Angel Hernandez Factor?

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

Turning the game into a technological monster and trending toward eliminating the human factor will do nothing to help grow the game. People just seem to keep things interesting.

 

I am a huge fan of instant replay in every sport. The delay is worth it if they can get the call right. But one of the trade offs was how that game ended the other night. What a buzz kill it was to hear "hit the pause button" as they reviewed the play.

[SoxnCycles]

I’d rather we entered the era of that “piranha in the pants” thing...

 

I like it!

Do it between innings, instead of the silly character races.

[oldtimer]

Turning the game into a technological monster and trending toward eliminating the human factor will do nothing to help grow the game. People just seem to keep things interesting.

 

Perhaps you and I are two of the older fans here yet we have different opinions on using technology to get the ball and strike calls right. Too darned many wrong calls and too much variabillity between umpires. I would keep the ump behind the plate as there are many other reasons for him there. Just feed him or her the ball and strike calls electronically. What happens if the World Series was determined due to a strike call on a pitch 2 inches off the plate? My view is lets get the call right rather than stick with tradition.

[Slasher9]

i watch 162 Red Sox games per season (+ whatever ST games are on MLB network + whatever postseason games we play). if there were Robot Umps i would watch all those games + 100 more games of other teams.

Robot Umps Now.

[moonslav59]

Turning the game into a technological monster and trending toward eliminating the human factor will do nothing to help grow the game. People just seem to keep things interesting.

 

Making bad calls might make things more interesting, but not in a positive way.

 

I don't think robo-calling balls and strikes is going to make a big difference in how fans watch the game or like the game. The games will go faster. Pitchers and hitters will now know what they need to do to get things done.

 

We'll soon get used to not seeing a fat ump standing right over the catcher's shoulder. That alone is worth it. The no mistakes on balls and strikes is just icing on the cake.

[S5Dewey]

I don't know if umpires are any better or worse than they used to be in the days before the K-Zone, Amica Strike Zone or whatever

 

 

Is there as much scuttlebutt about robo umps throughout baseball as there is on this site? If so it's time for the Umpires Union to sit up and take notice. The best way they can protect themselves and their jobs is by getting better at what they do. If they don't do that they'll soon be replaced by a machine.

 

Step # 1 should be to identify the worst of the umpires and either get them retrained or replace them. That will give the umps an incentive to do better.

[moonslav59]

I don't know if umpires are any better or worse than they used to be in the days before the K-Zone, Amica Strike Zone or whatever

 

 

Is there as much scuttlebutt about robo umps throughout baseball as there is on this site? If so it's time for the Umpires Union to sit up and take notice. The best way they can protect themselves and their jobs is by getting better at what they do. If they don't do that they'll soon be replaced by a machine.

 

Step # 1 should be to identify the worst of the umpires and either get them retrained or replace them. That will give the umps an incentive to do better.

 

If you just have robo umps call balls and strikes, no umps will lose their jobs. You'll still have an ump somewhere behind home plate to make other calls in that area.

 

If I were an ump, I'd be happy to have that task taken off my hands. Plus, no more umps getting hurt on foul tips or catcher wiffs.... well mostly anyways.

[S5Dewey]

The real issue here is the quality of umpiring and how technology has caught up with umpiring. The fact is, we didn't know how good or bad some of those umps are until we started having the Pitch Zones on television.

 

IMO the real and more practical solution is to continually make human umpiring better. It'll never be perfect but the umpires need to be making strides to make it better.

 

I see the solution as being fairly simple. People respond to an incentive and if the incentive to umpires is keeping their jobs by preventing robo-umps they'll do better. If they don't respond to that incentive it'll be difficult for me to feel badly for them when robo-umps become the norm.

[notin]

not to mention, how are managers going to argue with robot umps? Will they run out on the field yelling "01110000 01101001 01110010 01100001 01101110 01101000 01100001 00100000 01110000 01100001 01101110 01110100 01110011 00001010 00001010 00001010!!!"? Edited October 11, 2018 by notin

[moonslav59]

The real issue here is the quality of umpiring and how technology has caught up with umpiring. The fact is, we didn't know how good or bad some of those umps are until we started having the Pitch Zones on television.

 

IMO the real and more practical solution is to continually make human umpiring better. It'll never be perfect but the umpires need to be making strides to make it better.

 

I see the solution as being fairly simple. People respond to an incentive and if the incentive to umpires is keeping their jobs by preventing robo-umps they'll do better. If they don't respond to that incentive it'll be difficult for me to feel badly for them when robo-umps become the norm.

 

How are real umps more practical than robo umps when calling balls and strikes?

 

No matter how much they improve, they'll never be consistent or perfect.

 

Why feel badly for umps, anyways, they won't lose their jobs, if all we do is take away balls and strikes.

[mvp 78]

Turning the game into a technological monster and trending toward eliminating the human factor will do nothing to help grow the game. People just seem to keep things interesting.

 

Nah. Nobody turns in to watch the refs. People are more likely to turn off it they hate refs/umps/officials.

[mvp 78]

How are real umps more practical than robo umps when calling balls and strikes?

 

No matter how much they improve, they'll never be consistent or perfect.

 

Why feel badly for umps, anyways, they won't lose their jobs, if all we do is take away balls and strikes.

 

Still keep them for plays at the plate, check swings, time outs, etc.

[notin]

Nah. Nobody turns in to watch the refs. People are more likely to turn off it they hate refs/umps/officials.

 

There are actually fantasy baseball leagues for umpires (true!!) where you score based on their ejections. Do you want to take that away?

