Major League Baseball will test robo umps during spring training games

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/23/major-league-baseball-will-test-robo-umps-during-spring-training-games/

Major League Baseball will test robo umps during spring training games

Robo umps are coming to major league spring training, but they won’t make it to the field, yet.

The automated balls-and-strikes software, alternatively called “ABS” or “ESZ” (electronic strike zone), will run only in the background during those games for testing and development purposes, according to MLB and umpiring officials.

The technologically enabled balls-and-strikes regime involves an umpire wearing an earpiece while in his normal stance behind the catcher. The software tracks the flight of the ball and declares to the umpire “ball” or “strike,” and the official announces the call...

[tomsred]

Does this mean that umpires will get paid less because a machine is doing part of their job?

[Amazing Larry]

Who gives a shit? Just get the calls right. 

Edited January 25, 2020 by Lhalo

[Jay]

The union can't be happy about this.

 

[gotbeer]

9 hours ago, RBM said:

When they actually test this it will be interesting to see if there is a noticeable delay. I think I ready it’s going to be tested in MiLB this year. It’s coming so embrace change. 

It's already in tests in the minors.  

 

[gotbeer]

5 minutes ago, RBM said:

Hopefully they adjust the robotic strike zone.

That's always been my opinion.  If they are going to go robot, they have to make the strike zone standardized across all players.  None of this somewhere around your knees and between the belt and chest subjective zone for each player.  A foot and a half and 4 feet above the plate for instance as the standard zone for every player.

[GregAlso]

They adjust it for each player based on his listed height from what I understand. They didn’t test in the minors yet but instead during the Arizona Fall League. They need to adjust the strike zone’s top and bottom because while they seemed very accurate there were some pitches called strikes that were just ridiculously hard to hit. They were either just at the top of the zone for only a part of their flight or just touching the bottom of the zone at the front of the plate and then dropping into the dirt. 
 

Here’s one player who didn’t like it 

 

More examples from AFL

 

[floplag]

Im on record as not liking this for many reasons, but testing in in ST then going back to umps is the worst decision yet.
Do it, or dont.
Your going to have the robots calling a completely different strike zone that the humans and people are going to be all fouled up going into the season.
We all know the humans dont call high strikes or even call the actual strike zone by rule, im assuming the robots will, thats game changing.

[robblin17]

Lame. This will have the same effect as the NFL’s PI review, which is fucking awful. 

[GregAlso]

2 hours ago, RBM said:

Yeah Heyward getting ejected was what We were already discussing. It’s not good if the robot calls that pitch a strike.

Yeah, I realized it after I posted. The high strike on the other clips is also interesting. I think the easy solution is change the strike zone to if a ball is completely within the zone instead of if a ball touches the zone. I think that really solves most of the problem. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

2 hours ago, floplag said:

Im on record as not liking this for many reasons, but testing in in ST then going back to umps is the worst decision yet.
Do it, or dont.
Your going to have the robots calling a completely different strike zone that the humans and people are going to be all fouled up going into the season.
We all know the humans dont call high strikes or even call the actual strike zone by rule, im assuming the robots will, thats game changing.

RTFA

[AngelsLakersFan]

Most of these are borderline strikes or strikes that look funny.

The bad high strike call was on a dude in a big crouch, which is something they are gona have to figure out.

Strange that there doesn't seem to be any questionable 'ball' calls.

[floplag]

1 hour ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

RTFA

its funny how theres always this assumptions that someone didnt read something for having a different view.

[AngelsLakersFan]

4 hours ago, floplag said:

Im on record as not liking this for many reasons, but testing in in ST then going back to umps is the worst decision yet.
Do it, or dont.
Your going to have the robots calling a completely different strike zone that the humans and people are going to be all fouled up going into the season.
We all know the humans dont call high strikes or even call the actual strike zone by rule, im assuming the robots will, thats game changing.

 

On 1/23/2020 at 10:35 AM, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Major League Baseball will test robo umps during spring training games

Robo umps are coming to major league spring training, but they won’t make it to the field, yet.

The automated balls-and-strikes software, alternatively called “ABS” or “ESZ” (electronic strike zone), will run only in the background during those games for testing and development purposes, according to MLB and umpiring officials.

 

11 minutes ago, floplag said:

its funny how theres always this assumptions that someone didnt read something for having a different view.

[Rollinghard]

I predicted this was going to be a big win for the pitchers. If the pitch called is a slider low and away and the pitch backs up and its inside and high but hit the zone it is gonna look funny. Catcher has to move his glove 18 inches from the original target. I could image seeing a past ball and a called third strike.   If they take the juice out of the ball and they stop teams from stealing signs it could be a heyday for pitchers. 

[Tank]

15 hours ago, gotbeer said:

It's already in tests in the minors.  

 

Looks like they have the robot set to “Angel Hernandez.” That’s probably not a good idea.

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Tank said:

Looks like they have the robot set to “Angel Hernandez.” That’s probably not a good idea.

[tdawg87]

[gotbeer]

7 hours ago, Lou said:

 

And people think that Skynet just happened.  Those computers never forget, no matter how many times you clear your browsing history.  

[eligrba]

9 hours ago, Tank said:

Looks like they have the robot set to “Angel Hernandez.” That’s probably not a good idea.

FYI-Angel Hernandez will be in responsible for calibrating all of the robots.

[tdawg87]

Can't wait for Robo West to take over the league and eventually the entire planet. 

[Taylor]

[Dick B Back]