BASEBALL

I have also started reading Scorecasting: The Hidden Influence Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Won by L. Jon Wertheim and Tobias Moskowitz.  In Chapter 1 I learned that umpires really do call more strikes on 3-0 counts and more balls on 0-2 counts.  Psychologically errors of omission are not as bad as errors of commission.  So, the act of calling a strike out in error or issuing a walk in error is avoided.  In general officials are less likely to make calls late in games.  This is well known “let them play,” but the authors summarize studies that show this to be statistically true as well. 

(I’m also reading an anthology of mystery stories I got for a $1 from Amazon, but won’t summarize those articles here.)