Automated Strike Zone?

[faffy42]

Im a big tennis fan. Tennis got better with technology making the line calls of out or in based on player challenges. I think baseball will be better too with correct calls using technology.

[757690]

How do you implement it?

The only way I see to use the current definition of the upper and lower edges of the zone is to:

A) fit players with sensors (will never happen). This would be the most fair, but hard to keep them in the proper place over the course of a game; and I suppose they could be tampered with.

B) change the zone from "when the batter is prepared to swing" to "when the batter steps into the box."

C. go to a one-size fits all zone, as has been mentioned above.

Both B and C would advantageous to some and disadvantageous to others.

Two other options:

1. Don’t have the sensors call the height of the pitch. Let the umps make that call. The sensors let the ump know if it crossed the plate, and then he decides if it was the right height.

2. (Bernie Carbo recommended this one) Every hitter’s stance, before the season, is measured and that data is plugged into the system. When a batter is at the plate, the computer uses his pre-programmed stance when calling strikes and balls.

[Ron Madden]

While I respect what you are saying with regard to society, I think you are rationalizing a bit when you apply it to baseball and the strike zone in particular. As one in favor of an automated strike zone, I could just as easily argue:
Life lesson: Don't be afraid of change
Life Lesson: Embrace technological improvements
Life Lesson: Don't be afraid of standing up for changing a bad/wrong call or decision to a good/right one
Life Lesson: Strive to be just, fair and impartial
I think you get the idea...

I like this post and agree with it 100%

[Norm Chortleton]

Im a big tennis fan. Tennis got better with technology making the line calls of out or in based on player challenges. I think baseball will be better too with correct calls using technology.

Surely you cannot be serious!!!!

[cumberlandreds]

I would like to see MLB use this extensively in spring training one year. You need to give something like a good test drive before you step right into it. Work out the bugs and see if it really is feasible. I think it would be but you never know until you try it. Ball and strike calls effect the game more than anything else and if you can improve that then why not? But give it a try in ST first and then go from there.

[JFLegal]

it needs to happen. and it's one of those things where when it does finally happen, everyone will be asking 'what the hell took so long?'

balls and strikes should be balls and strikes. not one man's interpretation of what he thinks is a ball or strike. the technology has been in place for quite some time now. it is frankly absurd imo that major league baseball has not already taken this step.

[North]

Keep the umps. They are part of the charm of baseball.

IMHO (as he runs for cover).

[kaldaniels]

Two other options:

1. Don’t have the sensors call the height of the pitch. Let the umps make that call. The sensors let the ump know if it crossed the plate, and then he decides if it was the right height.

2. (Bernie Carbo recommended this one) Every hitter’s stance, before the season, is measured and that data is plugged into the system. When a batter is at the plate, the computer uses his pre-programmed stance when calling strikes and balls.

I do think you could be onto something with point 1.

(The assumption here is that a computer can accurately determine if a ball crosses over the plate)

If that was the first step of introducing robot strike zones, I think the general fan would warm to it quickly. No one should like seeing calls like where Suarez get called out on that ball off the plate the other day. That’s an easy fix that the computers can take care of.

[JFLegal]

let's take sunday's game against the phillies for example. the reds ended up winning, thank goodness, but two calls really changed the game early and nearly led to a phillies win.

with the reds batting and suarez at the plate in a scoring situation, aaron nola was awarded a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch that was clearly a ball. instead of suarez on base and perhaps a big inning in store for the reds (or at least an inning where they would score one run), suddenly there were two outs and the reds ended up getting nothing that frame.

then in the bottom half of the same inning (3rd), sonny gray should have struck out either hernandez or segura (can't remember which) on a 3-2 pitch (ball was clearly a strike). however, the ump ruled it a ball/walk. then hoskins had the ball that votto lost in the sun that cost the reds two runs. but the inning should have been over by that point anyway if the actual strike zone was being implemented instead of the clown show we had behind the plate calling balls/strikes.

[kaldaniels]

let's take sunday's game against the phillies for example. the reds ended up winning, thank goodness, but two calls really changed the game early and nearly led to a phillies win.

with the reds batting and suarez at the plate in a scoring situation, aaron nola was awarded a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch that was clearly a ball. instead of suarez on base and perhaps a big inning in store for the reds (or at least an inning where they would score one run), suddenly there were two outs and the reds ended up getting nothing that frame.

then in the bottom half of the same inning (3rd), sonny gray should have struck out either hernandez or segura (can't remember which) on a 3-2 pitch (ball was clearly a strike). however, the ump ruled it a ball/walk. then hoskins had the ball that votto lost in the sun that cost the reds two runs. but the inning should have been over by that point anyway if the actual strike zone was being implemented instead of the clown show we had behind the plate calling balls/strikes.

There are 2 rebuttals here -

1) “I like human umps” - to which I ask do you like the human zone more than seeing the right call in those situations?

2) “It will all even out” - how about just getting the call right to begin with?

[Tracy Jones]

There are 2 rebuttals here -

1) “I like human umps” - to which I ask do you like the human zone more than seeing the right call in those situations?

2) “It will all even out” - how about just getting the call right to begin with?

1) Yes

2) It’s really not that important to me that “every call is the right call.” I like the subjectivity and the potential for argument. The 85 series was decided in large part by a blown call at first base. St.Louis survived. You’ll survive as well if Suarez or anyone else strikes out on a bad call. Replay has already ruined what was once a fantastic part of baseball, the nose to nose manager/umpire argument. Replay technology has made officiating in the NFL worse, not better. We’ll all be just fine with poor ball/strike calls in baseball, which actually don’t happen all that often to begin with.

[cumberlandreds]

Keep the umps. They are part of the charm of baseball.

IMHO (as he runs for cover).

Actually you would still need the home plate umpire. Someone still has to make safe/out calls at home. Also he could line up on the proper side of the hitter for check swings and take that off the 1st and 3rd base umpires. So no jobs would be lost. It would actually be easier for them.

[redsrule2500]

It's the call that makes the MOST sense to have replay/automation. However, player height is always the variable that computers can get wrong.

[Norm Chortleton]

it needs to happen. and it's one of those things where when it does finally happen, everyone will be asking 'what the hell took so long?'

balls and strikes should be balls and strikes. not one man's interpretation of what he thinks is a ball or strike. the technology has been in place for quite some time now. it is frankly absurd imo that major league baseball has not already taken this step.

If the technology were in place, they would have given it a test-drive somewhere by now. There have been several articles linked here on rz in recent months that outline details that still must be ironed out.

Here is another that said mlb is currently throwing out it's old system and replacing it with something else:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...-upgrade-means

[Bumstead]

I watched the video and thought to myself: "The world has ended." Then I realized it was MLB and that MLB only existed for entertainment purposes only much like this forum...of course, we do have robot responses here. I chuckled at the "in the real world you get fired for mistakes." Really? We're all human and mistakes are something we make a lot of. How would we ever know about the weather if people actually got fired for every mistake. That's a pretty rich statement.

Enjoy.