Do You Support A Technology-Assisted Strike Zone?

[Spy Fox]

You're an MLB owner.

Here's the proposal:

Home plate umpires would have a small electronic device that would tell them instantaneously whether a pitch was a ball or strike. The body dimensions (and perhaps batting stance data) would be digitally loaded in the system to determine the high/low borders of the zone. Umpire's device is either a small gadget held in the hand which vibrates in a specific way for a strike, or a headset which would emit a certain beep for a strike. Both options perform with equal accuracy. The feedback time is less than 1 second. Umpires are instructed to follow the device's lead on balls/strikes unless there is a clear malfunction.

Yea or nay?

Footnotes

*Let's assume this is a separate question from increased video replay on out/safe, fair/foul calls. The only change would be ball/strike.

*I'm not trying to suggest that the home-plate umpire was a major detriment to us in today's game. I did think he had an unusually wide strikezonefor Dickey, but the zone for Arrieta was fair as well and let's face it, we couldn't have hit that knuckleball whether the strikezone was the size of a coaster or a coffee table.

[El Gordo]

No. They just need to monitor the umps and hold them accountable when they call poor games. If they are consistently poor they need to be demoted.

[Roll Tide]

They did it in softball by adding a mat behind home plate.... It really didn't help and it takes away pitches that would be called strikes by removing flexibility. There are down sides believe me.

[Can_of_corn]

No. They just need to monitor the umps and hold them accountable when they call poor games. If they are consistently poor they need to be demoted.

Good luck getting that past the union.

You would have a better shot getting the computer assist passed.

[Can_of_corn]

They did it in softball by adding a mat behind home plate.... It really didn't help and it takes away pitches that would be called strikes by removing flexibility. There are down sides believe me.

Would have to think that MLB would have the resources to get it done right.

[Barnaby Graves]

It really didn't help and it takes away pitches that would be called strikes by removing flexibility.

I'm confused, what does this mean? The strike zone isn't flexible. Well it's not in the rule book.

[Can_of_corn]

I'm confused, what does this mean? The strike zone isn't flexible. Well it's not in the rule book.

You know, if it is really hot out and stuff, and you got things to do after the game...

[Gurgi]

Hell yes. And I would just take biometric measurements of the hitters. Where their knees and chest are and give them a strike zone off of that. I dont care if they bend over at the waist in the batters box. It shouldnt matter.

[Gurgi]

I would love it. No longer would Maddox get a ball six inches off the plate and no longer would Jeter be able to jump back and fake like he got scared of being hit and get a call on a ball on the inside half.

It would be great.

[scottbbfm]

No way-there would be way too much offense.

It's part of the game to have hitters adjust to slightly different zones on a nightly basis.

It's also part of the game to reward a pitcher who has been pounding the zone all night to give him the close pitch while not rewarding a pitcher who is all over the place.

Lastly though, the umpires just need to be better, there is no excuse for some of the calls that we've seen this year. And those umpires need to be sent down when they aren't getting it done.

[Barnaby Graves]

You know, if it is really hot out and stuff, and you got things to do after the game...

Maybe it's because I'm an unfeeling and uncaring robot sent here by my Microsoft overlords to ruin baseball, but this crap bothers me so much.

[Barnaby Graves]

It's part of the game to have hitters adjust to slightly different zones on a nightly basis.

It's a stupid part of the game that leaves baseball more open to corruption and favoritism.

It's also part of the game to reward a pitcher who has been pounding the zone all night to give him the close pitch while not rewarding a pitcher who is all over the place.

People should be rewarded and punished based on what they actually do. This isn't Subway where you get a free sandwich after you buy five of them, every strikeout should be earned, and if all-over-the-place guy suddenly stops being all over the place he should be rewarded for that.

Lastly though, the umpires just need to be better, there is no excuse for some of the calls that we've seen this year. And those umpires need to be sent down when they aren't getting it done.

As was already said good luck with the union on that.

[Can_of_corn]

No way-there would be way too much offense.

It's part of the game to have hitters adjust to slightly different zones on a nightly basis.

It's also part of the game to reward a pitcher who has been pounding the zone all night to give him the close pitch while not rewarding a pitcher who is all over the place.

Lastly though, the umpires just need to be better, there is no excuse for some of the calls that we've seen this year. And those umpires need to be sent down when they aren't getting it done.

Oooh, oooh! Don't forget the famous "He hasn't earned that strike call". Nothing I like more then watching CC get pitches on the corner called strikes and then in the next half an inning, the same pitch be called a ball.

[scottbbfm]

Clearly there aren't many former pitchers on the board.

[bdlj0887]

No way-there would be way too much offense.

It's part of the game to have hitters adjust to slightly different zones on a nightly basis.

It's also part of the game to reward a pitcher who has been pounding the zone all night to give him the close pitch while not rewarding a pitcher who is all over the place.

Lastly though, the umpires just need to be better, there is no excuse for some of the calls that we've seen this year. And those umpires need to be sent down when they aren't getting it done.

I would think pitchers knew if there was a place they could put a pitch where barely any hitters could hit it and have it consistently called a strike, they would be thrilled. As it stands now, most of those pitchers aren't consistently called strikes. Up and in fastballs, low backdoor breakers, etc.