There is no easy answer to this. TBC does not have a purchased database. Outside of the boxscore data which was sourced from Retrosheet, the data is pieced together from dozens of sources. For each dataset in the Data Topics section, you can sometimes see where the data was sourced.
The original source of data was off-line publications from Baseball America, The Sporting News and Media Guides for various teams and leagues. Early on, I used baseball cards to fill in missing data elements where possible but as time went on, and online resources got stronger, the data began to be sourced from more official sites. I won't reveal my secrets here but if you have a question, I'll do my best to answer.
Its pretty good. I will admit that there aren't high-powered quality checks in place (for now). We're not an official source and there are sure to be minor mistakes here and there in the statistics, especially for lower levels like College or Summer Leagues. Sometimes the source of the data is inaccurate, it was taken (accidentally) before the season ended or perhaps there are duplicate rows or misbridged records.
Boxscore data should be perfect up until the current season. I have a program that parses the current season each AM and there are some smaller bugs that I am still working through for the current season boxscore data but it is replaced by Retrosheet later in the winter.
For MLB detailed stats or splits data, there are times where the data does not add up 100% to the season-end data. Mostly minor issues and not that prevalent.
Biography data is another story. Many players are missing bio information but for those who have, some of the data elements can be incorrect. Weights. BirthPlace might be residence for college players. Full Names might have the wrong middle name sometimes.
Overall though, I am proud of the quality of the data on the site. Just be a little cautious at times and if you see something glaring, let me know but be nice about it.
Absolutely. Check out the Data Store. Standard outputs plus anything custom you need.
A complicated question. I will add stats for people who donate $. I will add/fix stats for Players who are missing stats and their missing stat year is part of the Inclusion Rules. Depending on my workload, I may add stats for seasons that are outside of the inclusion years/leagues.
I get people asking me to add Summer League Stats because they think that MLB Organizations rely on this site. Dear Scouts: Don't rely on this site to do ALL your scouting research.
Why do I resist improving my database? I don't. But I'm one person managing this behemoth. I can't stop forward progress to add a 1992 Division II college team.
I get this question now and again. Former players are starting their own training facility or want to give lessons and they don't like the stats their career left behind. The quick answer is no. Please don't threaten a lawsuit or attempt to harass me. I will block your email address. I won't remove any player stats when requested. However, if you need me to remove the bio data, I will comply.
Why is the answer No to removing stats? Because statistics are public domain and data is not copyrightable. And removing the data would reduce the integrity of the datasets.
I wish. I'm not set up for this type of arranagement yet. Though I am a registered company, the complexity and responsibility of employees is not something I can handle until I make this full time. At that time, I will request applications for help.
You can use parts of the data and reference them on your site but you cannot access the entire database to support your site. As a general rule, even though the data does not belong to me, I am providing a service by displaying it in a useful format for public consumption and at the least, I think a shout-out to TBC would be good etiquette.
The general rule here, for now, is that if it is an easy partnership, then we can work on something. Time is a precious resource to me since I am always busy updating code and data for this site. Stopping that flow for a larger project does not fit in at this time.
Yes. But again, it can't be overly complicated. TBC has about 10,000 unique visitors a day and advertising would have benefit for your company. A bundle of sponsorships may also help you a little bit if you pick high-traffic players.
You can read about me a bit to see if you can figure out why. Short answer is I love baseball and I want to be close to the game.
