So could WMATA with the Metro and that's in a system with very few variables (train breakdowns, weather, EMS stops) and we see how well that works. It's not that I don't agree with you, because I do, it's just that when people make comments like "well, with a couple of R simulations and a couple of tweaks this could be done in two weeks tops" gets my eyes rolling. I would tend to think that the MLB schedule would have more complex variables and characteristics similar to setting up a major conference and less issues like scheduling cashiers or, to a certain extent, trains.
The models can be quite complex. My wife would construct a model, then meet with senior military officers who would insist a new variable be added, and it would be back to the drawing board for months before the new info could be reflected. And by the way, the model now takes 4 times as long to run. Still, it is cheaper than building 50 ships with differing hull sizes/shapes in order to learn what a model might be able to tell you for less than the cost of 1 ship.
