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Comparative Advantage
              and Specialization


                 Sports and Trade


Williams
Economics
Key Terms
Specialization
Comparative
Advantage
Absolute Advantage
Opportunity Cost
Specialization
Concentration on producing things that a country
can produce most efficiently

Why do countries specialize?
 Specialization means focusing on strengths

 Success means maximizing profit (increased
  exports)

Why do sports teams specialize?
 Specialization means focusing on strengths

 Success in sports means maximizing profit

 Teams want specialty players who will bring up
  attendance
Absolute Advantage vs.
Comparative Advantage
When a country can produce more of the
same resources than another country, they
have an absolute advantage.
Comparative advantage encourages
countries to produce those goods for which
they have the lower opportunity cost than
another country
In sports, comparative advantage explains
why some athletes play one sport over
another or one position over another
Neighborly                Chore      Total        Minutes
  Comparative                           Time         Spent on
                                       Spent in       Each
   Advantage
                                       Minutes        Chore
Comparative Advantage
      explains why
  specialization arises                ADAM
                                       DAVID
                                                     W/Tade

                                       40            160
                                                     W/OT rade

even when other people      Mow
     enjoy absolute         lawn               120           80
advantage in producing      Weed       60            160
        all goods           garden             100   200
      Comparative           Time       100           320
advantage=do what you       working            220   --
  do best and trade for     without
 rest (or find substitute   trade
        supplier)           Time       80             --
                            working    200           280
                            with
                            trade
                            Net gain   20       20    --
                            from                     40
                            trade
Comparative Advantage
       U.S. and Japan
                    U.S.           Japan
Labor to make       100             120
computers
Labor to grow         5              8
a ton of wheat
COPY this chart into your notebook to answer
      the following question in class.

What country has the absolute advantage in
computer production?
What country has the absolute advantage in
wheat production?
Assume US allocates labor:   100 units to
computers
                           200 units to wheat
Assume Japan allocates labor: 120 to computers
                              180 to wheat
    How much wheat and computers does the
    U.S. produce?
    How much wheat and computers does
    Japan produce?
    What are world production totals?
What if U.S. allocates all of its production to
   wheat and Japan produces as many
 computers as possible? How much does
            the world produce?


Japan converts wheat to computers at the
rate of ____ tons wheat to 1 computer
U.S. converts wheat to computers at the
rate of ____ tons wheat to 1 computer
U.S. sacrifices production of more wheat
than Japan in the production of 1 computer
U.S. has comparative advantage in
production of wheat
Japan has comparative advantage in
production of computers
Opportunity Cost
Opportunity cost: trade-off; what you give
up for decisions

If U.S. makes decision to produce both
computers and wheat, it gives up the
opportunity to make more wheat

Decision to play a sport or play a certain
position in sports has opportunity costs.
Ex: If you play running back in football, you
give up the opportunity to throw the ball.
The Story of Babe Ruth
Greatest power hitters in
history of Major League baseball
Left-hand pitcher
Begin professional career with
Boston Red Sox in 1914
By 1915, was starting pitcher
1916-leads American League in
earned run average and
shutouts; finished third in strike-
outs and wins
Leads Red Sox to win World
Series championships in 1915,
1916, 1918
Babe, contd
  String of consecutive scoreless
  innings pitched was 29
  No designated hitters at time
  On days he didnt pitch, Babe was
  first baseman or outfielder
  As part-time hitter, hit 11 home
  runs in 1918 (tied in American
  League)
  Most runs hit by team members:
  1 !!
  1918-1919: Out of 46 homeruns hit
  by Red Sox, he hits 40 (86%); with
  only 11% of teams at bats,
  accounts for 24% of runs batted in
Babe Goes to New York
Contract sold to New York
Yankees in 1920
Yankees want to sell seats and
impressed with Babes home run
legacy
Yankees break league
attendance record by 1920 and
win American League Pennant 7
times between 1920 and 1932;
Yankees also win 4 World Series
The Statistics
          Pitching Records of the Boston Red Sox
                          1915-1918


                                               Wins/(Wins +
            Wins             Losses
                                                 Losses)

