winning on the road

So I read a book recently that stated that there really is no such thing as home field advantage.  Home field advantage basically means that a home team should win more often while they are at home because they are used to playing there, much like you are more comfortable in your own home.

The book stated that for professional athletes, very little about their performance changes, no matter where they are playing.  However, home field advantage is real.  The book went on to state that home field advantage exists because the umpires or other officials are more prone to make calls that favor home players.  In baseball, you can see this in the strike zone.  It may not happen often, but a couple calls against the road team can definitely reduce their chances of winning.

In the graphic below, you will see that when Milwaukee was on the road at Chicago, the Milwaukee pitcher did not get a called strike on the 2nd pitched ball, even though it clearly appeared to be in the strike zone. Instead of an 0-2 count, the Brewer pitcher is in a 1-1 count.  Playing everything out, you see that Ramirez swings and misses on the third pitch, which could've been a strikeout.

Of course, who knows how the scenario plays out if the umpire had indeed called a strike on that 2nd pitch.  In the end, Ramirez grounded out to the pitcher, and no damage was caused.  But what happens when this small favor is repeated throughout the game for the home team?