Two-thirds of the way through the 2008 MLB season and home teams have the highest winning figures in 30 years. That’s right if they don’t win this year, it is a shame.
Entering today’s games the team donning those home whites had a 870-659 record, which translates to winning 57 percent of games (.569). This advantage would be more evident without interleague play, because National League clubs went just 56-70 against their American League counterparts at home.
Look at some of these numbers: Boston is 36-11 at Fenway, the Cubs are 38-12 playing in the ivy confines of Wrigley and the Tampa Bay Rays are a terrific 40-16 at home. Three teams playing above .700 at home.
On the flip side there are only four teams with winning road records, the LA Angels, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Consequently all those teams are in the early pennant hunt.
So what’s going on here? Is this just an abnormality or is it a growing trend?
LA Angels manager Mike Scioscia took a shot at answering that question when he said “..you’re trying to play 81 games in the same ballpark, you certainly want to pay attention to the little nuances of your park and the type of offensive club you have to bring onto the field.”
Scioscia certainly strikes a chord. There are more quirks and unique features in today’s ballparks than in old stadiums of the last 20 years. So the types of players on the field matter.
The bigger factor here is the way teams manage close games at home versus when they’re on the road. If a game enters the ninth inning in a tie, the home team usually turns to their best bullpen player to pitch, the closer. The home team gets the last at bat, which typically comes against the second or third best bullpen player from the opposing team. That matters when one run determines the game.
It’s way too early to say this is a trend, but it is something to watch the rest of this year and into next season.
No comments:
Post a Comment