MLB + API = ?

April 24, 2009 8:22 AM

I'm looking for an API that'll give me near-real-time access to the day's baseball scores, including individual player lines. Anybody? Anybody? Bueller?

I'd prefer a free or modestly-priced solution. And barring an existing API, I'd welcome advice on how to construct one via screen-scraping or some other method.

(I expected this to be easier to find. :-( )

posted by joshjs to technology (6 comments total)

http://www.baseball-reference.com/
you can get csv files with stats...
http://www.sports-reference.com/data_use.shtml

http://www.stats.com/

http://www.baseball-reference.com/links/
posted by fozzie33 at 8:33 AM on April 24

Just so you know - those scores/lines are considered the property of MLB and/or MLB Advanced Media, and they guard their property pretty zealously. They license to the major fantasy providers, but they're not known for giving stuff away for free.

With MLB-built iPhone apps and MLB.tv making a ton of money for MLB, I think you might have a hard time finding an API or anything that will provide them for free.

I have no idea how to construct one, sorry.
posted by pdb at 8:34 AM on April 24

I have no idea when this stuff is updated.

But, it's about as complete as it gets.
posted by ChrisManley at 8:48 AM on April 24 [5 favorites]

Here is a project that seems to be doing some work with that data:

Boxscore Junkie
posted by ChrisManley at 8:52 AM on April 24

Keep in mind that directory above (and the Boxscore Junkie app that's using it) could vanish at any time on any day, since MLB's not actually promising it will stay there, or stay open.
posted by rokusan at 12:46 PM on April 24

At the risk of self-linking, MLB.com itself provides a rather nice unofficial API. I wrote about it in my blog here.
posted by xmutex at 6:00 PM on October 27