Do You Support A Technology-Assisted Strike Zone?

[OFFNY]

I want some sort of digital system that can automatically detect balls and strikes, and give an electric shock to the home plate umpire when he calls a pitch incorrectly.

Or at least have the umpires pretend that they are being electrically shocked to appease angry fans.

Then, we'll find out just how humane baseball fans at-large are. :scratchchinhmm:

http://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/a/milgram.htm

[Frobby]

I was a no voter for a long time in polls like this. But I feel that umps are getting worse and worse at calling balls and strikes, and I'm sick of it.

[Can_of_corn]

I was a no voter for a long time in polls like this. But I feel that umps are getting worse and worse at calling balls and strikes, and I'm sick of it.

I think that they are not getting worse, but with pitch FX the fans can more easily see the missed calls.

I wonder what the cost would be on chipping the balls so that they could have 100% certainty on all calls involving the physical ball?

[OriolesFaithful]

Looking at the computerized pitch replays on tv compared to actual replays, I'm not convinced the technology is 100% there yet. It probably will be in about 2 years though, so I'm not too worried about that aspect of it. It just seems to me like umpires are part of the game, as lame as that sounds. Mixing the zone up a little bit every night also rewards hitter and pitchers who can make adjustments on the fly, rather than guys who just learn to throw it in one particular spot every time.

And where would this be implemented? It would seem odd to use this in the majors and not the minors, because it really changes the complexion of the game and the skill set required to be successful.

Are the computerized pitch replays on MASN from the Pitch f/x system, though? Following games on MLB Gameday, the pitch f/x system seems very accurate but I'm not sure if that same technology is put through to the MASN feed or whether it's MASN's own pitch tracking system.

[DrungoHazewood]

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.

If you think there's too much offense, change the rules to fix that. If you think the strike zone is a fluid thing that the ump gets to define on a pitch-by-pitch basis I couldn't disagree more strongly. And I don't think that you're going to have much traction or success demoting and promoting umpires.

I want to see a Drungo post here about how the MLB is so afraid to make a change, how MLB clings too much to the past while other major sports leagues openly embrace technology in making their games more fair, etc.

You pretty much have it covered. The argument against a system like this seems to be "I like the pastoral beauty of Alexander Cartwright's game, and think that its utterly frustrating, illogical artifacts from more primitive times are not a bug, but a feature, because that's the way it was when I was 12."

God no. I just want to watch good baseball. The game my father and his father played.

See previous statement.

Why would the umps prefer a computer that might eliminate jobs?

No umps would lose their job under this plan.

My assumption is that most replay/electronic aid systems would add jobs - you'd get much better results with a fifth ump in the booth with constant, real-time access to video and replays to help the guys on the field get it right.

I think that the current home run review system doesn't do things this way and instead forces the umps to go under the stands for 10 minutes is done that way to "prove" replay systems are always a huge interruption and burden and can't be implemented well in baseball. In other words, yes, I believe it's a conspiracy by the hidebound traditionalists.

[Lucky Jim]

I think that they are not getting worse, but with pitch FX the fans can more easily see the missed calls.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

[srock]

I say give it a go for a season. If implemented correctly, it would be totally transparent to the fan. We wouldn't notice the lack of bad calls

[El Gordo]

How much would an electronic system in every park cost vs better monitoring of umps ball and strikes calls? I think the problem most people have is with consistency. It seems to me if an umpire can't be consistent with his ball strike calling then he sjhouldn't be allowed to be a plate umpire until he qualified again. I like the idea of the 5th umpire in the booth for instant replay, and I have heard that most umpires are in favor of instant replay in general. I wonder how they would feel about electronic balls and strikes vs better monitoring.

[scOtt]

This. And He still gets to make the calls. They must be trained. It has to be a significant shock though. With the electrodes placed strategically.

You're a wonderfully evil man sometimes, weams!

[Tx Oriole]

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.

I really dont want to take the human out of the equation. If the O'shad won the game last night would this come up? I do know that umpires have been bad this year but i dont want MLB becoming the NFL. IMO

[El Gordo]

Since half of the strike zone is dependent on the individual batter and his stance at the plate, I wonder how an electronic system would account for that. How does pitch fx account for it?

[BirdFlipper]

I really dont want to take the human out of the equation.

This.

The OP asked that we separate balls and strikes from the rest of the calls, when considering if we should welcome our new robotumpire overlords. Wisely, I think, because balls/strikes are harder to deal with than the rest of the calls (IMO).

I'm against putting a machine in charge of balls and strikes, and I think that we should hold umpires more accountable. We don't need technology in order to hold them to a higher standard.

[Can_of_corn]

This.

The OP asked that we separate balls and strikes from the rest of the calls, when considering if we should welcome our new robotumpire overlords. Wisely, I think, because balls/strikes are harder to deal with than the rest of the calls (IMO).

I'm against putting a machine in charge of balls and strikes, and I think that we should hold umpires more accountable. We don't need technology in order to hold them to a higher standard.

Please explain how you are going to hold umps more accountable.

[osfan83]

The problem is, the current system just adds to baseballs inequalities. The Yankess have more revenue, so they can hire Tex to play first base. Tex is more talented than Mark Reynolds, so right off the bat the Yankees have a competitive advantage because of their market size. Then add in that Tex has a reputation as a good hitter with a sharp eye at the plate. Meanwhile Reynolds does not have the same reputation, and in fact, strikes out a lot. So umps now give Tex a ball for the same pitch they give Reynolds a strike because of reputation. Multiply that over an entire roster across an entire season and you end up with the Yankees having superiour talent, and a more favorable set of rules. Net result: The Yankees go to the playoffs 19 out of 20 years.

[DrungoHazewood]

How much would an electronic system in every park cost vs better monitoring of umps ball and strikes calls?

Price of the electronic system: at least several $millions plus upkeep.

Price of monitoring and dealing with the 100% of umpires who can't consistently judge balls and strikes: Several tons of magic pixie dust, and a batallion of union busters.