Arrieta was dealing last night, and the Cubs are back to form and playing their game. The games in Chicago will be fun, and Wrigley will be like one big party where everyone there are best friends. It’s a great feeling. Anyone who is going, enjoy! It was such fun watching the fans at Wrigley when Cubs won the pennant. Hopefully they can sweep at home for another wild celebration.
In case anyone was wondering, last 1945 Cub to die was Andy Pafko, in 2013, age 92…
When was the last time a team rode one starting pitcher to start Games 1, 4 and 7 of a World Series, as Cleveland is doing? Well, I looked it up, it was Curt Schilling with Arizona in 2001. CC Sabathia started Games 1 and 4 in 2009 and I guess he would he started Game 7, but it never happened.
I wonder if maybe it might not be an idea managers should be more willing to use.
Francona won’t need Kluber in Game 7. This series isn’t going 7.
That’s amazing. Not disputing your statistics – but it’s especially surprising in that baseball is the only one of these sports that has different rules for the home team. You would think that batting last would build in an inherent advantage (much more so than fans waving their arms behind the backboard).
It most definitely is.
I remember an analysis from years ago about home field advantage that discussed “playing harder” at home when you’re being encouraged by the crowd. I don’t remember if it linked it to something physical like increased adrenaline.
Anyway, their point was that in a game like football or basketball, extra effort is a positive. But in baseball, batting is all about precision so extra effort or adrenaline doesn’t help and might actually hurt. Adrenaline might help a pitcher throw harder, but probably with less accuracy. About the only time it helps is an outfielder chasing down a fly ball. My memory might be faulty, but I seem to remember it showing that batters actually did worse in game 7s at home, with the extra pressure of the crowd.
I’ll have to see if I can track down the study.
Is not.
Especially with Kluber going on short rest, and definitely not if Trevor Bauer is actually starting game 5.*
*There’s a smidgen of hope in the prospect of Bauer falling down and suffering a mild concussion while attempt to communicate with extraterrestrials, in which case Merritt or Clevinger could pitch.
Not the one I was thinking of, but it makes the same general point: For athletes, the crowd's roar is double-edged
Hockey grants the home team the right to make their line change after the visitor after most stoppages in play, which is a small advantage.
My knowledge of hockey rules can be summarized as “you get a point if the puck goes in the net”, so thanks for sharing. 
But it’s not clear that there is an advantage-- other than psychological – to batting last. I suspect is actually benefits the fielding team more to know exactly how many runs matter. The batting team has very few choices-- steal (or stretch for an extra base) or not, and whether to bunt (or try for a sac fly). But the fielding team can make a lot of choices – intentionally walk, semi-intentional walk, bring infield in, play outfield in, whether to ignore the lead runner if there’s a better chance and an out. It stands to reason that the team making more choices benefits more from knowing how many runs matter.
For basketball, there’s a theory that the crowd noise has perhaps the biggest impact on the referees, who tend to look harder for a foul if there’s a big crowd reaction and ignore it if there isn’t. Referees having more impact and more subjectivity in basketball than any other major sport, this could be a big factor.
Here’s one regret I have.
Wrigley Field for games 3-4-5. 2 on the weekend. The home to day baseball for decades.
And the baseball PTB can’t be arsed to schedule one of them for the day.
When was the last purposely scheduled World Series day game?
There hasn’t been a World Series day game since 1987, and that was played inside a dome.
The last day game played under the sky and sun during the World Series was in 1984.
Apparently, the answer is game 6 at the Metrodome in 1987, and game 5 in 1984 at the Tiger Stadium if you’re looking for an outdoor game.
ETA: Ninja’d, but there a little more info above.
1987, Game 6 in the Metrodome. I don’t know that it was intentionally scheduled that way or if it needed to be moved due to a conflict.
ETA: Double ninja’d!!
BTW, thanks for the reference. I had somehow managed to miss hearing about this book. It has now been ordered and is on its way to my house.
I’m sure that MLB and the networks have run the numbers and concluded that they’ll get a bigger audience for the evening slot. Personally, i wouldn’t miss the game no matter when they showed it, but i’d be at least as inclined to watch during the day as in the evening.
Thing is, i don’t give a flying fuck about college football, unlike a lot of Americans. I’ll bet that one of the reasons not to have a day game on Saturday is to avoid clashing with Northwestern at Ohio State, Miami at Notre Dame, and Baylor at Texas. And on Sunday, a night game only clashes with one NFL game, rather than five or six.
I should add that it’s somewhat interesting that it’s 1984 for outdoor games. Had the Cubs gotten past the Padres (the Cubs were supposed to have home field advantage that year, and were up 2-0, but had to play the last three at SD due to the fact they didn’t have lights at Wrigley back then–this was when then pennant was best-of-5), all their games at home would have been played during the day.
I’ll give you two more:
- It’s played on the ice
- Everyone wears oversized pants
You’re welcome!