A’s executive VP of baseball operations Billy Beane has joined the advisory board for Kitman Labs, a company that gathers and analyzes statistical data to help athletes reduce the risk of injuries.
Kitman, founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2012, has its U.S. headquarters in Menlo Park. On its web site, it claims to offer “the world’s first Athlete Optimization System,” using biometric data, injury data and other information to help athletes prevent injury.
In recent years, Beane has served on the advisory board for several other companies, both inside and outside of sports. He’s also been a sought-after speaker in the business world, due largely to the use of statistical analysis that he helped pioneer in the major leagues, and, of course, the book and movie “Moneyball” that boosted his fame beyond the baseball diamond.
Certainly, injury prevention is a topic that would pique Beane’s interest, as the A’s, like other big league teams, have endured seasons that have been sabotaged by health issues. They used the disabled list 23 times in 2015, tied for second most in Oakland history (the 2008 club set the record with 25 DL transactions).
“Staying healthy is the number one predictor of success, and teams that use science and technology to do so will have a significant competitive edge,” Beane was quoted in a Kitman Labs press release, via the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
