Posted on 09/06/2015 2:36:32 PM PDT by 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.
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What’s the best technology to do it?
At least not for black players.
Baseball's biggest problem is egotist umps who take over the game. Though, it's gotten a lot better since they faced down the ump's union awhile back.
What about calls at the other plates and balks? So put a robot behind the plate and see low long that lasts before the fans start throwing things at the robot.
I’m all for umpires getting it right.
Next let’s check out the NBA referees. Why do they never call traveling in the NBA?? Players can run and take 3 steps without dribbling the ball and the refs still don’t call traveling.
Not a bad idea. With the camera technology we have today, it is easy to call balls and strikes from the booth. You would still have to have a home plate umpire to call plays at the plate though.
I think traveling calls went bye-bye when Michael Jordan rose to fame. Just like the in NFL, management (and television) likes offense.
Good one.
"Hey! It's Enrico Pallazzo!"
Seems to me the tech could be built into the plate. Maybe a small bead in the center of the ball? The plate could detect where the ball passed over the plate, and the height of the ball. Umps would still have to determine whether the ball was low or high, determined by the stature of the player.
But I haven’t cared about baseball since the Indians traded Rocky!
Something like that.
moreover, calling “balls” sounds very sexist.
The height of the strike zone is the aspect that needs the most help. I can’t think of way to do it, unless you give up different strike zones for different sized players and stances and just come up with something uniform. If you put sensors in uniforms you are going to have players crouched double and not swinging as much, something they want to avoid as more walks will slow the game down more with less action. Not to mention players fiddling with their uni’s to make shorter zones.
Freegards
People still watch baseball? How quaint.
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