Foster      41               22                0.651

Shore       48               34                0.585

Leonard     57               42                0.576

Mays        67               40                0.626

Ruth        78               40                0.661

Total       291              178               0.620
Hitting Records of the Boston Red Sox
                      1918-1919
                                           Runs
          At               Batting Home
                   Hits                    Batted
          Bats             Ave     Runs
                                           In
Team      6,647    1,789   0.269   46      754
Ruth      749      234     0.313   40      180
Ruth/
          0.113    0.131   --      0.87    0.24
Team
Hitting Records of the New York Yankees
                       1920-1924
                            Batting   Home        Runs
        At Bats   Hits
                            Average   Runs        Batted In
Team    21,891    6,655     0.304     516         3,337
Ruth    2,455     908       0.370     235         659
Ruth/
        0.112     0.136     --        0.455       0.197
Team
Pitching Records of the New York Yankees
                          1920-1924
                                             Wins/(Wins +
                Wins          Losses
                                             Losses)
Mays            66            44             0.600
Shawkey         90            59             0.604
Hoyt            73            47             0.608
Bush            62            38             0.620
Jones           43            27             0.614
Pennock         40            15             0.727
Quinn           26            17             0.605
Collins         25            13             0.658
Total           425           260            0.620
What was Babes
Comparative Advantage?
Ruths comparative advantage was
contingent on how substitutes for him
contributed to the teams win ratio
Yankees had a strong pitching staff; didnt
need Ruth
Ruth had a comparative advantage as a
hitter for the Yankees because they had a
stronger pitching staff.
New York could show off Ruths talents
unlike the Red Sox
Attendance and receipts increased
As a hitter, Ruth helped the Yankees achieve
the possible win ratio for their team
Comparative advantage explains why Babe
Ruth, the best pitcher in the American
League in the late 1920s, specialized in
hitting home runs after Boston traded him to
the New York Yankees.
Summary
           Answer the following questions?


1. What would have been the Yankees'
   opportunity cost of using Babe Ruth as a
   pitcher? Note: A pitcher does not usually
   pitch in every game and hence, will not be
   in the batter lineup every game.
2. If the Yankees had had a poor pitching staff,
   in which position(s) would Babe Ruth have
   a comparative advantage?

More Related Content

Comparativeadvantage copy

  • 1. Comparative Advantage and Specialization Sports and Trade Williams Economics
  • 3. Specialization Concentration on producing things that a country can produce most efficiently Why do countries specialize? Specialization means focusing on strengths Success means maximizing profit (increased exports) Why do sports teams specialize? Specialization means focusing on strengths Success in sports means maximizing profit Teams want specialty players who will bring up attendance
  • 4. Absolute Advantage vs. Comparative Advantage When a country can produce more of the same resources than another country, they have an absolute advantage. Comparative advantage encourages countries to produce those goods for which they have the lower opportunity cost than another country In sports, comparative advantage explains why some athletes play one sport over another or one position over another
  • 5. Neighborly Chore Total Minutes Comparative Time Spent on Spent in Each Advantage Minutes Chore Comparative Advantage explains why specialization arises ADAM DAVID W/Tade 40 160 W/OT rade even when other people Mow enjoy absolute lawn 120 80 advantage in producing Weed 60 160 all goods garden 100 200 Comparative Time 100 320 advantage=do what you working 220 -- do best and trade for without rest (or find substitute trade supplier) Time 80 -- working 200 280 with trade Net gain 20 20 -- from 40 trade
  • 6. Comparative Advantage U.S. and Japan U.S. Japan Labor to make 100 120 computers Labor to grow 5 8 a ton of wheat COPY this chart into your notebook to answer the following question in class. What country has the absolute advantage in computer production? What country has the absolute advantage in wheat production?
  • 7. Assume US allocates labor: 100 units to computers 200 units to wheat Assume Japan allocates labor: 120 to computers 180 to wheat How much wheat and computers does the U.S. produce? How much wheat and computers does Japan produce? What are world production totals?
  • 8. What if U.S. allocates all of its production to wheat and Japan produces as many computers as possible? How much does the world produce? Japan converts wheat to computers at the rate of ____ tons wheat to 1 computer U.S. converts wheat to computers at the rate of ____ tons wheat to 1 computer U.S. sacrifices production of more wheat than Japan in the production of 1 computer U.S. has comparative advantage in production of wheat Japan has comparative advantage in production of computers
  • 9. Opportunity Cost Opportunity cost: trade-off; what you give up for decisions If U.S. makes decision to produce both computers and wheat, it gives up the opportunity to make more wheat Decision to play a sport or play a certain position in sports has opportunity costs. Ex: If you play running back in football, you give up the opportunity to throw the ball.
  • 10. The Story of Babe Ruth Greatest power hitters in history of Major League baseball Left-hand pitcher Begin professional career with Boston Red Sox in 1914 By 1915, was starting pitcher 1916-leads American League in earned run average and shutouts; finished third in strike- outs and wins Leads Red Sox to win World Series championships in 1915, 1916, 1918
  • 11. Babe, contd String of consecutive scoreless innings pitched was 29 No designated hitters at time On days he didnt pitch, Babe was first baseman or outfielder As part-time hitter, hit 11 home runs in 1918 (tied in American League) Most runs hit by team members: 1 !! 1918-1919: Out of 46 homeruns hit by Red Sox, he hits 40 (86%); with only 11% of teams at bats, accounts for 24% of runs batted in
  • 12. Babe Goes to New York Contract sold to New York Yankees in 1920 Yankees want to sell seats and impressed with Babes home run legacy Yankees break league attendance record by 1920 and win American League Pennant 7 times between 1920 and 1932; Yankees also win 4 World Series
  • 13. The Statistics Pitching Records of the Boston Red Sox 1915-1918 Wins/(Wins + Wins Losses Losses) Foster 41 22 0.651 Shore 48 34 0.585 Leonard 57 42 0.576 Mays 67 40 0.626 Ruth 78 40 0.661 Total 291 178 0.620
  • 14. Hitting Records of the Boston Red Sox 1918-1919 Runs At Batting Home Hits Batted Bats Ave Runs In Team 6,647 1,789 0.269 46 754 Ruth 749 234 0.313 40 180 Ruth/ 0.113 0.131 -- 0.87 0.24 Team
  • 15. Hitting Records of the New York Yankees 1920-1924 Batting Home Runs At Bats Hits Average Runs Batted In Team 21,891 6,655 0.304 516 3,337 Ruth 2,455 908 0.370 235 659 Ruth/ 0.112 0.136 -- 0.455 0.197 Team
  • 16. Pitching Records of the New York Yankees 1920-1924 Wins/(Wins + Wins Losses Losses) Mays 66 44 0.600 Shawkey 90 59 0.604 Hoyt 73 47 0.608 Bush 62 38 0.620 Jones 43 27 0.614 Pennock 40 15 0.727 Quinn 26 17 0.605 Collins 25 13 0.658 Total 425 260 0.620
  • 17. What was Babes Comparative Advantage? Ruths comparative advantage was contingent on how substitutes for him contributed to the teams win ratio Yankees had a strong pitching staff; didnt need Ruth Ruth had a comparative advantage as a hitter for the Yankees because they had a stronger pitching staff.
  • 18. New York could show off Ruths talents unlike the Red Sox Attendance and receipts increased As a hitter, Ruth helped the Yankees achieve the possible win ratio for their team Comparative advantage explains why Babe Ruth, the best pitcher in the American League in the late 1920s, specialized in hitting home runs after Boston traded him to the New York Yankees.
  • 19. Summary Answer the following questions? 1. What would have been the Yankees' opportunity cost of using Babe Ruth as a pitcher? Note: A pitcher does not usually pitch in every game and hence, will not be in the batter lineup every game. 2. If the Yankees had had a poor pitching staff, in which position(s) would Babe Ruth have a comparative advantage?

