Baseball Fanatics Needed to Save World

The modeling and simulation of human conflict is fascinating, and it would seem that emergency medicine and public health would be perfect backgrounds for scientifically examining war and violence.

However, finding an operationalizable project is another matter. Where do you have detailed, time-series data involving human conflict? We do have historical data: wars, GNPs, populations, casualty lists, etc. for big groups of people. But what about the microcosm? How do you do the discrete analysis? Did the Big Brother TV show capture any domestic violence in their taping? Bullies in the school yard?

I had an idea to model fighting in major league baseball. I think you could describe very well (though not ever specifically predict, of course) when a batter will rush the mound in a game. I bet you could account for almost all the variance by knowing

1. threat level (i.e. closeness/wildness of the pitch)

2. importance of the game (early season vs. World Series game 7)

3. history of prior violence or threat of violence between pitcher and batter

I have tried really hard to find those records/stats. The online sites I have looked at have nothing on fights in baseball. I have sought out online baseball
stat nerds galore, as well as fleshy ones in RW – nobody has ever heard of
anyone keeping stats on baseball fights/threats/bench clearings. MLB says
that they do not keep records of fines/sanctions for fighting and that I would have to go to the individual clubs for that.

I guess that means doing a prospective analysis. Know of anyone willing to watch
every MLB game in a season? How much do you think you would have to pay
graduate research assistants to watch baseball and code? Who would fund that research proposal?