Robot Umps?!

[Hugh2]

Really?

 

Robo players?

 

We come to watch the game being played and not some bozos missing 23 calls and forcing batter and pitchers to alter their approaches.

 

Agree. There's a huge difference between automating the officiating vs the actual play. I'll never understand what point people think they're making with such ridiculous comments. If anything, taking human error out of the game call makes the game 100% honest. To me, that's more fun.

 

Seriously, when has anyone asked for an umpires jersey for christmas, or for their autograph? people just hear change and they get all hot and bothered.

[jad]

This is not brain surgery. It is baseball. A game. Things don't have to be perfect. It's just a game. It is supposed to be fun. Part of the fun is screaming at the ump. " Get your eyes checked , Blue." Etc. Try to have fun watching it. Relax. It's not as if the Sox are on an 86 year drought. And it is not a matter of life and death. Unless you cause yourself to get a heart attack or bleeding ulcers or a nervous breakdown . And if you are going to do that , robot umps will not help.

 

Part of the fun is abusing umpires? Really? Hurling middle-school insults in public? That's how you 'relax'? That's the example you set for your kids?

Wow. Speak for yourself.

 

(I wonder if you have ever actually served as an umpire, say, in little league or h.s. You know, just so you could join in on the 'fun'.)

Edited October 21, 2021 by jad

[Hugh2]

If people love umpires so much they can just stand out there to look pretty. Let the game be called right. I want to see guys swing, run, dive, pitch throw.....I could care less about a man in a black vest pointing his finger.

[moonslav59]

Sure, some fans love screaming at umps, but they'll find someone else to scream at.

 

Why should we cater to them?

 

Plus, it's not like an actual metal robot will be on the field behind the plate- ruining the visual of our pastime favorite. There will still be an ump behind home plate to make calls on plays at the plate. They can even set it up where that ump has an ear piece that tells him ball or strike, and he can still "make the call" and be yelled at by dumb, drunk fans.

 

My guess is, in time, nobody will even notice.

[Bellhorn04]

If people love umpires so much they can just stand out there to look pretty. Let the game be called right. I want to see guys swing, run, dive, pitch throw.....I could care less about a man in a black vest pointing his finger.

 

Umps are just men trying to do a job, like most of us. Calling balls and strikes accurately is demonstrably extremely difficult, and even the best umps have an error rate. Giving them some help from technology just seems to make sense.

[notin]

I know. That's why custom strike zones are preposterous. Just define what the zone will be for everyone.

 

So… rewrite the rule book?

 

Newsflash - they use custom strike zones for every player now, which is why pitches at Jose Altuve’s eyeball level are still strikes to Aaron Judge…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Umps are just men trying to do a job, like most of us. Calling balls and strikes accurately is demonstrably extremely difficult, and even the best umps have an error rate. Giving them some help from technology just seems to make sense.

 

Will there also be robots down the lines with zoom vision to check the checks? Or will they set up an invisible horizontal laser across the plate (like the electric eyes guarding valuable gems in crime movies) that will buzz when a check swing crosses the line?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

So… rewrite the rule book?

 

Newsflash - they use custom strike zones for every player now, which is why pitches at Jose Altuve’s eyeball level are still strikes to Aaron Judge…

 

Please forward this to Boston's analytics department ASAP -- that's exactly the pitch Altuve strikes out on, when he's trying to be Judge. Haven't we all learned by now that Might He Mouse is trying to leave with anything betwixt the belt and the knees?

[mvp 78]

Will there also be robots down the lines with zoom vision to check the checks? Or will they set up an invisible horizontal laser across the plate (like the electric eyes guarding valuable gems in crime movies) that will buzz when a check swing crosses the line?

 

They could just make it a reviewable play.

[Larry33]

Noway they changed this game enough already if you really look at it. It goes both ways sometimes the call is against you and sometimes the call in your favor. Personally I like an ump who is consistent if has a wide or high strike zone hopefully it's the same for the whole game for both teams.

