Who needs instant replay?

[rsmath]

Hopefully baseball will remain (mostly) instant replay free.

The greatest thing about the greatest sport is that it is the personification of human nature, governed by humans. Failures and all, I would much rather keep it that way.

considerng MLB claims at HQ that umpires are report carded, I find it odd that if they make enough mistakes, they aren't demoted to the minors to umpire (and bring up a more capable umpire from the minors). AFAIK, umpires just aren't given the big gigs (all star game, playoffs, etc) for a high rate of error.

What I would like to see is automated balls and strikes - you can take away a lot of the balls and strikes argument that way. find the average MLB player height, rule book the strike zone dimensions based on that rather than based on the batter's body, and set up and calibrate your robot sensor to detect when the ball is inside the strike zone box or hits the edge for a strike and when it misses the box for a ball. easy with today's tech and quicker than a lot of umpire's ball/strike decisions!

umpire stays at the plate for HBP decisions, swing decisions, foul/fair decisions and home plate safe/out decisions.

 

[jbhofmann]

considerng MLB claims at HQ that umpires are report carded, I find it odd that if they make enough mistakes, they aren't demoted to the minors to umpire (and bring up a more capable umpire from the minors). AFAIK, umpires just aren't given the big gigs (all star game, playoffs, etc) for a high rate of error.

What I would like to see is automated balls and strikes - you can take away a lot of the balls and strikes argument that way. find the average MLB player height, rule book the strike zone dimensions based on that rather than based on the batter's body, and set up and calibrate your robot sensor to detect when the ball is inside the strike zone box or hits the edge for a strike and when it misses the box for a ball. easy with today's tech and quicker than a lot of umpire's ball/strike decisions!

umpire stays at the plate for HBP decisions, swing decisions, foul/fair decisions and home plate safe/out decisions.

For your sake I hope this was sarcasm.

 

[Russ S.]

For your sake I hope this was sarcasm.

rsmath... Really sucky math. I doubt it was sarcasm. He genually thinks this is a good idea.
I don't see how the strike zone would be even close, if you have a 6'4" - 6'6" pitcher like Matusz or Strasburg, and try to "average" the strike zone with a 5'1" Dee Gordan. Come on... really?

 

[nbailey]

Jose Altuve does not like your idea, rsmath.

 

[homerun28aa]

Joyce's call on Galarraga was an atrocious call. I don't think a single person in the stadium including the base runner is pissed Joyce calls him out even if he was safe, which obviously he wasn't. Joyce blew the call big time, in my eyes Galarraga is the first MLB pitcher to bring 28 batters to the plate and sit all 28 of them down because Joyce just completely blew it. With all that being said, this call was worse in terms of the call itself not in terms of importance. Helton wasn't even trying to convince the ump that he was on the base. Ridiculous call even for little league but absolutely stunning for the MLB

 

[scotty216brs]

I agree that the check swing was questionable, but I have no issue with it considering there's no way they are going to give the hitter that in that moment.

In general check swings are more iffy anyway. There's no technical rule on them. It's up to the discretion of the ump if the batter intended to swing.

The least the home plate ump could have done was checked with the first base ump to confirm/deny that it was indeed a swing. Had the Galarraga perfect game blown call never happened then I believe it would have been called a check swing for ball 4. No one wants to be the next Jim Joyce, he got a ridiculous amount of hate for his blown call.

 

[nborton]

The least the home plate ump could have done was checked with the first base ump to confirm/deny that it was indeed a swing. Had the Galarraga perfect game blown call never happened then I believe it would have been called a check swing for ball 4. No one wants to be the next Jim Joyce, he got a ridiculous amount of hate for his blown call.

I think you might be right, but of all things to have to make a call on in a perfect game moment, a check swing is the most subjective. There's nothing subjective about blowing a call at first.

 

[rsmath]

rsmath... Really sucky math. I doubt it was sarcasm. He genually thinks this is a good idea.
I don't see how the strike zone would be even close, if you have a 6'4" - 6'6" pitcher like Matusz or Strasburg, and try to "average" the strike zone with a 5'1" Dee Gordan. Come on... really?

