[Seto]

Not a huge baseball follower so I don't know if there are any obvious reasons but why not use the technology if you have it? (which they obviously do considering the replays we are shown etc)

[Pauulzcappin]

lol. umps in bases are mostly a joke. i remember when jim joyce blew a safe call at first and armando gallaraga's perfect game.

guy was pretty much done for his career after that.

[jjgold]

Referees ruin sports if they didn't have any the game would be much better

[Pauulzcappin]

to answer your question: im not sure the target public in bases and most of the players would be happy to have a machine call balls and strikes.

gotta consider its the most traditional sport in the usa.

[texhooper]

baseball prides itself on tradition, plus the home plate umpire tends to operate kinda like nba refs do. you can earn an inch off the outside corner and still get a strike, a la the entire 90s braves pitching staff during all those deep runs that rarely amounted to shit. don't think glavine ever really caught the outside of the plate, but his stats would suggest otherwise.

[pavyracer]

My question is why don't they use machines for pitching? A guy like Kershaw has no business pitching in the playoffs.

[Seto]

to answer your question: im not sure the target public in bases and most of the players would be happy to have a machine call balls and strikes.

gotta consider its the most traditional sport in the usa.

baseball prides itself on tradition, plus the home plate umpire tends to operate kinda like nba refs do. you can earn an inch off the outside corner and still get a strike, a la the entire 90s braves pitching staff during all those deep runs that rarely amounted to shit. don't think glavine ever really caught the outside of the plate, but his stats would suggest otherwise.

Got it, figured it would have something to do with tradition. Same fukking thing in soccer where they refuse to put video reffing in.

I don't really agree with the NBA comparison since balls and strikes are always called on what's essentially a dead play, whereas in the NBA a foul call has to be made quickly or the other team can break etc. (although I understand that wasn't the point of your comparison)

I guess at least they do use video review/challenges for some things and that's good.

[LordVodka]

Are you from Europe? At least you're aware that baseball even exists.

[t-wizzle]

Sports aren't perfect. And I'm okay with that.

[TwoWays]

The fix. Whenever needed it can be relied upon. See game yesterday

[Seto]

Are you from Europe? At least you're aware that baseball even exists.

Yes.

[Seto]

Sports aren't perfect. And I'm okay with that.

Yeah some people have that point of view and say that excessive technology can "denature" the game.

I think every effort should be made for games to be as fair as possible but I guess we're all different.

Soccer is the worst sport in that respect because one blown call most of the time ruins the entire game. At least in a sport like basketball unless the bad call is made in the last couple minutes of the game it can usually sort of be overlooked. Baseball and tennis fall in the middle.

[t-wizzle]

Yeah some people have that point of view and say that excessive technology can "denature" the game.

I think every effort should be made for games to be as fair as possible but I guess we're all different.

Soccer is the worst sport in that respect because one blown call most of the time ruins the entire game. At least in a sport like basketball unless the bad call is made in the last couple minutes of the game it can usually sort of be overlooked. Baseball and tennis fall in the middle.

Tennis has done a good job I think. Whatever that replay thing is, it seems to work great and it's quick.

I think sometimes we just get too caught up in trying to make sure that we can perfect everything about sports and it's simply not possible. There will always be flaws.

[LordVodka]

Baseball does need a machine for balls and strikes though. A pitcher shouldn't have to adapt to what the umpire considers the strike zone. All that should be the same all the time and obviously all the umps have different strike zones.

[Seto]

Tennis has done a good job I think. Whatever that replay thing is, it seems to work great and it's quick.

I think sometimes we just get too caught up in trying to make sure that we can perfect everything about sports and it's simply not possible. There will always be flaws.

Yeah I was just talking in terms of how important a blown call would be in each sport.

Tennis has obviously done a great job with hawkeye. There are still some bad calls made that are unfortunately not solvable by hawkeye (such as a guy hits a huge shot that the opponent barely returns and would give him an easy putaway volley, only that shot is called out. Even if replay show it was in you replay the point as the opponent got the ball back however much of an advantage you had in the point at that moment), but overall the sport has really done as well as it can as that example I just gave is exhibit A of something that unfortunately can't be solved.

Now only gotta convince some idiots to actually fukking use the hawkeye system like the stupid French

[grease lightnin]

The fix. Whenever needed it can be relied upon. See game yesterday

[Just Blaze]

The problem is that technically speaking the K zone you see on TV is not 100% accurate either, the strike sone is not a square it is a cube extending from the front of the plate to the back, side to side. That K zone that pitchfx supplies shows you where the ball crosses the plate at one point - I would assume it's the middle. Considering how much pitchers move the ball these days with 2 seam fastballs and cutters, a pitch could break an inch or more front of the plate to back with late movement.

I see stuff all the time on K zone that are tailing pitches that it shows as a ball that are strikes. If a computer measures umpires and determines umpires called 89% of strikes correctly in 2014, who's gonna double check the computer?

[texhooper]

The problem is that technically speaking the K zone you see on TV is not 100% accurate either, the strike sone is not a square it is a cube extending from the front of the plate to the back, side to side. That K zone that pitchfx supplies shows you where the ball crosses the plate at one point - I would assume it's the middle. Considering how much pitchers move the ball these days with 2 seam fastballs and cutters, a pitch could break an inch or more front of the plate to back with late movement.

I see stuff all the time on K zone that are tailing pitches that it shows as a ball that are strikes. If a computer measures umpires and determines umpires called 89% of strikes correctly in 2014, who's gonna double check the computer?

not only that, but the true strike zone by the letter of the law is from the "letters of the jersey to the knees". that's not the "understood" strike zone, which is roughly the belt to the knees. unless that has been officially updated in the rulebook

[Rich Boy]

It would make it much more consistent, but I dont see this ever happening in MLB.

