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Misidentifying talent

danluu.com · 6,418 words · saved by 1 readers

Out of context, you might think they were scouting actors or models, but these are baseball players ("A" is Lloyd Moseby, "B" is Jim Abbott, and "C" is Derek Jeter), ones that were quite good (Lloyd Moseby was arguably only a very good player for perhaps four years, but that makes him extraordinary compared to most players who are scouted). If you read other baseball scouting reports, you'll see a lot of comments about how someone has a "good face", who they look like, what their butt looks like, etc. Basically everyone wants to hire talented folks. But even in baseball, where returns to hiring talent are obvious and high and which is the most easily quantified major U.S. sport, people made fairly obvious blunders for a century due to relying on incorrectly honed gut feelings that relied heavily on unconscious as well as conscious biases. Later, we'll look at what baseball hiring means for other fields, but first, let's look at how players who didn't really pan out ended up with simila

Misidentifying talent [Click to collapse / expand section on sports] Here are some notes from talent scouts: Recruit A: ... will be a real specimen with chance to have a Dave Parker body. Facially looks like Leon Wagner. Good body flexibility. Very large hands. Recruit B: Outstanding physical specimen – big athletic frame with broad shoulders and long, solid arms and leg. Good bounce in his step and above avg body control. Good strong face. Recruit C: Hi butt, longish arms & legs, leanish torso, young colt [different scout]: Wiry loose good agility with good face [another scout]: Athletic look

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