October 29, 2009
America's Stadium
Y'Know, like Rudolph Giuliani is America's Mayor.
If I can't get you into the Phillies' camp for NL loyalty, anti-DH sentiment, or solidarity with our Keystone State blog brothers, maybe I can upset you with news that you're paying for the new Yankee Stadium, wherever you live in America. Scrivener:
The stadium's construction costs have been publicly subsidized in the form of $942 million in tax-exempt bonds issued by New York City.Seeking tax-free status for the bonds to ensure a lower interest rate, New York structured the deal to ensure it didn't run afoul of a federal tax code provision which requires that such bonds not be "private activity bonds" [issued to benefit a private business, such as say the New York Yankees Partnership, rather than the city government].
This serves as a huge benefit because the bonds are exempt from city, state, and federal taxes, and have an interest rate about 25 percent below that of taxable bonds.
There are two parts to this financing scheme which seem "foul." First, the new Yankee Stadium will be city-owned and thus exempt from property taxes. Meanwhile its primary tenant, the Yankees, will pay no rent. This clearly brings up the issue of whether such tax-exempt bonds should have been issued at all, and especially when the city is so far in the red.
On the series: I have never seen a more amazing sports performance that Mister Lee's nine-inning-zero-earned-runs performance last night. Stunning in its elegance.
And one of you baseball heads has seriously got to educate me why batters take on 3-0. It disturbs me so badly, I can barely watch the sport any more. Merciful Zeus, you get in a position of immense power. Then you let the guy off a little. Then one foul tip and the count is full. Did anybody ever ask Ayn Rand about this? Is not man entitled to a big lead in the count if he has earned it?
I kid, but I have asked dozens of people. Even a couple ex-pro ballplayers I know and I have never heard a good answer. One of the pros just lit up and said when you get a green light on 3-0, it is the greatest feeling in the world. Why is it so rare? sez me, but he was off in the distance, the sun was shining, he was up 3-0 and his wife's uncle was nowhere to be seen...
Posted by John Kranz at October 29, 2009 3:39 PM
JK- I think that swinging on 3-0 is about like splitting 10s on the blackjack table. Good things can happen, but the odds just aren't with you.
Posted by: Boulder Refugee at October 29, 2009 4:30 PMDefinitely one of the better explanations. I'd reply that the cards don't know what you're going to do but the pitcher does. If he did not suspect that the .223 hitter he’s facing would take, he might paint the corners and deliver a walk. At present, it's just a gift for the pitchers' self-esteem.
Posted by: jk at October 29, 2009 5:06 PMYeah, but with a .223 hitter, there is less than a 1 in 4 chance that he'll get a hit. If he takes the pitch, there is a 1 in 2 chance that he'll get on base and a 0% chance that he'll make an out. Remember, on a 3-0 count, the pitcher is struggling with control. A strike is not a certainty.
With all of the inane and obtuse stats that baseball keeps, I've got to believe that they've well analyzed the odds in this situation. Even a .333 hitter only has a 1 in 3 chance of getting a hit, and .333 hitters are pretty rare.
Posted by: Boulder Refugee at October 29, 2009 6:08 PMUnlike my politics, I do not claim that I am right and the whole world is wrong on this [insert smiley face]. I share your belief that the stats-crunching managers have a good probabilistic footing.
The problem I see is the pitcher knowing that the batter is taking. Control problems or not, these guys are not President Obama they can hit the plate if they know nobody's swinging at it [no need for smiley face, people know me].
Is it not a prisoners' dilemma? If more batters swung it would force more pitchers to miss. With the automatic take no batters swing and -- knowing this -- no pitchers miss. Just call it 3-1; there's no such count as 3-0.
Posted by: jk at October 30, 2009 11:03 AM | What do you think? [4]