| As discussed in "Not in Our House! A Decade of | | | | champion and National League champion until 2002. |
| Home Court Advantage in American Sports" | | | | Beginning in 2003, the team from the league that |
| there is much less home advantage in baseball | | | | won the All Star Game was designated as Team |
| than in basketball or football, during regular season | | | | A for the World Series. |
| play. Major League Baseball teams, on average, | | | | So, how much benefit does Team A derive from |
| win about 54% of their home games and 46% | | | | its "home field advantage?" In the fifty World |
| of their away games during the regular season. | | | | Series played from 1958 through 2008 (there |
| When I do presentations on home court | | | | was no World Series in 2004 due to the players' |
| advantage I'm often asked, "What about the | | | | strike), Team A won the Series 26 times (52%) |
| playoffs?" Well, let's see what happens in the | | | | and Team B won the Series 24 times (48%). In |
| World Series. | | | | other words, the team that supposedly had a |
| The MLB World Series pits the National League | | | | home field advantage derived practically no |
| champion against the American League champion | | | | benefit from it. This suggests that a lot of the |
| in a 7-game series. One of the teams - let's call it | | | | hype about home field advantage, as it pertains |
| Team A - hosts the first two games of the | | | | to the World Series, is based more on illusion than |
| series at its home ball park. The next three | | | | fact. |
| games are scheduled at Team B's ball park, and | | | | However, something that seems to definitely |
| the final two games are scheduled at Team A's | | | | benefit a team is winning the first game of the |
| ball park. This is often referred to as a 2-3-2 | | | | Series. In the past fifty World Series, the team |
| schedule. I find it convenient to refer to it as an | | | | that won the first game went on to win the |
| AA-BBB-AA schedule. The team at whose ball | | | | Series 68% of the time. Think about it; this |
| park the series begins (Team A) is said to have | | | | means that you won more than twice as often |
| "home field advantage" because in a 7-game | | | | as you lost (68% vs. 32%). Even more dramatic, |
| series four of the seven games are played at its | | | | if the away team (Team B) won the first game, |
| home field. | | | | it went on to win the Series 72% of the time! It |
| In the NBA, the team with the best season | | | | seems like the key to winning the World Series |
| record gets designated for home court advantage | | | | can be summarized as follows - win the first |
| in the playoffs (Team A). However, in MLB Team | | | | game. |
| A was alternated between the American League | | | | |