But it devalues umpires. I couldn't call balls and strikes. I don't have the vision for it, but I could look at a screen to make the call. Please let it happen though. Umpires are too inconsistent. Those high accuracy numbers are mostly attributable to the fact that a lot of pitches aren't very close. They are good, but we can be near perfect with technology.
Certainly... but as technology evolves and improves, the human error (if correctable) should be improved upon as well. I can also just as easily say that as umpires age, their reflexes, eyesight, decision making, and judgement all become impaired.... yet these umpires seemingly have a job for life, they aren't forced to get corrective surgery for vision issues, and they don't go through monthly acuity exams to ensure they're consistently as good as they every were. Also, the way its being implemented in the independent league is there is a CF light that indicates ball/strike... if the umps don't want that, I'm sure a buzzer system could be implemented as well. The goal is to make it seamless. Remember, this is an organization (the umps) that are so sensitive that they don't want replays of controversial calls in the stadium themselves... even though everybody nowadays with a smartphone will have access to see that bad call instantaneously. There's never been more visibility of umps mistakes than now. At that point, if I were an ump, I'd favor any sort of technology that limits further embarrassment to their profession. As it is, instant replay hasn't really caused anybody to feel umps to be "devalued" or "embarrassed"... most people just care that they eventually get the call right.
i like this but only if you add a clock on the pitcher to throw, which the commissar would like to do. It would only add maybe 6-10 minutes to the game. an average of 230 pitches by both teams 1.7 seconds to look at their iphone. what about when internet connection stalls though? it always happened with me on gameday at bat thing.
I was thinking managers could have a limited number of challenges to keep the human element in the game. For instance, when McCann had strike 2 called on him on a ball over 3 inches off the outside of the plate (beyond a ball that was outside of the strike zone before it). I think it was a game against the red sox where they were making a late inning come back. Springs with 3 run homer then tuve and los got on. Then McCann had to swing at a shitty marginal low pitch to protect and grounded into the game ending double play. Had hinch been able to challenge the call McCann would have been 2-1 or 3-1 with a hitters count instead of in protect mode. Here is where I think challenging balls and strikes would be valuable and should be pretty cut and dry with technology.
I would most certainly object to an umpire taking "a few seconds" to make a ball/strike call and I think most fans would object as well.. It's frustrating enough when they take an extra beat to make a ball or strike signal. Pitcher throws pitch. It crosses the plate. One Two Three Strike call Repeat 250 - 300 times a game
There is technology, but aren't there a ton of questions about its accuracy? I thought MLB changed from one system to another this year, and all the measurements changed, at least in terms of velocity - meaning at least one of them was inaccurate. We just assume those pitch-tracker things are actually getting it right, but I'm not sure we have data on how consistent they really are.
I'm sure there's always room to monitor and improve technology. We do know that there will always be a human error element to the game. Also, there always has to be a backup if technology fails. There also needs to be improvement in the lag time that technology sometimes creates (something they still need to improve in regards to replay). But if a computer can ultimately and accurately recognize balls/strikes at a higher and more consistent rate than a human, and it doesn't change the pace of the game, I'm not sure who would have an issue with that.
Hate losing Friday's game but getting the next two and the comeback on Saturday made it a good weekend against those Bronx bombers.
I don't think the league has seen the best of the Astros yet. I say we go 57-22 in those 79 to finish 113-49. Including a gentleman's sweep of the Rangers 8-1 in the second half.
If they have a huge lead going into September, I see another month of starting pitchers rotating on/off the DL or everybody getting extended rest.... followed by the board imploding when they have a losing record for the month, and everybody fearing that they won't be able to turn it on again for the post season.
God is sucks so much that baseball has a 5 game first round. No good reason why such a long f**king season should be decided in 5 games. With this lineup, and hopefully Keuchel and McCullers, I would have supreme confidence we would win most 7 game series. But a 5 game is such a toss up.
Still better than the literal "toss-up" one-game wild card... What if the first round was a 3 game series... with all 3 games being at the venue of the team with home field advantage, with no days off. (Its basically like playing a 3 game series during the season.) Of course, that would never happen... since collectively, all playoff teams want at least one home game for the $$$.
Meanwhile, the NBA needs SEVEN for Round One. Playoff profit-sharing Home team gives the visitor some money
The nice thing is that with the ridiculous number of off-days they now stick in there, I think Keuchel and McCullers can start 4 of the 5 games, if I remember right.
I cant wait for it to come. This whole thing about an ace getting the benefit of a call is BS. Its either the right call or the wrong one. This type of calling makes the better pitchers look better than they should, and lesser pitchers, by contrast, look worse. Its BS and I cant wait for this kind of favoritism to be eliminated from the game.
The better pitchers also have a way of figuring out quicker what the ump is giving, or not giving, and they have the type of control to exploit that. In the end, I'm sure better pitchers would favor ultimate consistently as well.... but part of being good is being able to put the ball exactly where you want it at all times, and if the ump is giving the outside corner that is basically unhittable, they will continue to target that.
