Robot Umps?!

[notin]

And haven't there been some issues?

 

Only if this bothers you

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zEKeGN8ZfE

[mvp 78]

And haven't there been some issues?

 

Yes, Frank Viola was thrown out of a game for arguing balls and strikes against the computer.

[Kimmi]

That's not what you're hearing from me. Yes, I DO want them to get every call right but not at the expense of "dehumanizing the game". I can live with the garden variety missed calls but at the same time I want the umpire to know immediately when he's made an egregiously bad call.

I want that for two reasons. First I want the hitter to have every fair opportunity to hit the ball - something he doesn't have when an umpire makes a call so bad that we all go, "Ugh".

But second and maybe more importantly I want that umpire to be publicly corrected, not for any vindictive reason but as an incentive to make his 'game' better. Without that the bad calls are usually forgotten within a couple of batters and the umpire is validated.

Hence, I want hitters/managers to have a limited number of "challenges" of b/s calls in a game.

 

I would prefer the limited number of challenges over having balls and strikes called electronically.

 

The bottom line is that the umpires are not held accountable enough. They can be among the worst at calling games, yet they remain 'highly ranked' due to seniority. The system is broken. However, I don't think robot umps is the answer. There are better umpires available.

[Kimmi]

OK, but we're also allowed to look at whether it's fair to expect a sliding baseball cleat to maintain perfect contact with a canvas bag. It's not a serious issue like the one with balls and strikes.

 

It might not be as serious an issue, but a wrong call on a slide can impact the outcome of the game just as much as an incorrect ball or strike call.

 

The technology is available to correct missed calls on slides, just as it's available to correct missed calls behind the plate. If you're going to support the technology in one case, why not support it in all cases?

[Kimmi]

This is entering a slippery slope argument.

 

The bottom line is we all want the games to be called correctly and fairly. And just because this cannot necessarily be done for every type of call doesn't mean it shouldn't be done for any type of call. It doesn't have to be 100% or nothing.

 

The fact that baseball limited implemented instant replay to correct egregious calls and did so without implementing automated balls and strikes should dispel these types of arguments...

 

I think we entered a slippery slope as soon as instant replay was instated. Instant replay could be used for every type of call. I am, in no way, in support of that, but I don't see what makes getting one type of call right more important than getting another type of call right.

[Elktonnick]

This is entering a slippery slope argument.

 

The bottom line is we all want the games to be called correctly and fairly. And just because this cannot necessarily be done for every type of call doesn't mean it shouldn't be done for any type of call. It doesn't have to be 100% or nothing.

 

The fact that baseball limited implemented instant replay to correct egregious calls and did so without implementing automated balls and strikes should dispel these types of arguments...

 

Actually it is the reverse. One could reasonably make a cogent argument that baseball would never even consider Robo umps were it not for the fact that it opened the door to technology based umpiring by adopting instant replay

Edited November 4, 2021 by Elktonnick

[Bellhorn04]

Actually it is the reverse. One could reasonably make a cogent argument that baseball would never even consider Robo umps were it not for the fact that it opened the door to technology based umpiring by adopting instant replay

 

All major sports have had the door open to replays for years now.

 

And it has certainly led to plenty of griping, but I don't think it has impaired the enjoyment of fans all that much.

[Elktonnick]

All major sports have had the door open to replays for years now.

 

And it has certainly led to plenty of griping, but I don't think it has impaired the enjoyment of fans all that much.

 

Speak for yourself. Instant replay in football killed that sport for me. I only watch the super bowl now and only if New England is playing.

[a700hitter]

Yeah ask anyone who has umpired a local game how much they like the way 'fans' and parents of entitled kids express their 'enjoyment' of what they feel are missed calls (i.e., any call that goes against their team or their kid).

I was asked as a 13 year old to umpire a game for farm league kids. I had to call balls and strikes from behind the pitcher because they had no mask or equipment. I did it as a favor to the guy running the league. It is really hard calling pitches from behind the mound when kids are lobbing the ball. If it lands in the catchers glove, it passes over the batter’s head. If it passes the batter in the zone, it rolls to the catcher. The parents and managers were brutal about my umpiring and they tried to cheat also. The game was played under protest, because the one coach assisted one of his players in running from 3rd base. It was a terrible experience.

[cp176]

I was asked as a 13 year old to umpire a game for farm league kids. I had to call balls and strikes from behind the pitcher because they had no mask or equipment. I did it as a favor to the guy running the league. It is really hard calling pitches from behind the mound when kids are lobbing the ball. If it lands in the catchers glove, it passes over the batter’s head. If it passes the batter in the zone, it rolls to the catcher. The parents and managers were brutal about my umpiring and they tried to cheat also. The game was played under protest, because the one coach assisted one of his players in running from 3rd base. It was a terrible experience.

 

i had that very same experience both from the mound and behind the plate. I think that it says a lot more about the people who put 13 year olds in positions like this than it does about whether or not in my case anyway i was any good at what they asked me to do. i learned a great deal through those experiences about parents and adults in general when they don't get their own way about things

[mvp 78]

Speak for yourself. Instant replay in football killed that sport for me. I only watch the super bowl now and only if New England is playing.

 

What year was it when you started to phase out? I believe they had instant replay back in the 80's then went away from it and then went back to it.

