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October 13, 2008 2:18:54 PM CDT

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The Ump's Not Blind (But He May Be Racist)

Posted Aug 14, 07 11:58 AM CDT in Sports,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Major League Baseball umpires call more strikes when they share a race with the pitcher, and they call more balls when they don’t. The disturbing trend mostly benefits white players, since 71% of pitchers and 87% of umps are Caucasian, Time reports. Documented race-based misjudgments only occur in 1% of pitches, but that's enough to make a ballgame.

Inspired by a similar study of basketball referees this May, researchers in the new study contended their finding is more significant, as more close calls in baseball are made by just one official. They also said the racist margin could affect a pitcher, who might aim for the corners if he feels an advantage and play it safe if he feels calls won’t go his way.

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Home plate umpire Angel Campos (84) and Texas Rangers catcher Gerald Laird look on as Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Akinori Iwamura (1) of Japan follows through on a swing in the first inning of a baseball game...   (Associated Press)
According to the study led by Daniel Hamermesh, a professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin, Major League Baseball umpires tend to call more strikes when the pitcher is of their same...   (Getty Images)
San Francisco Giants' Dave Roberts, bottom, is tagged out at home plate on a double steal by Washington Nationals' catcher Jesus Flores during the first inning of their baseball game in San Francisco,...   (Associated Press)
Hamermesh's research team believes that during 2.1 million pitches thrown between 2004 - 2006, the highest percentage of strikes were called when both the home-plate umpire and pitcher were white, and...   (shutterstock.com)
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