Thursday, July 25, 2013

HERE'S AN INTERESTING FACT... HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE IN THE WORLD SERIES

This is a little old, but since the AL won the All-Star Game, whichever team wins the AL pennant will open the World Series at their park. Prior to 2003, the World Series rotated every year on which league had home field advantage; the first World Series in 1903 gave the NL home field, the second in 1905 gave it to the AL, and so on.

Obviously, it's extremely important to open a championship series in your own stomping grounds, what with being more familiar with the surroundings and being supported by your own fans. You'd think that the teams that have had home field advantage in the World Series have won more games than those who didn't, and you'd be right. But not as many as you'd think.

True, in the ten World Series since 2003 (the ones where home field is decided with whoever wins the All-Star Game), the home series team has won seven of them, including the last four in a row.

But overall, the team with home field advantage has won 58 of 108 prior World Series (or 53.7%). In the last fifty World Series, the team with home field advantage has won 29 of 50 (58%).

So it is a big deal to open at home; but it's not as overwhelming of an advantage as you'd think. It's far more important to be the first team to win a game in a series. But that's an interesting fact for another day...

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