With the 2019 World Series in full swing, join Matt for his conversation with the brilliant and all-round nice guy, author of the New York Times Bestseller Astroball: The New Way to Win It All. Ben shares the inside story of how GM Jeff Luhnow and his team went beyond the stats to find a new way to win—and not just in baseball.

Listen to the episode here

Whether the subject is sports, fashion or fiduciary investment advice, it’s always gratifying to be found in good company. We are honored our special friends Sid and Ann Mashburn recently added Odds On to their website, in Sid’s Home / Books collection. Better still, we’re right next to a favorite read of our own: Astroball, by Ben Reiter. And who doesn’t want to be seen hanging out with tennis legend and shoe icon Stan Smith (whose book I bought for myself at Christmas)?

If you’re from LA, Houston, Dallas, DC or Atlanta, you likely know what the Mashburns are all about, as these fine American cities are lucky enough to have physical Mashburn stores. For the rest of the U.S., with just a taste of their world through the web, know this: The Mashburn stores are as closely aligned with our evidence-based investment firm as any clothing retailer could be. It may sound weird, but it’s true. Their people, values, and vision all mirror our own. Sid said it best the first time we met him: “Either you stole my playbook or I stole yours.”

Bottom line, we’re honored to have made the list and hope Odds On will continue to inspire and welcome readers to seek fiduciary investment advice for their wealth management. And even if you don’t walk away with a copy of our book from Sid and Ann’s site, you’ll still know more about one of the great emerging retailers in our country.

Who will you be rooting for in Super Bowl LIII on February 3^rd – the Patriots or the Rams? Either way, you’ll be among millions of fans tuning in for the big game.

That means the pressure is on, for both teams. You’d think this would encourage players and coaches to give it everything they’ve got. By some measures, I’m sure they do. But I also believe there’s a secret weapon neither team will be taking advantage of: Forgoing the option to punt.

What if more coaches were willing to let convention-challenging research be their guide? They might end up featured in an HBO “Real Sports” segment. That’s what happened to Pulaski Academy Head Coach Kevin Kelley from Little Rock, Arkansas. He earned a reputation for being “the coach who never punts,” after he decided to heed the data, and employ an atypical tactic of almost always going for the fourth down instead of punting. Check out the trailer here:

Of course, we feel the same sort of data-driven strategy and disciplined perspective should be applied to your evidence-based investing. So do others, which is why our friends at AQR featured a conversation between AQR Principal Toby Moskowitz and the same Coach Kelley in one of their podcasts, “Hot Hands and Cold Feet.” (Fast-forward to minute 10:00 to hear the specific conversation.)

While we call Kelley evidence-based, others have called him “crazy,” “insane” or “mad scientist.” If he is, his results don’t show it. In his conversation with Moskowitz, Kelley notes his record at Pulaski Academy is 179 wins/25 losses, with seven state titles in the past 15 years.

Consider these insights as you enjoy Super Bowl LIII. Consider it, too, as you stick with your best-laid investment plans in our competitive markets. I say, go ahead and let others call you crazy, if that’s what it takes to achieve your personal financial goals.