Boomer's Blogs 1.8 - THE MAN BEHIND THE DATA!

MARCH 14TH, 2025

Thanks for checking back in for this week’s edition of Boomer’s Blogs! This time around, we’d like to highlight some individual experiences and efforts, straight from the Firecracker Sports team. People often use the phrase “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”, but we at Firecracker Sports don’t want to make you do all that work! Instead, we thought it may be compelling to feature members of our full time staff in some of our weekly blog posts…

This week, we’d like to take some time to introduce you to Joey Molis, our Data Coordinator! Joey initially came to Firecracker Sports as a Data & Analytics intern for the summer of 2021, but quickly displayed both an aptitude for statistics, as well as a true passion for the game of baseball. Going into 2023, Joey joined the Firecracker Sports full-time staff in his new position, and has continued to grow and excel, alongside our events and the players who attend them! If you have attended a Firecracker Sports tournament, showcase, or scout day in the last few years, there is a very good chance that you have seen Joey on or near the field, recording data, analyzing metrics, interacting with players and coaches, or any of the other tasks that come with recording and presenting player statistics.

We had a brief conversation with Joey ahead of getting this week’s blog together, not only to get an inside view on Joey’s role at Firecracker Sports and what it entails, but more importantly to understand why exactly Joey decided to pursue the data & analytics field. In order to provide this background information, we asked Joey a few questions regarding his experiences in baseball. Leading off, we wanted to know where exactly Joey’s passion for the game of baseball came from.

“I have always had a love for baseball. It started as a kid, when I would play wiffle ball in the backyard with my dad and brother, pretending to be Red Sox players. It quickly became an obsession that turned into my life.”. Joey’s early involvement with baseball quickly began to shape his upbringing, and eventually his life. We then asked Joey how his time and effort in baseball has impacted his everyday experiences, from youth, through his college education and work with Firecracker Sports.

“Baseball has been my entire life. Our plans during the week and even family vacations were all coordinated around my baseball schedule. It really taught me that I had to earn everything I wanted, not just in the game, but also in life. I was never the most gifted player, so every team that I made and every game that I played in was a culmination of hundreds of hours at practices and in the gym. I’m sure it sounds extremely cliche, but I really would not be who I am today without the game of baseball.”, said Joey, explaining how much baseball has affected him and his life.

Joey’s passion for baseball, paired with his dedication to improving both his skills and knowledge of the game, are some of the driving factors that pushed him to where he is today; his education and work at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, his status as a graduate student at Northeastern University, and his continued hard work with Firecracker Sports, are all strong markers of his love and dedication to the game of baseball. Joey has always had a desire to find his place in the game of baseball, which we also asked about in our conversation leading up to this blog.

“I have only ever wanted to work in baseball. I have had a great opportunity with Firecracker Sports, as I have been able to gain experience with data and analytics, but also still be right there on the field with players and coaches, which is easily one of my favorite parts of my job.”

Joey’s passion to work in the field of baseball data & analytics is evident not only through his contributions to Firecracker Sports and our events, but through his education and other experiences as well, such as his time at Bridgewater State University, which we’ve previously mentioned, where he earned his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mathematics & Statistics, while also serving as Captain of the Varsity Baseball team, and sitting on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Following his graduation from BSU, Joey decided to further his education, as he is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Analytics with a concentration in statistical modelling from Northeastern University. While continuing his education, Joey has worked closely alongside the Northeastern Baseball program, which has provided another avenue of experience and practical applications for some of the work involved in data & analytics. We asked Joey how his experience(s) with Northeastern Baseball have influenced his work and outlook on the game of baseball.

“Working with Northeastern Baseball has really opened my eyes to what information coaches and managers want during a game. Different analytics and numbers are more or less valuable to different people, depending on their point-of-view. The data for in game decisions does not always have to be complicated, either. Managers and coaches typically want simple, yet pertinent, statistics to help them make in-game decisions, whether it be what pitch to throw next , or what substitutions to make in specific situations. Of course, different teams value some metrics over others, so at the end of the day it does really depend on what the team or organization values, but the added experience is always beneficial.”. Joey’s experiences with Northeastern Baseball, as well as his time as a former player, all help to support his knowledge and work in baseball, especially when it comes to Firecracker Sports tournaments, showcases, and scout days.

Aside from his previous work, Joey consistently strives to improve, and that is reflected in his work with Firecracker Sports. To finish out our conversation together, we asked Joey what his personal goals were for the data & analytics department at Firecracker Sports;

“I want to give players as much information as possible when they leave an event. Whether it be TrackMan metrics from a showcase, or just a thorough breakdown and evaluation from a college coach, I want to provide players with something valuable that they can take back into their everyday training and personal game. Some of our potential new partners are definitely going to help me provide that service to our players, such as working with the Pelotero App, which can take in footage, break down specific movements, and evaluate a player’s personal mechanics. On top of that, I want to get players who are interested in playing college baseball in front of as many college coaches as possible, and to help the college coaches see as many potential players as possible. Whether it be through attendance at events, highlighting players on social media, or our new rankings that will be released soon, I want to give players the information and visibility that will provide them with the best chances of success moving forward.”

We could not be more thrilled with the dedication and work ethic that Joey displays at every tournament, showcase, scout day, or any other event featuring Firecracker Sports, and he truly represents the passion for baseball that we try to convey and provide through the events we offer. Be sure to stay tuned into the Firecracker Sports website for more player data and statistics, courtesy of Joey and his team, and for future blog posts and company information. Thanks again for keeping up with Boomer’s Blogs!