Let's say Randy Johnson's armpits are at 6' and Dee Gordon's is at 4'5. rule book the top of the strike zone at 5'2" and figure out the same for the knees to define the lower limit of the strike zone. It just means taller people will have a little lower strike zone; shorter people a little higher strike zone than the current armpit to knees batter-to-batter rule.

if matusz or strasburg can't pitch to a fixed strike zone that doesn't change from batter to batter, they have no need to be pitching in the big leagues. I don't see what the big deal is when pitchers have to adjust batter-to-batter today so pitchers are able to work with the zone they are given.

the robot will reduce many of the arguments and BS thrown at the HP ump and the ball/strike calls will be more accurate and quicker. you especially won't have the HP ump giving a pitcher with a perfect game or no-hitter such a large zone that you have to miss the zone by a foot to get a ball called because the ump doesn't want to interfere with the no hitter or perfect game by calling a pitch six inches outside a strike rather than the ball it really is.

 

[Wes]

Let's say Randy Johnson's armpits are at 6' and Dee Gordon's is at 4'5. rule book the top of the strike zone at 5'2" and figure out the same for the knees to define the lower limit of the strike zone. It just means taller people will have a little lower strike zone; shorter people a little higher strike zone than the current armpit to knees batter-to-batter rule.

if matusz or strasburg can't pitch to a fixed strike zone that doesn't change from batter to batter, they have no need to be pitching in the big leagues. I don't see what the big deal is when pitchers have to adjust batter-to-batter today so pitchers are able to work with the zone they are given.

the robot will reduce many of the arguments and BS thrown at the HP ump and the ball/strike calls will be more accurate and quicker. you especially won't have the HP ump giving a pitcher with a perfect game or no-hitter such a large zone that you have to miss the zone by a foot to get a ball called because the ump doesn't want to interfere with the no hitter or perfect game by calling a pitch six inches outside a ball rather than a strike.

I'm not totally against the computer strike zone, but the idea that the zone is the same size for every hitter is ridiculous.

 

[nborton]

I'm not totally against the computer strike zone, but the idea that the zone is the same size for every hitter is ridiculous.

I agree. There's no way it can or should be the same. It doesn't make sense.

In a related note, this is one of the reasons why I've always thought guys like Pedroia, and now Altuve usually hit for high averages. Their strike zone is naturally smaller, and harder to get strikes. So they hit in better counts. Verses a guy like Dunn who has a huge strike zone.

 

[jbhofmann]

Let's say Randy Johnson's armpits are at 6' and Dee Gordon's is at 4'5. rule book the top of the strike zone at 5'2" and figure out the same for the knees to define the lower limit of the strike zone. It just means taller people will have a little lower strike zone; shorter people a little higher strike zone than the current armpit to knees batter-to-batter rule.

if matusz or strasburg can't pitch to a fixed strike zone that doesn't change from batter to batter, they have no need to be pitching in the big leagues. I don't see what the big deal is when pitchers have to adjust batter-to-batter today so pitchers are able to work with the zone they are given.

the robot will reduce many of the arguments and BS thrown at the HP ump and the ball/strike calls will be more accurate and quicker. you especially won't have the HP ump giving a pitcher with a perfect game or no-hitter such a large zone that you have to miss the zone by a foot to get a ball called because the ump doesn't want to interfere with the no hitter or perfect game by calling a pitch six inches outside a strike rather than the ball it really is.

I'm 6'8" and do not approve this message.

 

[markakis8]

Wes, I'm sure you saw the two play Ed Rapuano blew at first tonight. Second one was definitely a make up call for calling Pagan out at first. Pagan's reaction was priceless on the second one (he was in the dugout)

 

[schmidtfan20]

Umps had a rough night in DC tonight also. Cost the Phillies a win.

 

[ASTROBURN]

Daaaammmnnn....