Sweet strike three call to end the Rangers game

[Blarg]

Laagamer is a poor representation of umpires if he is hopping on his white horse to champion this crappy call. Sounds to me like he is a lower level guy that will never rise to the minor league level because he takes this too much to heart instead of being the neutral official he is supposed to be.

[CaliAngel]

You don't need a big dramatic camera set up out in center field in direct sight of the batters to have computers call balls and strikes. 

 

You can have sensors on the edges of the plate looking up, and sensors on both sides of the field near the dugouts pointing towards the plate like the TV cameras do. The belt of the player is the calibration for each batter, and the strike zone is universal. 

 

That takes care of both the lateral and vertical aspects of the 3-D strike zone, for both right and left handed batters. 

[Blarg]

You still have to get the players union and the commissioner on the same page for this. It is not an issue of technology but it also not moving the game forward in terms of fan entertainment.

[CaliAngel]

What the players union and the commissioner have to do to get it done is irrelevant, I'm just saying physically installing it isn't that hard. 

 

Imagine something like the video below going on at the baseball stadium on a close call, which is not perfect mind you, but it's a good framework to start from. Keep in mind it's not always going to be so close a call so not every pitch is going to be a 5-10 second delay, but when it is close, the big screen can review where the pitch was and why it was called that way. Awesome!

 

So to me something like this would definitely move the game forward in terms of fan entertainment, because they actually get an inside look at what really happened on the play. In turn it brings the fans closer to the game than ever while they're in attendance at the stadium.

 

[Blarg]

If the Players Union, the Umpires Union, the team owners and the comissioner's office wanted it, don't you think it would be in place already?

[Wallerrrr]

What the players union and the commissioner have to do to get it done is irrelevant, I'm just saying physically installing it isn't that hard. 

 

Imagine something like the video below going on at the baseball stadium on a close call, which is not perfect mind you, but it's a good framework to start from. Keep in mind it's not always going to be so close a call so not every pitch is going to be a 5-10 second delay, but when it is close, the big screen can review where the pitch was and why it was called that way. Awesome!

 

So to me something like this would definitely move the game forward in terms of fan entertainment, because they actually get an inside look at what really happened on the play. In turn it brings the fans closer to the game than ever while they're in attendance at the stadium.

 

dont you think getting the players union, commissioner, etc on the same page to get it done would be the hard part? not the installing of the cameras?

if it was just that simple as installing cameras im sure it would have been done by now..dont ya think?

[Wallerrrr]

If the Players Union, the Umpires Union, the team owners and the comissioner's office wanted it, don't you think it would be in place already?

but...but....it sounded so good in theory!

[AZMike]

dont you think getting the players union, commissioner, etc on the same page to get it done would be the hard part? not the installing of the cameras?

if it was just that simple as installing cameras im sure it would have been done by now..dont ya think?

sure, but CaliAngel was merely addressing an earlier comment which said that it was technically impossible to get a camera angle that could accurately judge balls and strikes. That is clearly not true.

[Wallerrrr]

sure, but CaliAngel was merely addressing an earlier comment which said that it was technically impossible to get a camera angle that could accurately judge balls and strikes. That is clearly not true.

well yeah..lol..physically you can install a camera anywhere...realistically it isnt that simple

[Blarg]

sure, but CaliAngel was merely addressing an earlier comment which said that it was technically impossible to get a camera angle that could accurately judge balls and strikes. That is clearly not true.

Cali is not paying attention to the discussion as it progressed. The statement is that there is no reliable camera in place now that gives any clear and decisive image to call balls and strike. That is clearly true.

[Wallerrrr]

there is no excuse for that call except that everybody makes mistakes

 

i don't think it was malicious on the part of the ump, but it was truly awful

 

anybody who tries to defend any ump making that call is just being silly

nice post

[Blarg]

Cali wants to make this board irrelevant because without questionable calls and everything in the game turned over to computer analysis we would never have a six page thread on the subject.

[Blarg]

Greg Maddux would probably have 1,000 less strikeouts if he were on a computer strike zone.

[Blarg]

I like complaining about the umpire, it is our God given right as Americans.

[Wallerrrr]

it is as simple as installing a camera and some lasers.  it would be entirely possible to have all balls/strikes/fair/foul and any other balls called entirely electronically.

 

the same kind of debate goes on with electronic line calling in tennis.  the laser system they have set up on most courts not only can accurately call balls in and out on serve with an accuracy of less than 1/8 of an inch, it can also track the trajectory of every ball hit at any moment anwhere on the court, three dimensionally, all within 1/8 of an inch.  

 

nobody questions the accuracy of the system, and it could easily be employed for whole baseball fields, much less a little box of space over the plate.  umpires would never want it, though, because it could render them at least partially obsolete.  amongst players, there are a lot of purists out there, too.  

ok...so physically its not a huge deal...but as it pertains to getting the union, owners, unpires etc to agree it is easier said than done..got it

[CaliAngel]

lol really? Like we'd run out of stuff to argue and discuss at length if the umpires calls could be corrected by replays... 

 

...but as it pertains to getting the union, owners, unpires etc to agree it is easier said than done..got it

 

Unless I'm missing something, I don't think anyone suggested otherwise.

 

To reitorate, I was merely providing an example of how a system like this could easily be integrated in the game, and how it would actually move the game into the 21st century, while also bringing fans closer to the action. 

 

I may be the minority, and perhaps the hyperbole is going over my head, but it seems to me typical fan who watches the game could really care less about the "human aspect" of officiating, especially when it comes to blown calls. This kind of stuff can change the outcome of a game, and an entire season. To me what's most important is that they make the right call.

[edcoffin]

Just a footnote:  Marty Foster made another bad call tonight, and yes it was obvious to both teams, the broadcasters, and the crowd.  A hot grounder down the line that bounced directly over the bag, landed again about 15 feet past the bag and a hands width outside the line.  Yep, Marty signalled 'foul'.  After the call was made and the batter was returning to the plate, Foster sorta mopped his forehead.  The first base umpire did his run inside the baseline perimeter just in case the batter turned first and tried for second then had to come back. 

 

Collective shrug.  Foster isn't having a good night (again).  If we don't get the predicted severe thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, he'll be working second base.  Stealing, or thowing out a runner stealing, or a close force play all will be acts of faith, not skill.   *sigh*