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

[OFFNY]

7 hours ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

Previous to the call in question (the 3-2 punch-out of Victor Robles), Ryan Zimmerman had a 3-2 pitch that was probably a strike that was called a ball, and he drew a walk (instead of ending the inning) ........ so one could argue that the inning should have been over in the first place before the very bad call to Robles.

Either way, the whole electronic umpire debate is (if nothing else) interesting.

 

 

How One Blown Strike Call in Game 5 Illustrates MLB's need for Robot Umps

(By Jeff Passan)

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27947161/how-one-blown-strike-call-game-5-illustrates-mlb-need-robot-umps

 

o

 

 

3 hours ago, weams said:

 

19-3 over the weekend. A Maddux pitch or two did not do that. 

 

o

 

I didn't insinuate that it did, as I pointed out the fact that the previous batter could have been easily called out on strikes which would have ended the inning in the first place. 

The article suggests/asserts that a crucial bad call could make a significant impact on a game, which we all know happens frequently throughout the course of each and every season ........ in fact, that is the crux of your OP (and your corresponding thread title.)

 

o

[ShoelesJoe]

From the article: 

Quote

Now, a caveat: As the beta testing in the Arizona Fall League this month has shown, the robot ump needs work -- a lot of work. Breaking balls in the dirt that cut through a fraction of the three-dimensional zone have been called strikes. They look ridiculous.

They don’t look ridiculous — they look like pitches that should be called strikes. What the ball does after it goes through (or past) the strike zone is irrelevant, both as a matter of common sense and by the rule book. Whether the pitch hits the dirt in front of the catcher or how that catcher receives it should have no bearing on if it was a ball or a strike. 
 

The system used in the AFL is pretty much ready for prime time, and should be implemented at the major league level ASAP. 

[byrdz]

Kind of a side note. But I feel like they should stop showing the strike zone box on the broadcast. It's not what the ump is seeing or using to make calls so why do it? Seems like all it does is mislead the viewer into thinking that's what's happening.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, byrdz said:

Kind of a side note. But I feel like they should stop showing the strike zone box on the broadcast. It's not what the ump is seeing or using to make calls so why do it? Seems like all it does is mislead the viewer into thinking that's what's happening.

I think people enjoy it.

So if brings people joy.

[Chavez Ravine]

1 hour ago, byrdz said:

Kind of a side note. But I feel like they should stop showing the strike zone box on the broadcast. It's not what the ump is seeing or using to make calls so why do it? Seems like all it does is mislead the viewer into thinking that's what's happening.

I don’t like it just from an aesthetic point of view. I want to watch the game, not an augmented reality. There is plenty of time while the pitcher and batter center themselves in preparation for the next pitch to show me any iffy calls with the box assist.

[now]

3 hours ago, Chavez Ravine said:

I don’t like it just from an aesthetic point of view. I want to watch the game, not an augmented reality. There is plenty of time while the pitcher and batter center themselves in preparation for the next pitch to show me any iffy calls with the box assist.

What it does for me is let me appreciate how consistently these elite pitchers can dot the edges and corners... challenging the batters, and umps, with almost every pitch.

[atomic]

On 8/16/2018 at 8:52 PM, O's are Legends said:

Pat Hoberg is missing strikes right in the zone (Rockies vs Braves) - did a bit more research and found this.

 

Fulmer makes himself look like a jerk in the article.  If the umpire apologizes for the missed calls and says he is having a bad day what else does he want from him? Fulmer has a pretty bad year in 2018.  Really he has no room to talk,

[backwardsk]

Some language in here.

But take a look at the part about the ump not calling strike three because Gomes started to go around the horn a little too early for the ump’s feelings.

This doesn’t show the obvious missed strike three prior to the Correra homer.

[DrungoHazewood]

15 hours ago, ShoelesJoe said:

From the article: 

They don’t look ridiculous — they look like pitches that should be called strikes. What the ball does after it goes through (or past) the strike zone is irrelevant, both as a matter of common sense and by the rule book. Whether the pitch hits the dirt in front of the catcher or how that catcher receives it should have no bearing on if it was a ball or a strike. 
 

The system used in the AFL is pretty much ready for prime time, and should be implemented at the major league level ASAP. 

Fan response: "Yea, I know what the rule book says.  But it looks stupid to me and umps don't call it, so the rules are dumb."

[DrungoHazewood]

14 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think people enjoy it.

So if brings people joy.

I like it.  I want to know if the pitch is objectively a strike or not in near real time.  You just can't tell with the offset center field camera.

[spiritof66]

15 hours ago, ShoelesJoe said:

From the article: 

They don’t look ridiculous — they look like pitches that should be called strikes. What the ball does after it goes through (or past) the strike zone is irrelevant, both as a matter of common sense and by the rule book. Whether the pitch hits the dirt in front of the catcher or how that catcher receives it should have no bearing on if it was a ball or a strike. 
 

The system used in the AFL is pretty much ready for prime time, and should be implemented at the major league level ASAP. 

My guess is that MLB is likely to implement an electronic strike zone in about 10-15 years. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

My guess is that MLB is likely to implement an electronic strike zone in about 10-15 years. 

I think it will be ushered in with the next CBA.  They aren't waiting a decade, not with the way technology is advancing.

[spiritof66]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think it will be ushered in with the next CBA.  They aren't waiting a decade, not with the way technology is advancing.

I hope you're right, but I'm dubious. MLB is very reluctant to make changes to the game itself -- as opposed to the rules for player acquisition,team finances, etc. -- that might put off traditionalist fans.

At a minimum, I think there will be two or three years of testing and fine-tuning in the minors before balls and strikes are called electronically  in MLB. 

[TAMC]

16 hours ago, ShoelesJoe said:

From the article: 

They don’t look ridiculous — they look like pitches that should be called strikes. What the ball does after it goes through (or past) the strike zone is irrelevant, both as a matter of common sense and by the rule book. Whether the pitch hits the dirt in front of the catcher or how that catcher receives it should have no bearing on if it was a ball or a strike. 
 

The system used in the AFL is pretty much ready for prime time, and should be implemented at the major league level ASAP. 

Probably showing my ignorance, but as long as we're setting up a computerized system, shouldn't the strike zone be 3 dimensional, so we know whether the pitch passed over a portion of the plate and/or through the required vertical zone?  This is technically feasible, I think, but might require a lot more cameras/computing requirements.  The one on TV seems to be a vertical plane located at some point over the plate.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, TAMC said:

Probably showing my ignorance, but as long as we're setting up a computerized system, shouldn't the strike zone be 3 dimensional, so we know whether the pitch passed over a portion of the plate and/or through the required vertical zone?  This is technically feasible, I think, but might require a lot more cameras/computing requirements.  The one on TV seems to be a vertical plane located at some point over the plate.

Yes, unless they change the rules the electronic strike zone would have to be three dimensional.