Good catching or bad umpiring

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Apr 20, 2018
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SoCal
I am not sure how the robo ump works but have seen examples where it is way off. You would think someone could create a hologram that would float directly above the plate (never moving) and could detect if the ball touched (went thru) any part of it. Kinda like they do it tennis. Think it would be fun to see pitchers thread the needle and catch just a sliver of the hologram.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Umps were just as bad during the heyday of baseball..there just wasn't K zone back then. Everyone seemed to survive..

Seems like nowadays people try and find reasons to hate baseball..which is fine if you want the game to eventually go away. I would rather just accept that it is different now and that it is the game my kids are going to grow up with and teach them love it the way I did.
 
Feb 13, 2021
880
93
MI
I am not sure how the robo ump works but have seen examples where it is way off. You would think someone could create a hologram that would float directly above the plate (never moving) and could detect if the ball touched (went thru) any part of it. Kinda like they do it tennis. Think it would be fun to see pitchers thread the needle and catch just a sliver of the hologram.
The problem isn't the inside/outside with robo-ump since that is static, the plate doesn't change from batter to batter and game to game, although even the computer has it's problems with that, it is the up and down, since it is different for every batter. So yes, the computer (and the human umpire as well, just as a reminder) needs to have at least 18 different strike zones each and every game.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
I am not sure how the robo ump works but have seen examples where it is way off. You would think someone could create a hologram that would float directly above the plate (never moving) and could detect if the ball touched (went thru) any part of it. Kinda like they do it tennis. Think it would be fun to see pitchers thread the needle and catch just a sliver of the hologram.
think I've seen that hologram idea on the original Star Trek series... 😏😁
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
The problem isn't the inside/outside with robo-ump since that is static, the plate doesn't change from batter to batter and game to game, although even the computer has it's problems with that, it is the up and down, since it is different for every batter. So yes, the computer (and the human umpire as well, just as a reminder) needs to have at least 18 different strike zones each and every game.
Make the up and down 17" to 46'' for everyone.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Make the up and down 17" to 46'' for everyone.
So now that is suggesting changing the strike zone area to make it one
standard size fits all.

Think that through a little bit...
Some players are 6 ft and some are 5 ft.

I am five foot three and a third.
in a batting stance the bottom of my knee cap is 15 inches.
That means the bulk of the ball can be below that.
At 17" is MEAT PITCH height for me!!!
Throw it if you want to 🙂


46 inches is above my armpit already at my mid shoulder height.
That means the bulk of the ball can be above that. Scraping my chin.
Wonderful!! I can Pound and Crush that Height of a pitch but some other batters struggle with that.
( LOL perhaps the one-size-fits-all strike zone will change some others approaches in hitting mechanics!!!)

The problem isn't the inside/outside with robo-ump since that is static, the plate doesn't change from batter to batter and game to game, although even the computer has it's problems with that, it is the up and down, since it is different for every batter. So yes, the computer (and the human umpire as well, just as a reminder) needs to have at least 18 different strike zones each and every game.
Additionally to Ed's great point

The element of size difference of the Batters is also a critical element the pitcher has to refine their locations within.

Critical elements of the game.

If the size of the strike zone Remains the Same for all batters
That could/would make batters have to make *greater adjustments than they already do.
Possibly more often than they do now. Because
Swinging at shin and shoulder height pitches would become normal.

( lets not leave out umpires or Robo ump would probably still miss things beyond that zone anyway)

How about hit the ball and let's move on!!!
GREEN LIGHT
RIP CITY
 
Last edited:
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
113
One thing that hasn't been addressed directly, although several have said the C brought the pitch up quite a bit: the style of catching known as One-Knee Down (OKD) involves the C bringing the mitt from low to high on nearly every pitch, it is the mechanic that is part of the new style. As an umpire, I appreciate the open view it gives me of the zone prior to and as the ball arrives at the plate. That being said, it DOES make it look like the C is influencing the call more than actually is happening. One needs to recognize the difference of a C holding a steady target for the P until after the ball arrives and then pulling it into the zone and the process of moving the glove as the ball is arriving and simple momentum carrying the glove higher.
This post just popped up on my instagram saying that the 'OKD' leads to poor throwing techniques on steals.

 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
I’ll bet he adjusted on a regular basis. All mlb players do. Do you think the umps today are any worse then they were at any time in history? Or do we as fans just have a box on the screen now that tells us if it’s a good or bad call. DiMaggio and Gwynn and all the other historically high walk to K ratio players had to adjust. Fans didn’t know because they didn’t have a box

As for Nick Swisher, he had several years in his career with more Ks then hits and never once had more walks then Ks. His knowledge of the strikes zone might have been high, but you cant
Tell by the results.
I'm sure he adjusted things through out his career but I never saw any evidence he changed his over all hitting approach during his career, a career I might add that saw him have earnings in excess of $88 million.

I don't know if umpires or better or worse than they were "back in the day" so to speak. But I do know that technology for rating umpire ball and strike calls is much better than it used to be so we as fans can see it. As I said MLB umpires grade out around 94% correct calls on balls and strikes. Given the speed and movement of MLB pitches I'd say that's excellent an unlikely to improve. As I also said the best grade out a little under 96% over a season. Given that and average game has around 300 pitches the best umpires get about 12 pitches per game wrong.

My point is that if robo umpires can do better than 94% accuracy on ball strikes calls I'd be all for implementing it. If t hey can't do better than 94% though there is no point in switching. I don't think we need it at lower levels for sure but in a multi-billion dollar industry, don't we want the most accurate calls?
 
Nov 13, 2017
10
3
... bad calls...or...
because I take responsibility as a hitter~ this perspective

After the first called strike
Would have already told me where the umpire's mindset is.

The second called strike would prove that.

For sure I would have been attacking that third one.


No excuse for looking at strike three.
Pay attention and learn or go sit down.
🧐
The one needing to learn is the umpire needs to learn the strike zone. That is completely incompetent.
 

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