[mvp 78]

I was asked as a 13 year old to umpire a game for farm league kids. I had to call balls and strikes from behind the pitcher because they had no mask or equipment. I did it as a favor to the guy running the league. It is really hard calling pitches from behind the mound when kids are lobbing the ball. If it lands in the catchers glove, it passes over the batter’s head. If it passes the batter in the zone, it rolls to the catcher. The parents and managers were brutal about my umpiring and they tried to cheat also. The game was played under protest, because the one coach assisted one of his players in running from 3rd base. It was a terrible experience.

 

Yeah, calling a game from behind the mound is horrible.

[mvp 78]

i had that very same experience both from the mound and behind the plate. I think that it says a lot more about the people who put 13 year olds in positions like this than it does about whether or not in my case anyway i was any good at what they asked me to do. i learned a great deal through those experiences about parents and adults in general when they don't get their own way about things

 

I would say that I think parents were more forgiving to the younger umps. I heard much more griping when other coaches were umping.

[notin]

Yeah, calling a game from behind the mound is horrible.

 

We had one umpire who insisted on calling from 10 feet behind the mound. It's like he thought "I need to stand somewhere where it's difficult to call and and strikes and where I have no vantage point for fair/foul calls at all. But behind behind the mound is just too darn close."

[Bellhorn04]

It might not be as serious an issue, but a wrong call on a slide can impact the outcome of the game just as much as an incorrect ball or strike call.

 

The technology is available to correct missed calls on slides, just as it's available to correct missed calls behind the plate. If you're going to support the technology in one case, why not support it in all cases?

 

Kimmi, the argument in this case is that the player should still be safe if he "momentarily" separates from the bag after hitting it. The fact that it even happens was only detected by high-resolution ultra-slow-mo and stop-action video. The equipment of baseball cleats and bags are not designed for perfect adhesion. Plus others have said the 'safe space' should extend upward from the bag like a hologram or something.

[mvp 78]

We had one umpire who insisted on calling from 10 feet behind the mound. It's like he thought "I need to stand somewhere where it's difficult to call and and strikes and where I have no vantage point for fair/foul calls at all. But behind behind the mound is just too darn close."

 

Might as well have the 3b coach just call the game at that point.

[mvp 78]

Kimmi, the argument in this case is that the player should still be safe if he "momentarily" separates from the bag after hitting it. The fact that it even happens was only detected by high-resolution ultra-slow-mo and stop-action video. The equipment of baseball cleats and bags are not designed for perfect adhesion. Plus others have said the 'safe space' should extend upward from the bag like a hologram or something.

 

Are we really adding holograms to baseball? C'mon man.

 

Let's just get an automated strike zone and go from there. I don't think there need to be any other adjustments right now except for adding the orange bag next to 1b. I'm all for that.

[Bellhorn04]

Are we really adding holograms to baseball? C'mon man.

 

Don't need an actual hologram if it's stipulated that the foot just has to stay over the bag. The hologram can be imaginary.

[Bellhorn04]

Are we really adding holograms to baseball? C'mon man.

 

Let's just get an automated strike zone and go from there. I don't think there need to be any other adjustments right now except for adding the orange bag next to 1b. I'm all for that.

 

Speaking of 1B, that's an example of how the rules allow for the fact that the important thing is getting to the base in time, not staying glued to it.

[notin]

Are we really adding holograms to baseball? C'mon man.

 

Let's just get an automated strike zone and go from there. I don't think there need to be any other adjustments right now except for adding the orange bag next to 1b. I'm all for that.

 

The double bag half in foul ground? Yes, that should have been done a long time ago. That first base is not even in the base path is kind of silly. and by "kind of silly" I mean "very, very stupid."

[mvp 78]

Speaking of 1B, that's an example of how the rules allow for the fact that the important thing is getting to the base in time, not staying glued to it.

 

Are we going to allow players to overrun 2B too?

[mvp 78]

The double bag half in foul ground? Yes, that should have been done a long time ago. That first base is not even in the base path is kind of silly. and by "kind of silly" I mean "very, very stupid."

 

Yes, then you can really enforce the rule that batters should be running to the right side of the foul line. It's also a very good safety measure.

[Bellhorn04]

Are we going to allow players to overrun 2B too?

 

'Course not.

[mvp 78]

'Course not.

 

Then staying glued to 2b and 3b is part of the rules.

[moonslav59]

Then staying glued to 2b and 3b is part of the rules.

 

Think of the thousands of missed calls since the 1800's as players separated from the bag by a millimeter for a split second, and the blind ump missed the obvious call.

[Bellhorn04]

Then staying glued to 2b and 3b is part of the rules.

 

Put glue on the bags then. The bags are the real problem. They're not exactly high-tech equip.

[mvp 78]

Put glue on the bags then. The bags are the real problem. They're not exactly high-tech equip.

 

Players already have stickum on their gloves. Just slide head first everytime.

[mvp 78]

Think of the thousands of missed calls since the 1800's as players separated from the bag by a millimeter for a split second, and the blind ump missed the obvious call.

 

In the 1800's they were still probably using bags that slid out of the way when you came into contact with them. I guess just bring those back then? Break away bags?

[Bellhorn04]

Players already have stickum on their gloves. Just slide head first everytime.

 

Want more injuries, do we?

[mvp 78]

Want more injuries, do we?

 

That's just buzzarding.