Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Old school 1983
Perfection isn’t always better.
In the case of umpiring?
It absolutely is.
There is no question about it, in fact.
Your sole job, as an umpire, is to be perfect in your judgment.
The game that I love does not depend on an umpire's peccadilloes, how much he hates rookies, or whether he ate too much before the game. It's about the two teams who play it, not Jerry West behind the catcher.
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bourgeois Zee
In the case of umpiring?
It absolutely is.
There is no question about it, in fact.
Your sole job, as an umpire, is to be perfect in your judgment.
The game that I love does not depend on an umpire's peccadilloes, how much he hates rookies, or whether he ate too much before the game. It's about the two teams who play it, not Jerry West behind the catcher.
Not every umpire is Johnny Hardcase. Most of them are just out there, doing their best.
I guess the fundamental difference in opinion is if perfect officiating and the lack of a flawed entity makes baseball better or worse.
Which really is a disagreement about what baseball is, at its core.
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MikeS21
What will really be fun is the first time the automatic strike zone disagrees with Joey Votto.
Will be proof that robot/digital umps aren't infallible.
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Don't have a lot of sympathy for "Traditionalists." No gloves, no helmets, sharpened spikes, underhand pitching, no divisions, no wildcards, no DH, the number of games played in a season and dozens (if not hundreds) of other differences - baseball evolves. If the games has a central constant you could argue it would be change. Who's to say that if "digital umps and instant replay were available in the 19th Century, good ol' Abner wouldn't have included them?
I want to see calls as correct as possible, so I favor digital pitch calling if they can get it right. I also like the thought of adding another strong bat to the lineup instead of watching a pitcher plod up to the plate and flail. I like that you can rotate the DH, allowing guys to rest instead of taking a game off. I also want to see the rules merged so both leagues are playing the same game at all times, so I'd like to see an NL DH.
You might disagree with me and that's fine, but don't pretend that it's because of some abominable violation of tradition or canon.
My one question would be, would it change the position of the HP Ump? I can't see the umpires agreeing to digital umps if it includes reducing each crew by one. You would still need someone to make calls at the plate (and probably things like foul tips at first), but if the no linger call balls/strikes, would they still be positioned directly behind the catcher or would they be somehow be moved to get them more out of the ways of pass balls, foul tips, etc.?
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Old school 1983
The point made about giving the hitter certainty is what troubles me about it. If I were a hitter I’d be installing the strike zone program in every practice facility I use and be memorizing tirelessly. Yes pitch recognition will still matter, but the precise certainty will give a distinct advantage to hitters never before seen in the sport. I will think there will have to be a post auto strike zone record book. Perfection isn’t always better. Nuisance and margin for error are good things in some situations. I think this is one of them. Imperfection is part of the the beauty of the game. Take for example the reviewed calls where a guy pops off the bag a millimeter after beating the throw and beating the tag? Is it perfect yes...is it better no. There’s the letter of a rule and the spirt and intention of the the rule. Sometimes the spirit and intention need to prevail over the exact word. IMO the spirit of the strike one rule makes has a slightly subjective component
I don't know. Why don't they do it now? Even though there may be some pitches out of the standard strike zone called strikes now as opposed to the future, the strike zone is still the strike zone. The are always pitches outside the zone that can be handled by hitters and there will always be hitters swinging at bad pitches no matter who's calling pitches. Don't see why memorizing the strike zone in the era of a digital umps will be that much more advantageous than doing so now.
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Bump. Robo-umps to call Spring Training games. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...training-games
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Commissioner Rob Manfred said Major League Baseball plans to use a computerized camera system to call balls and strikes during spring training games this year, expanding the sport's implementation of "robot umpires."
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Manfred also said baseball would start using the camera system for balls and strikes in "some of our minor league(s) this year."
The Revolution has begun.
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
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Manfred cautioned Wednesday that referring to the system as "robots may be an overstatement," and emphasized that "from the fans' perspective, it looks exactly like it looks today."
"We think it's more accurate than a human being standing there," Manfred said. "The current strike zone design is actually three-dimensional, and a camera is better at calling a three-dimensional strike zone than the human eye."
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...training-games
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
I have kind of changed my mind on this topic lately, for the same reason I have changed my mind on other topics.
I hope they let computers call balls and strikes as soon as possible. It'll be one more dagger in the heart of baseball, worst case scenario. And best case scenario, it will introduce, directly or indirectly, some unforeseen byproduct into baseball that changes the sport dramatically.
As I go through life and realize more and more that most people don't tend to look further than one move ahead in regard to decision making, rather than chide them for being so short-sighted, I find greater enjoyment in watching the poop show unfold that is a result of their (or our collective) short-sighted(ness?).
I can't tell you how may times I watch short-sighted decisions morph into crappy and many times surprisingly crappy results, in sports, in politics, at work, everywhere. Might as well try to garner some entertainment from it. So yeah, bring on the "robot umps" or whatever. I'll make sure to stock up on popcorn.
Because what could go wrong? It's just making the game more fair. How could that possibly be a bad thing? :dunno:
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
I hope the computer plate umps can detect clanging garbage cans.
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Having seen robo umps in action in a couple of independent league games ... you don’t even notice it. You don’t even notice a lag time. Maybe in the majors when every pitch is seen through high def cameras and scrutinized so closely, maybe you’ll notice something.
As far as stance and stride are concerned, I say disregard them. Give every player a strike zone based on arm pits, belly button and knees, and that’s the space he has to protect. How he bends, strides, dips or lunges to get there is his problem.
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jonnyv
:thumbup:
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
I did not know this:
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Based on minor league trials, MLB most likely will have to redefine the strike zone from its current three-dimensional pentagon to a two-dimensional plane at the front of the plate. Such a system may be adopted as soon as 2022.
https://www.si.com/.amp/mlb/2020/01/...er-second-term
Re: Computer Plate Umps Allowed in New Labor Deal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
corkedbat
I don't know. Why don't they do it now? Even though there may be some pitches out of the standard strike zone called strikes now as opposed to the future, the strike zone is still the strike zone. The are always pitches outside the zone that can be handled by hitters and there will always be hitters swinging at bad pitches no matter who's calling pitches. Don't see why memorizing the strike zone in the era of a digital umps will be that much more advantageous than doing so now.
Because it will be 100% the same across the board. Every time. As I acknowledged in my post, pitch recognition will still matter. Players will still chase nasty and deceptive pitches that break from the zone. The advantage will be gained from knowing with 100% precision and accuracy the boundaries of that zone. The aspect of uncertainty around the edges of the zone will be lost. Instead of having guys like Votto who have a generational feel of strike zone recognition, you’ll have more guys with less innate ability just memorize it via repetition.