For crying out loud, can MLB please implement an electronic strike zone already?

[survivedc]

Has there been any actual discussion about this in the league office? Or is there a way to know. Even if it was under consideration, I would imagine it would take a few years to be implemented.

What I would like to see is some sort of review of umpires over the course of a season. Don't let the umpires that consistently call pitches out of the zone continue to be behind the plate.

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[24fps]

If I ever really, truly, genuinely, bone-deep hated someone (a word I rarely use), my curse would be that they live in a perfect world; a world where all ambiguity had been ruthlessly eradicated. Is there anything uglier than sterility?

[InsideCoroner]

If I ever really, truly, genuinely, bone-deep hated someone (a word I rarely use), my curse would be that they live in a perfect world; a world where all ambiguity had been ruthlessly eradicated. Is there anything uglier than sterility?

It's not a popular opinion but I'm with you on this one.

[DrungoHazewood]

If I ever really, truly, genuinely, bone-deep hated someone (a word I rarely use), my curse would be that they live in a perfect world; a world where all ambiguity had been ruthlessly eradicated. Is there anything uglier than sterility?

I'd have them live in a world where they're eternally stuck repeating a 1996 game against the Braves they lose 1-0 and Tom Glavine always gets a strike on every pitch 6" off the outside corner and they don't.

[mall-O-cup]

I thought Gausman got squeezed tonight, while Fulmer and Givens got some pretty generous calls. Worst strike zone I've seen in a few weeks.

I watched the game and he absolutely got squeezed. Joe West was a pain in the you know what. Also, the look on Manny's face on that called third strike. I thought he did a good job keeping his composure.

[Frobby]

I count four pitches Gausman threw down in the zone that were strikes but we're called balls, and another four pitches that were borderline that were called balls. He did get the benefit of two balls that were called strikes and a borderline pitch called a strike. http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?month=9&day=9&year=2016&game=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&pitchSel=592332&prevGame=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&prevDate=99&league=mlb

Fulmer threw two strikes that were called balls and had one borderline pitch called a ball. He had two balls that were called strikes and two borderline pitches called strikes. http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?month=9&day=9&year=2016&game=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&pitchSel=605242&prevGame=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&prevDate=99&league=mlb

I am defining a borderline pitch as one where the ball was perhaps touching the outer edge of the strike zone, but mostly outside the zone according to the chart.

[Aristotelian]

I count four pitches Gausman threw down in the zone that were strikes but we're called balls, and another four pitches that were borderline that were called balls. He did get the benefit of two balls that were called strikes and a borderline pitch called a strike. http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?month=9&day=9&year=2016&game=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&pitchSel=592332&prevGame=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&prevDate=99&league=mlb

Fulmer threw two strikes that were called balls and had one borderline pitch called a ball. He had two balls that were called strikes and two borderline pitches called strikes. http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?month=9&day=9&year=2016&game=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&pitchSel=605242&prevGame=gid_2016_09_09_balmlb_detmlb_1%2F&prevDate=99&league=mlb

I am defining a borderline pitch as one where the ball was perhaps touching the outer edge of the strike zone, but mostly outside the zone according to the chart.

There was also a checked swing call that did not go the O's way right after one of the borderline pitches that was called a ball. That is an umpire judgment call but it looked to me like it crossed the plane and broke the wrists. I believe that was on the critical JD Martinez AB. It wasn't so much the number of the bad calls but a bunch came all at once in a critical situation.

[Ruzious]

I'm usually the one defending the umps on balls & strikes calls, because they actually get very few wrong other than borderline pitches, but... Joe West either had something against Gausman last night or he was flat out blind. Either way, he was clearly incompetent.

[Tx Oriole]

I'm usually the one defending the umps on balls & strikes calls, because they actually get very few wrong other than borderline pitches, but... Joe West either had something against Gausman last night or he was flat out blind. Either way, he was clearly incompetent.

Maybe so but that's not the reason the O's lost the game. IMO

[Frobby]

Maybe so but that's not the reason the O's lost the game. IMO

I never like to make an excuse that an ump made the difference, because you can never really know. But I do think last night was probably one of the 10 worst-called games of the year.

[Ruzious]

Maybe so but that's not the reason the O's lost the game. IMO

I never said it was, but now that you brought it up... we'll never know. It could have gone so many ways considering how many bad calls were made. They might as well have had Vince McMahon officiating the game.

[OFFNY]

o

(ORIOLES vs. BLUE JAYS, 10/04) oo [Wild Card Playoff Game]

This was a really questionably called game by the home plate umpire.

[O's are Legends]

Poor umpiring had a direct effect on 2 O's games this past week. Tuesday August 8th against Anaheim, the O's were down 3-2 to the Angels with Rickard up to bat with a 3-0 count. The next pitch was so far inside all Palmer could say was "wow!" when the home plate ump called it a strike. Next pitch pop up to end the game. Jones was due up next and we will never know what could have happened. Can't find the article right now but umps are known to call more strikes on 3-0 counts even when it's not close.

Yesterday against the A's, Trumbo struck out looking in the 3rd inning I believe, O's had runners 2nd and 3rd, it was a 3-2 pitch about half a foot outside, once again not even close to a strike. Thanks to Jim Wolf the O's don't get a bases loaded opportunity.

In the bottom of the 4th, Hellickson has Chapman at 0-2, next pitch gets plenty of the outside portion of the strike zone yet called a ball. Of course, Chapman would go on to homer that at bat with this at bat being a game changer.

Right now, every game is crucial for the O's. I can't stand poor umpiring, either do something about the zone or get better umps than Jim Wolf. 

[spiritof66]

1 hour ago, O's are Legends said:

. . .  Can't find the article right now but umps are known to call more strikes on 3-0 counts even when it's not close. . . .

This research has been done a few times, I'm pretty sure with consistent results. Here's one example: 

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/four-strikes-and-youre-out/

While I strongly favor the goal of improving the accuracy of ball/strike calls through the use of technology, I think I understand why some oppose that. I have some reservations myself because I'm not sure how the system would operate or what home-plate umpiring would look like.  

What I can't understand at all opposition to having MLB develop and apply that technology, showing us how it would work, and trying it out in fall league or other non-MLB games.  

 

[O's are Legends]

5 hours ago, spiritof66 said:

This research has been done a few times, I'm pretty sure with consistent results. Here's one example: 

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/four-strikes-and-youre-out/

While I strongly favor the goal of improving the accuracy of ball/strike calls through the use of technology, I think I understand why some oppose that. I have some reservations myself because I'm not sure how the system would operate or what home-plate umpiring would look like.  

What I can't understand at all opposition to having MLB develop and apply that technology, showing us how it would work, and trying it out in fall league or other non-MLB games.  

 

Thanks for posting that link. At the end of the day, if the umps simply called the balls and strikes properly with no relation to the count, I think there would be a lot less chatter for technology aided strike zones as long as horrible umps like Angel Hernandez etc were actually demoted, removed from the game etc. That's obviously asking for a lot and about a 0 percent chance Hernandez and other awful umps leave the game.