Alan Schwarz
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Alan Schwarz is a profilic baseball writer. He has covered baseball for the last fifteen years, writing for ESPN The Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and many other newspapers and magazines. He entered the baseball workforce one year after he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, when he was hired by Baseball America in 1991. Currently, Schwarz authors the The New York Times "Keeping Score" column biweekly, often applying statistical analysis as well as sabermetrics to ongoing baseball affairs. He has also written a weekly column for ESPN.com during the baseball season since 2001.
Born on July 3, 1968 in Scarsdale, New York, Schwarz developed an early aptitude for math with his father teaching him how to do square roots when he was 4.<ref>The Numbers Game Features Strat-O-Matic</ref> His passion for baseball developed at a later stage in his childhood, in August, 1979. At that time, he purchased his first pack of baseball cards. Spurred on by friends who shared his burgeoning interest, Schwarz began playing Little League and pursuing his favorite pastime. Although Schwarz said he "was terrible" at baseball, he professed his desire to be involved in the sport off the field.<ref>Bronx Banter Interview</ref> While at the University of Pennsylvania, Schwarz joined the school newspaper. After covering sports throughout college, he decided to seek a career in the field.
In 2004, Schwarz published his first book, The Numbers Game: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination with Statistics. The book covers the history of statistical analysis in baseball, including the stories of Henry Chadwick and Bill James. Drawing widespread acclaim, the book was named by ESPN the "baseball book of the year" in 2004.<ref>ESPN - Book of the Year</ref>
