Does the batters box really mean anything?

[tcannizzo]

Probably the same people who think the batter can drag bunt from the right side.

Actually, I can show you this...but too hard to write tonight.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Really, the only time this is really visible in real time is on a change up.

Otherwise, it may have happened but there are no eyes on the field that can see that the foot is:
a.) on the ground - or home plate
b.) outside the batter's box
c.) at the time the bat made contact with the ball

We don't have video replay, which is possibly the one and only case I could support it in softball.

I think it's time we use the technology we have. That electronic strike-zone-graphic that baseball announcing uses on ESPN really looks like it could be used for pitch calling and then give the coaches 1 to 2 "red-flags" per game to challenge calls like pro football. I just LOVE this idea!

 

[MTR]

I think it's time we use the technology we have. That electronic strike-zone-graphic that baseball announcing uses on ESPN really looks like it could be used for pitch calling and then give the coaches 1 to 2 "red-flags" per game to challenge calls like pro football. I just LOVE this idea!

Not a problem. I don't know an umpire who wouldn't mind calling the game from a press box, since you can obviously see much better from that distance. Some people who like to tell everyone how it should be done, might actually get up the nerve to try it.

The only problem they would have is that apparently when entering a press box, one loses what intelligence they have about the rules of the game

 

[shockcoach]

Not a problem. I don't know an umpire who wouldn't mind calling the game from a press box, since you can obviously see much better from that distance. Some people who like to tell everyone how it should be done, might actually get up the nerve to try it.

The only problem they would have is that apparently when entering a press box, one loses what

Well DUH! And to prove it, here is a picture of the umpire's room door at Safeco Field.

All kidding aside, I don't like the idea of instant replay for review. I would much rather have the mistakes, which there are few, be made on the field by the blues. It's the human element. You don't get a do-over when an error is made by a player, so you shouldn't get one when an error is made by the umpires.