Editor's Notes

  1. 1
  2. If Adam and David each have a lawn to move and a garden to week. If Adam mows both lawns and David weeds both gardens, each saves 20 minutes that they can spend doing other things. Adam has absolute advantage in both things, but he benefits from trading. This occurs because each person is relatively more efficient in one activity than another. By specializing, they BOTH save time. WIN/WIN instead of zero-sum gain.
  3. US produces 1 computer and 40 tons wheat Japan produces one computer and 22.5 tons wheat, World gets 2 computers and 62.5 tons of wheat
  4. US=0 labor % 100 = NO COMPUTERS; 300 % 8 = 60 tons wheat Japan=240 % 120 = 2 computers; use rest of labor for wheat, 60%8=7.5 WORLD has 60 + 7.5 tons wheat, for total of 67.5, which is great than prior answer AND two computers. JAPANs converts 120 % 8 or 15 wheat to 1 computer US converts 100 % 5 or 20 tons wheat to one computer
  5. U.S. baseball player, one of the greatest hitters and most popular figures in the sport's history. He was born in Baltimore and raised in poverty. He began his career in 1914 as a member of Baltimore's minor-league team, and joined the Boston Red Sox later that season. He started as a pitcher, compiling an outstanding record (94 wins, 46 losses), but switched to the outfield because of his powerful hitting. Sold to the New York Yankees in 1920, he remained with the team until 1934; he played his last year with the Boston Braves (1935). He coached the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938, but his reputation for irresponsibility prevented his obtaining a permanent coaching or manager's job. His prodigious slugging earned him the nickname "Sultan of Swat." In 1927 he set the most famous of all baseball records when he hit 60 home runs in a single season, a mark that stood until 1961. He hit at least 50 home runs in four separate seasons and at least 40 in each of 11 seasons. His career slugging percentage (.690) remains an all-time record; he ranks second in career home runs (714, behind H. Aaron), runs (2,174, behind T. Cobb), and runs batted in (2,213, again behind Aaron), and third in extra-base hits (1,356, behind Aaron and S. Musial).