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MLB umpires agree to electronic strike zone testing and development for 'robot umps' in new union deal
See BS ^ | 12/21/19 | Katherine Acquavella

Posted on 12/22/2019 4:47:19 AM PST by Libloather

The electronic strike zone, also commonly refereed to as "robot umpires," could make its way to Major League Baseball at some point during the next five seasons. The Major League Baseball Umpires Association agreed to cooperate with Major League Baseball in the development and testing of the electronic strike zone, Associated Press' Ben Walker and Ronald Blum report.

**SNIP**

Last month, Manfred said the automated strike zone will be used in some minor league ballparks during the 2020 season as MiLB works to improve the technology. Here's the short version of how the technology works: The home plate umpire will wear an ear piece during the game, and they will hear a "ball" or "strike" call on each pitch. The pitch is identified using a Doppler radar system, called TrackMan. The umpire will hear and relay the call. For an in-depth look at the technology, including thoughts from players and personnel, you can read more about the initial experiment with the Atlantic League here.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History; Sports; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: electronic; mlb; strike; umpires
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To: olesigh

My weakness, constancy on the low strike. We were supposed to do top off the knee, but most wanted us center knee.

Remember if you take the inside edge of the ball on the outside edge of the plate that makes the zone about 5 inches wider than the plate.


41 posted on 12/22/2019 5:23:14 PM PST by olesigh
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To: All

about time.
I hate the idea of each umpire havig their own zone. That was supposed to go away but it’s worse now IMO.
They need to put a few of these guys out to pasture too. I don’t need to know the umpire’s name.


42 posted on 12/22/2019 5:34:17 PM PST by newnhdad (Our new motto: USA, it was fun while it lasted.)
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To: gwjack

Personally, I don’t like, and have never liked, replays in sports.


I find I like how pro rugby does it. Each match has a TMO (television match official). If the on-field ref asks, the TMO will show him (and all the fans) the play in question on the field’s big screen. In addition, if the TMO spots ‘foul play’ and the on-field ref doesn’t, he’ll let the ref know. It does stop the game and some don’t like that part of it, but they seem to try to get calls right. And rugby doesn’t feature a lot of time stoppages by its very nature. There are no commercial time outs.


43 posted on 12/22/2019 5:57:26 PM PST by hanamizu
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To: olesigh

Back in the middle of the last century - before all the fancy ways the computer tells us how to bat & throw, it was ‘breaking your wrist’ to determine whether it was a checked swing or not OR if your wrist ‘rolled over’ it was a swing.

You are correct though that it does appear to get called even though wrists not rolled but head of bat is ahead of body.....or something like that.. <: <: <:


44 posted on 12/22/2019 6:22:31 PM PST by xrmusn (6/98"HRC is the Grandmother that lures Hansel & Gretel to the pot")
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To: xrmusn

In 1969 it was not break your wrist. It was the position of the bat and how far it went over the plate.


45 posted on 12/22/2019 6:48:58 PM PST by olesigh
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To: Fester Chugabrew

It is adjusted according to the batter. It’s from roughly the knee to just above the letters on the shirt. For a shorter batter, it’s a shorter zone.


46 posted on 12/22/2019 6:54:12 PM PST by Rastus
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To: olesigh

Guess with the advent of baseball players ‘working out’ etc made their wrists stronger and were able to go all the way around without rolling their wrists...

When I first started playing ball we wore caps to the plate. I remember the first ‘helmet’ was two pieces of hard plastics over the ear connected with an ‘elastic’ band.

I was wearing one when I squared around to bunt and had a pitch hit me in the cheek area as I was turning my head away from an inside pitch, driving the device off of me.
I became a fan...sorta..


47 posted on 12/22/2019 8:03:57 PM PST by xrmusn (6/98"HRC is the Grandmother that lures Hansel & Gretel to the pot")
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To: Rastus

I am inclined to overthink this, but it appears the vertical zone is in play according to batter, but the horizontal is not. The width of home plate, which never changes, will determine (for lack of better words) the east-west zone. I would be interested in a 3D depiction of a strike zone, and find it a bit surprising that it would change from one batter to the next, but that makes sense now that i overthink about it..


48 posted on 12/22/2019 10:00:54 PM PST by Fester Chugabrew
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To: hardspunned

“Only if we get robot managers who are allowed to argue the logarithms, etc”

I believe you are referring to algorithms.


49 posted on 12/22/2019 10:20:54 PM PST by FXRP (Cogito, ergo Spam!)
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To: olesigh

Except that MLB umps are PROUD to have their own individual strike zones. They don’t even TRY. “My strike zone” is a phrase with them. There’s plenty of consistency, in their ego, and their willingness to ignore the rule book and decide for themselves what a strike zone is. Which is why good pitchers study the umps.


50 posted on 12/23/2019 5:21:14 AM PST by discostu (I know that's a bummer baby, but it's got precious little to do with me)
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