It is time for Major League Baseball umpires to stop calling balls and strikes

Business Insider ^ | September 6, 2015 | Cork Gaines

[EveningStar]

Having umpires call balls and strikes is one of the most fundamental aspects of both the game of baseball and the profession of Major League Baseball umpires. But as we get better at recognizing what is really a strike it is becoming painfully obvious that it is time for the umps to give up the responsibility.

[Mariner]

"You made my point."

I'll do it again!

Not only does the DH alternate in the World Series...all other nuances to the rules alternate too lol

When in the AL park, the high strike rules. When in the NL park, you get the corners and an inch or two below the knee.

[teeman8r]

He hasthree balls in his hands for some reason

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

That accuracy [of the umpires] quickly improved [after technology gave the umpires feedback] and is now at 86% now that umpires can more accurately see which pitches they are getting right and more importantly, the pitches they get wrong.

What’s the best technology to do it?

Article says that a simple 2-D model of the strike zone is "instantaneous.” And projects that it is about 95% accurate. Claim is that it takes about 3 seconds to process a 3-D model of the strike zone.

IMHO if one 2-D model (of the front plane of the zone) is instantaneous, two 2-D models (one of the front plane of the zone, one of the same size but of a plane parallel to it, and as far back as to meet the foul lines) should also be pretty much instantaneous. And IMHO that would be about 98% accurate.

Taking that a step further, calculating whether the ball

1. did not cross the front plane of the zone, or

2. did not cross a plane along the 3rd base line portion of the zone, or

3. did not cross a plane along the 1st base line portion of the zone,

would IMHO be an essentially perfect indication of a ball. For a ball to be a strike while passing those three criteria it would have to drop from just barely above the zone, and curve to just left of the left back plane, or just right of the right black plane. That is possible, but it’s can’t be that common . . .

Of course it would be possible for a pitch thrown a la a slow pitch softball to be lobbed above the front plane of the strike zone and fall below the back planes of the strike zone . . . but c’mon. I have experience of pitching that way, and the only effective way to do it is to pitch inside, and land the ball just beside the back of the plate. Pitches which hit the plate were automatic balls.

My opinion is that my three-plane strike zone implementation would be fast enough (run the front plane first, you’ve already got a 95% confidence interval; 4% of the time the ump makes a delayed call on a high curve or changeup - which the batter probably swings at anyway). Maybe 1% of strikes, all high curve balls (or the occasional high knuckle ball), you miss. Boo hoo. It the ump thinks it is obvious, he calls a strike in defiance of the system.

[Mariner]

"When Curt Schilling said he studied tape of umps to get a handle on their version of the strike zone that should have spawned panic in the halls of the MLB and they should have fixed it, with firing or technology."

Why would they screw up a perfect game, as it is now?

And, why would fans that can't even spot an Infield Fly Rule in progress get a vote in changing what almost all players and coaches like and respect? Venerate even.

[GSWarrior]

Baseball players, managers and umpires are such drama queens. None of the other major sports has as many prima donnas.

[dfwgator]

Plenty of Prima Donnas in football.

[Mariner]

Ooops. It was NOT a great play after all.

It was a violation of the Posey rule.

Another travesty.

[dfwgator]

IIRC, he was trying to stall the game getting to the seventh inning, because that’s when Reggie would get activated to try to kill the queen.

[GSWarrior]

Baseball players are way too preoccupied with being “shown up”.

[Rock N Jones]

Well Umps,

“You’re outta here!”

[LibertarianLiz]

Just finished watching the Mariners at Oakland. The guy behind the plate seemed to have real problems calling strikes that were in the low area of the strike zone; yet, called a strike that was well outside the strike zone. The little strike zone that they can display is the reason we are asking these questions.

Maybe they should start using the technology for the playoffs and World Series games. Those are the ones that matter. But, I'm at a point where I would be willing to try it out on regular games.

[UCANSEE2]

[UCANSEE2]

[skeeter]

The ONLY thing they complain about is when a particular ump is NOT CONSISTENT.

Yup. Umps with different strikes zones is part of the game but nothing p*sses the fans off faster than an ump who can't make his mind up whats a strike & whats a ball.

[UCANSEE2]

Hey ref, where's the strike zone today ?

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

The Cardinals ended their game last night on strike 5.

[JPG]

Edward Carl Gaedel (June 8, 1925 – June 18, 1961) was an American with dwarfism who became famous for participating in a Major League Baseball game.

from Wiki

[Hebrews 11:6]

Blank reply

[discostu]

There’s nothing perfect about every single ump having their own version of the strike zone. And the players DON’T like it, and neither do the coaches. NOBODY venerates the idiocy of the rule book having no meaning because each ump is making it up on their own. The game is far from perfect, it is hands down the worst officiated sport in the country. Not only are ump calls functionally random, they’re the most egotistical of all the officials and most likely to insert themselves into the game just to make sure everybody know they’re important.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Well argued, although in the past year instant reply has taken most of the air out of the sails, and corrected the worst malfeasance, of Cowboy Joe and Angel, etc.