Home field advantage

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by NY Times Columnist David Brooks

No, the real difference is the officiating. The refs and umpires don’t like to get booed. So even if they are not aware of it, they call fewer fouls on home teams in crucial situations. They call more strikes on away batters in tight games in the late innings.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/op...rssnyt&emc=rss

[eyezen]

"In baseball, a pitcher’s strike-to-ball ratio is the same home and away. "

"They call more strikes on away batters in tight games in the late innings. "



Given your POV of point two how can point one be true for relief pitchers?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by eyezen

"In baseball, a pitcher’s strike-to-ball ratio is the same home and away. "

"They call more strikes on away batters in tight games in the late innings. "



Given your POV of point two how can point one be true for relief pitchers?

Good question. I'd have to guess that the first claim doesn't break out relievers or tight games, but averages them in overall. Since relievers' pitches in tight games is a tiny fraction of all pitches in all games, the effect doesn't show up in the overall strike-to-ball ratio for all pitchers.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Good question. I'd have to guess that the first claim doesn't break out relievers or tight games, but averages them in overall. Since relievers' pitches in tight games is a tiny fraction of all pitches in all games, the effect doesn't show up in the overall strike-to-ball ratio for all pitchers.

Or his entire column is BS.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Or his entire column is BS.

What???

A columnist who writes BS?

Come on now...you don't really believe a columnist would write an entire column of BS, do you?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by eyezen

"In baseball, a pitcher’s strike-to-ball ratio is the same home and away. "

"They call more strikes on away batters in tight games in the late innings. "



Given your POV of point two how can point one be true for relief pitchers?

Could there be more overall pitches in tight games...batters get to higher counts? That would allow for more strikes and the same ratio.