Jim R on "Trying to pass a WP variable to a file outside of WP"

I'm using jQuery (not a plugin) with HighCharts to create a bar graph based on information coming from my own data table. The data table is in the same database as my WP install. The bar graph is displayed on a WP Archive Page via an Include.

(I know close to zip about jQuery.)

The jQuery is calling data from data.php, which isn't hooked into my WP install. I need to get that data to match up to the following:

$player = single_tag_title("", false);

single_tag_title is basically a basketball player's name. From there, I'd use the query:

"SELECT * FROM a_playerRating
		 WHERE CONCAT(playerFirst,' ', playerLast) = '".$player."'"

So I can tell the jQuery to just get information relative to that player in my custom data table.

How do I get the information in single_tag_title onto data.php when it isn't part of any of my WP Pages?