[mvp 78]

Noway they changed this game enough already if you really look at it. It goes both ways sometimes the call is against you and sometimes the call in your favor. Personally I like an ump who is consistent if has a wide or high strike zone hopefully it's the same for the whole game for both teams.

 

Changing the umpires doesn't change the game at all. Shifts, launch angles, openers play a much bigger role in how the game looks. Changing to an automatic k zone would be unnoticeable after the first week.

[notin]

Umps are just men trying to do a job, like most of us. Calling balls and strikes accurately is demonstrably extremely difficult, and even the best umps have an error rate. Giving them some help from technology just seems to make sense.

 

It's ridiculously difficult. No other sport has any official, referee or judge who has to to what an umpire calling balls and strikes does. As I have said before the job entails deciding if a rapidly moving projectile touches any part of an invisible box. It makes a ton of sense to help them along...

[notin]

Will there also be robots down the lines with zoom vision to check the checks? Or will they set up an invisible horizontal laser across the plate (like the electric eyes guarding valuable gems in crime movies) that will buzz when a check swing crosses the line?

 

Yes I think slippery slope arguments are the way to go here…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Yes I think slippery slope arguments are the way to go here…

 

They should just ban the whole check-swing strike concept. With pitchers throwing 100 mph on every team now, it's not humanly possible to make contact anymore unless a batter starts his swing early. Without loading and shifting and flinching ("hips before hands"), there'd be no hitting.

 

I'm convinced this why there are more check-the-checks now than even a decade ago... never mind a few decades ago, when you were asking for trouble if a player or manager appealed to ask for help in regards to the judgment of the all-knowing ego behind the plate.

[notin]

They should just ban the whole check-swing strike concept. With pitchers throwing 100 mph on every team now, it's not humanly possible to make contact anymore unless a batter starts his swing early. Without loading and shifting and flinching ("hips before hands"), there'd be no hitting.

 

I'm convinced this why there are more check-the-checks now than even a decade ago... never mind a few decades ago, when you were asking for trouble if a player or manager appealed to ask for help in regards to the judgment of the all-knowing ego behind the plate.

 

There probably are, but the main reason to not bring the technology in is there re no clear rules defining a check swing. The Wilmer Flores check swing that obviously inspired all this was, unfortunately, not an incorrect call per the rules.

 

But that doesn't mean MLB shouldn't embrace technology for other aspects. They already employ instant replay, and while they do misuse it IMO sometimes (primarily reviewing slides into bases to see if the runner eer broke contact with the base), they otherwise do use it to fix a lot of otherwise bad calls. Unlike in the NFL, however, a lot of MLB calls being retroactively changed via instant replay just don't work in MLB, mostly because of where to put baserunners. Thats why fair/foul calls are limited to home runs.

 

So before we go using slippery slope arguments, MLB and other port have implemented technology to ensure proper officiating calls are made at a higher rate. Have any of these implementations lead to slippery slope situations?

[moonslav59]

They should just ban the whole check-swing strike concept. With pitchers throwing 100 mph on every team now, it's not humanly possible to make contact anymore unless a batter starts his swing early. Without loading and shifting and flinching ("hips before hands"), there'd be no hitting.

 

I'm convinced this why there are more check-the-checks now than even a decade ago... never mind a few decades ago, when you were asking for trouble if a player or manager appealed to ask for help in regards to the judgment of the all-knowing ego behind the plate.

 

So, all check swings are strikes or not?

[moonslav59]

Robo umps could call a strike anytime a bat crosses the plate or goes halfway across it- whatever they want to determine a swing.

[notin]

Robo umps could call a strike anytime a bat crosses the plate or goes halfway across it- whatever they want to determine a swing.

 

But they shouldn't. There are no rules to determine a swing beyond "an offering at any pitch that is not a bunt." Giving the robot umps that type of power would necessitate a rule change.

 

The job of the umpires is to interpret and enforce the rules, not to write them...

[notin]

So, all check swings are strikes or not?

 

Umpire discretion as to whether or not the batter offered at the pitch.