Look how long it took these guys to get replay reviews.

[Just Blaze]

I would say k zone would be in the vicinity of 65% accurate if we ever see another pitcher with Randy Johnson's slider.

[gryfyn1]

The issue is really the difficulty in doing so, In tennis the lines are all permanently set the strike zone changes based on each batter, and could theoretically change between pitches. Calibrating it each time would be difficult at best. Add in the possibility of machines to make egregious mistakes, like simply not recognizing a pitch would also be majorly problematic (an issues that pitch f/x has about once every 3000 pitches). The reliance on an automated strike zone seems very good in theory, and would most likely improve the game, it is much harder to impliment that it seems

[xraygord]

Computerized calling of strikes and balls will be implemented at some point. It only makes sense with today's technology. It will change the game. Player's will have a well defined strike zone. I hope the change comes sooner than later myself.

[Boner_18]

Define a three dimensional space that constitutes a strike. Really just define height above the plate (avg players knees, avg players letters) and limit it to width of the plate. Chip in the ball could easilly determine with near 100% accuracy whether the chip has passed through this space. What hitters might give up by losing a strike zone personalized to their dimensions the game will gain in accuracy and consistency.


Onward and upward.

[R.P. McMurphy]

Always trying to invalidate humans and the human element. No wonder so many Americans are losing jobs it's not just due to being shipped ov seas and hiring cheap labor for slave wages, it's also more and more machines , computers taking jobs. Be nice if this country embraced traditional stuff more instead of always be a slave to technology. We all bitch at times about inept zebras/umps or accuse them of being on the take or calling a shady gm at times. But isn't that part of the fun the human element? And seriously who is a batter or skipper gonna argue with and create comedy ov an ump error? Also part of the strategy is gone now and the gm gets even more dull. Right now there is no set in stone strike zone umps adhere to. Everyone calls a gm bit differently and that's part of the strategy as a hitter, pitcher, manager , and even gambler is knowing their tendencies and working on same page or adjusting. Save jobs keep the umps!!

[44 Mag]

Waste of a thread. Will never happen.

[xraygord]

Always trying to invalidate humans and the human element. No wonder so many Americans are losing jobs it's not just due to being shipped ov seas and hiring cheap labor for slave wages, it's also more and more machines , computers taking jobs. Be nice if this country embraced traditional stuff more instead of always be a slave to technology. We all bitch at times about inept zebras/umps or accuse them of being on the take or calling a shady gm at times. But isn't that part of the fun the human element? And seriously who is a batter or skipper gonna argue with and create comedy ov an ump error? Also part of the strategy is gone now and the gm gets even more dull. Right now there is no set in stone strike zone umps adhere to. Everyone calls a gm bit differently and that's part of the strategy as a hitter, pitcher, manager , and even gambler is knowing their tendencies and working on same page or adjusting. Save jobs keep the umps!!

This new technology will create more jobs than the few umpires who are no longer needed.

[R.P. McMurphy]

Ok but the human element is missing!! Jeezus that's the problem with our society these days let's just all turn into fukking bots. Smh

[R.P. McMurphy]

Hopefully if all goes well by 2029 we can just replace all the players with robots or put a chip in their brain telling them how to react in any given situation while playing so they never fukk up either. That way you droids at home sitting on your couches can take in the perfect flawless gm every time you tune in.

[klemopixx]

It's bad enough we waste our time talking about sports and gambling on computers and forums, next we'll be betting on who wins a game of Madden! It's a game! leave it alone! Technology has taken over enough of our lives!

[R.P. McMurphy]

We don't talk anymore we text or go in a chat room
We go to self check outlines at the store
Get speeding tickets in the mail after being caught on fukking camera
Shop online more instead of taking our lazy asses to the store
Etc etc...No wonder this country is getting fatter, dumber, lazier by the minute!

[ACoochy]

Hawkeye definitely baz its advantages.

If you want to keep the tradition aspect alive why not have some kind of appeal system like in tennis (3 wrong calls and you lose all ur right to appeal for rest of game?)

It can easily be done but the top is resistant to change

[BeanTownClown88]

Lol put the pitch box right behind the batter and have the ump stand right behind the pitcher to enforce.
That'd be something crazy huh

[Seto]

It's bad enough we waste our time talking about sports and gambling on computers and forums, next we'll be betting on who wins a game of Madden! It's a game! leave it alone! Technology has taken over enough of our lives!

Um betting on video game matches is already possible and has been for some time.

A little bit of everything in this thread.

[zizoudane10]

Got it, figured it would have something to do with tradition. Same fukking thing in soccer where they refuse to put video reffing in.

I don't really agree with the NBA comparison since balls and strikes are always called on what's essentially a dead play, whereas in the NBA a foul call has to be made quickly or the other team can break etc. (although I understand that wasn't the point of your comparison)

I guess at least they do use video review/challenges for some things and that's good.

Exactly. Beyond laughable.
But who cares about these assholes anyway, FIFA MAFIA FIFA MAFIA FIFA MAFIA

[Seto]

Exactly. Beyond laughable.
But who cares about these assholes anyway, FIFA MAFIA FIFA MAFIA FIFA MAFIA

The sport has become a joke. The thing is it's the sport where it's the most important to get big calls right because a penalty/red card/offside can pretty much change the whole game even if it takes place in the first few minutes (well especially in terms of a red card). And yet they refuse to even incorporate some sort of a challenge system like tennis has.

I'm not looking to get every call right but let's get the big calls right... smh.

Probably one of the main reasons I practically don't follow the sport anymore other than the games I attend (which I guess is still 50-60 a year).

Doesn't help that I support a team that's been on the wrong end of quite a few shocking refs in Europe over the years.