--installed throughout the upper reaches of the stadium to track player movement, taking measure of every rounded base and every dive along the third base line. The team uses this video to examine a player's range, for instance, or his real speed around the bases (rather than the less accurate stopwatch time). Spray charts tell where every ball was hit, and where every player was when the ball was hit. "Someone just drew a dot next to Pablo Sandoval," Schlough said as we watched a play on the field. The system "tracks where the ball goes, where the players go at every instant in time. Everything that moves." And all of that data gets processed and crunched and analyzed.

"Our COO is all about growing the business," Schlough told me. "That's what gets him excited, and every business unit strives to find new and different ways to achieve this goal. Our culture is very innovation-focused--in fact, innovation is the sixth word in our mission statement."

The Giants have hosted more than 3 million fans in a season several times. Their 10-year-old park, still new by baseball standards, has hosted an All-Star game and seen major records broken. But it's a business that, like any other, must continue to grow profitably, which makes Schlough's job just like any other CIO's. Except at the end of a long day, he gets to grab a hot dog and beer and watch the results of his labor.

Sounds like fun--even for a Dodgers fan.

Fritz Nelson is the editorial director for information and the Executive Producer of TechWebTV. Fritz writes about startups and established companies alike, but likes to exploit multiple forms of media into his writing.

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