 

In your defense, it might be a step towards helping the participants in those leagues get a life...

[notin]

Still keep them for plays at the plate, check swings, time outs, etc.

 

Home plate umpires typically defer check swing calls anyway...

[mvp 78]

Home plate umpires typically defer check swing calls anyway...

 

Not always tho.

[moonslav59]

Home plate umpires typically defer check swing calls anyway...

 

Maybe they could stand off to the side a little bit and see check swings better. They'd have to wear extra protection for foul balls coming their way.

[cp176]

Oh man I'm ok with a minor beatdown from all of my "friends" on talksox but I'm afraid that it doesn't change my opinion about the value of human interaction in this game. Continuing to sterilize it an an attempt to "get it right" isn't going to enhance its popularity. Age really has nothing to do with this either. It is all about people to people. The popular approach and the safe approach today is to try to get everything right but that doesn't make it right. Personally I miss an occasional manager umpire confrontation. I respect all of your opinions too for real just like I know you all respect mine. If you continue to robotocize, when does it stop? Oh well, I'm one of those people who more enjoy discussing the topics we discuss here in person as opposed to in print. I hope that doesn't make me too old even though i had to have the extra dose of my flu shot the other day for the first time. The old person's extra dose.

[mvp 78]

This thread can die now.

 

@MaureenaMullen

 

MLB announces umps for CS:

NL: CC Gerry Davis, Scott Barry, Brian Gorman, Alan Porter, Hunter Wendelstedt, Jim Wolf

AL: CC Joe West, Vic Carapazza, Mark Carlson, Chris Guccione, James Hoye, Mark Wegner.

Greg Gibson (NL) and Bill Miller (AL) start as replay off'ls then rotate in.

[Slasher9]

f***ing joe west.

[S5Dewey]

f***ing joe west.

 

My thought.. .word for word.

[cp176]

2 words - Larry Barnnett

[Bellhorn04]

Joe West was part of the crew in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, so I can't bad-mouth him.

[Kimmi]

The era of robo umps is coming. The calls will be consistent and agree with strike zone rules. No more bitching needed. Should start trying it out in the minors.

 

I really hope not.

[Kimmi]

I am a huge fan of instant replay in every sport. The delay is worth it if they can get the call right. But one of the trade offs was how that game ended the other night. What a buzz kill it was to hear "hit the pause button" as they reviewed the play.

 

No kidding. I've seen that happen with a couple of walk off wins too. That's one of reasons why I am against replay.

[Kimmi]

Perhaps you and I are two of the older fans here yet we have different opinions on using technology to get the ball and strike calls right. Too darned many wrong calls and too much variabillity between umpires. I would keep the ump behind the plate as there are many other reasons for him there. Just feed him or her the ball and strike calls electronically. What happens if the World Series was determined due to a strike call on a pitch 2 inches off the plate? My view is lets get the call right rather than stick with tradition.

 

Again, I think we could limit some of the variability and some of the errors if the umpires were held more accountable. No, they will never be perfect in making the calls, but I don't want them to be.

[Kimmi]

not to mention, how are managers going to argue with robot umps? Will they run out on the field yelling "01110000 01101001 01110010 01100001 01101110 01101000 01100001 00100000 01110000 01100001 01101110 01110100 01110011 00001010 00001010 00001010!!!"?

 

LOL Nice!

[oldtimer]

Oh man I'm ok with a minor beatdown from all of my "friends" on talksox but I'm afraid that it doesn't change my opinion about the value of human interaction in this game. Continuing to sterilize it an an attempt to "get it right" isn't going to enhance its popularity. Age really has nothing to do with this either. It is all about people to people. The popular approach and the safe approach today is to try to get everything right but that doesn't make it right. Personally I miss an occasional manager umpire confrontation. I respect all of your opinions too for real just like I know you all respect mine. If you continue to robotocize, when does it stop? Oh well, I'm one of those people who more enjoy discussing the topics we discuss here in person as opposed to in print. I hope that doesn't make me too old even though i had to have the extra dose of my flu shot the other day for the first time. The old person's extra dose.

 

This is a matter of opinion and neither side is right or wrong, we just value different things. I guess being an engineer I find accuracy to be more important than tradition. Not to worry, the umps will continue to be here for a few years anyway, if the change is ever made. By the way, I have been getting the high dose flu shot for years.

[Bellhorn04]

Personally I think using replay on safe and out calls is a very good thing. Sure it slows things up a bit but there have been a TON of calls reversed. That means a lot of wrong made right.

[cp176]

This is a matter of opinion and neither side is right or wrong, we just value different things. I guess being an engineer I find accuracy to be more important than tradition. Not to worry, the umps will continue to be here for a few years anyway, if the change is ever made. By the way, I have been getting the high dose flu shot for years.

 

No offense at all intended but the suggestion that someone wanting robotic umpires is more interested in accuracy then someone wanting accountable humans to make the calls is very very wrong. The inference here I guess is that a person not in favor of robo umps is more human being friendly I guess but I don't think that that would be fair either. I was (am) a teacher so I'm sure that I don't have to tell you how important accuracy is to me. Once again though really no offense - my larger point is that there really is no in between in today's world. You are either all in or I guess you aren't. I do very much value your opinion.

Do you think that that the high dose flu shot makes a difference?

How about the new (2) shingles shots? Shingles is something I do not want to get.

[dgalehouse]

We need robot umpires , android managers and Siri or Amazon's Alexa Echo Voice, and maybe that GPS girl to do all the announcing. Things would be perfect. Except, the complainers would have to find something else to gripe about.