The study in question has grabbed headlines, but before developing a mindset on the matter, read the whole report. A recent paper was produced by Daniel Hamermesh, professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin, that spoke to Major League Baseball umpires’ calls of balls and strikes and the possibility they’re affected by racial or ethnic discrimination. That led to headlines such as this one at Time.com: “Are Baseball Umpires Racist?” And this one at Businessweek.com: “Baseball: Racism Behind the Plate?” Those are explosive headlines and there were many more of the same ilk. It’s not that they are wrong, but if any headlines require one to read the rest of the story, these do. The study analyzed every pitch in MLB from 2004 through 2006, about 2.1 million pitches. The abstract of the study says, “Controlling for umpire, pitcher, and batter fixed effects and other factors, strikes are more likely to be called if the umpire and pitcher match race/ethnicity.” Hamermesh is quoted outside the study as saying, “One pitch called the other way affects things a lot. Baseball is a very closely played game. Baseball is a game of strategy. If a pitcher knows he’s more likely to get questionable pitches called as strikes, he’ll start picking off at the corners. But if he knows he’s at a disadvantage, he might feel forced to throw more directly over the plate, possibly giving up hits.”
USA Today
Study Puts Umpires Under Even Greater Microscope
(Sept. 10)