 

Some check swings involve a batter spinning out of the way of a pitching riding up and in on them. If you make a "head of the bat breaks the plane of the plate" rule, some of those might be considered swings and therefore strikes. Does that make sense?

[mvp 78]

Umpire discretion as to whether or not the batter offered at the pitch.

 

Some check swings involve a batter spinning out of the way of a pitching riding up and in on them. If you make a "head of the bat breaks the plane of the plate" rule, some of those might be considered swings and therefore strikes. Does that make sense?

 

Let the human ump have umpire discretion for obvious blown calls.

[notin]

Let the human ump have umpire discretion for obvious blown calls.

 

I say start with balls and strikes - easily the toughest calls an official in any sport has to make - and let's see how things go from there before any industry-wide automated umpiring changes sweep the league..

[mvp 78]

I say start with balls and strikes - easily the toughest calls an official in any sport has to make - and let's see how things go from there before any industry-wide automated umpiring changes sweep the league..

 

I'd be fine if it was only balls and strikes and they got rid of instant replay. Then fans who want to yell at umps will have an opportunity to do so.

[moonslav59]

I'd be fine if it was only balls and strikes and they got rid of instant replay. Then fans who want to yell at umps will have an opportunity to do so.

 

I'd go for that trade-off, but I think IR is essential.

 

Just use the pitch clock, and the IR delays won't be so bad.

[mvp 78]

I'd go for that trade-off, but I think IR is essential.

 

Just use the pitch clock, and the IR delays won't be so bad.

 

Pitch clock will be an even more drastic change for the game.

[moonslav59]

But they shouldn't. There are no rules to determine a swing beyond "an offering at any pitch that is not a bunt." Giving the robot umps that type of power would necessitate a rule change.

 

The job of the umpires is to interpret and enforce the rules, not to write them...

 

I know there are no rules, but one can be made.

 

It's too subjective, now. I'd just make the bat crossing over half of the plate a strike. On the play you mention, it might be unfortunate, but you could allow umpire discretion to over rule the robo ump in just these cases. Many times, a batter trying to get out of the way, moves the bat, but it never actually goes across the plate- it is swung past the plate but not over it.

 

[moonslav59]

Pitch clock will be an even more drastic change for the game.

 

Agreed, but it is getting ridiculous.

[Maxbialystock]

Overreacted? It was a topic on sports radio programs, articles touched on it as well after last night’s debacle. This isn’t a knee jerk reaction. Nobody is a prisoner of the moment with this take. Diaz missed 23 calls last night including calls in key spots. You want to just wave it off? Fine. JD was robbed of a walk and Nate was robbed of getting out of the 8th inning. FACTS.

 

If you look at my initial post, I stated that I would rather keep the human element rather than switch to tech. The game would change considerably (many feel for the better) if the change was to be made. I’d probably hate it at first but it would eliminate the frustration that most of us feel after watching an ump call a post season baseball game like he had nothing to lose.

 

Reread your last sentence, which makes it clear you wrote the OP out of frustration.

[notin]

Pitch clock will be an even more drastic change for the game.

 

Possible, but the pitch clock is already in the rules...

[S5Dewey]

Why does robo-umps have to be an all-or-nothing thing? The technology exists to determine balls and strikes so let MLB (an impartial arbiter) run the robo-ump and give managers a specified number of "challenges" to a call.

 

Yes, it would cause more slight delays but it's not like the out/safe calls where NY has to look at the play from several different angles and sometimes take five minutes to do it. There's ONE angle - the "box" and either it's a ball or a strike - and it can be called in less than a minute.

 

The umpires are usually right in their calls but this would give players/managers recourse on those few calls where an ump has blown it. The ice has been broken on using technology to make calls but we don't have to go overboard and use it all the time just as we don't use NY to settle every putout.

 

Problem solved!

[notin]

I'd be fine if it was only balls and strikes and they got rid of instant replay. Then fans who want to yell at umps will have an opportunity to do so.

 

At the very least, if you keep instant replay, stop using to see if a sliding base-runner breaks contact with the base for an infinitesimal period of time...