In 2006, in an effort to end the so-called “steroid era,” Major League Baseball introduced a strict drug-testing policy in order to discourage players from using performance-enhancing drugs. The table shows how overall earned run average, or ERA, changed from 2006 through 2014. Find the average annual rate of change, to the nearest thousandth, during this period.

Year.....................ERA

2006....................4.53

2007....................4.47

2008................... 4.32

2009................... 4.32

2010................... 4.08

2011................... 3.94

2012.....................4.01

2013.................... 3.87

2014.................... 3.74