Robot Umps?!

[moonslav59]

Except a slight minority who think it’s paving the way for robot players…

 

No, they've all been persuaded.

 

It's now unanimous.

 

Bring it on!

[Swiharts Ghost]

Yes it’s time for robot umps but not unlike how Tennis has evolved .Have the ump for now and have real time sound and light of a strike vs ball .This will not slow down the game in my humble opinion nor will it lay off the good men and woman involved in this profession.

[Elktonnick]

No, they've all been persuaded.

 

It's now unanimous.

 

Bring it on!

 

You have a very "unique" understanding of the meaning of the word unanimous.

[Bellhorn04]

Dissenters:

 

Kimmi

dgalehouse

Elktonnick

Maxbialystock

[moonslav59]

Can't you guys take a joke?

[Bellhorn04]

Can't you guys take a joke?

 

Oblique humor plays badly on the internet.

[jad]

One of my favorite inanities is when an announcer looks at a call (a ball/strike) in replay and praises the umpire "Great Call!!!!" as a euphemism for 'apparently the correct call'. Just think, with a computerized strike zone, we could get "Great Call!!!" s all the time.

[Bellhorn04]

One of my favorite inanities is when an announcer looks at a call (a ball/strike) in replay and praises the umpire "Great Call!!!!" as a euphemism for 'apparently the correct call'. Just think, with a computerized strike zone, we could get "Great Call!!!" s all the time.

 

And we wouldn't even notice it. We wouldn't have to worry about and fixate on the accuracy of ball/strike calls any more, and we could focus on more interesting aspects of the game.

[moonslav59]

Oblique humor plays badly on the internet.

 

I get that, but I thought it was pretty obvious not everyone was in agreement.

 

Hell, we can't even get 100% agreement that this was a good season for the Sox.

[Elktonnick]

One of my favorite inanities is when an announcer looks at a call (a ball/strike) in replay and praises the umpire "Great Call!!!!" as a euphemism for 'apparently the correct call'. Just think, with a computerized strike zone, we could get "Great Call!!!" s all the time.

 

The Houston Astros will never have a strike called against them ever again! What could go wrong?

[moonslav59]

The Houston Astros will never have a strike called against them ever again! What could go wrong?

 

What? They get caught hacking into the robo ump system?

[notin]

What? They get caught hacking into the robo ump system?

 

Shouldn't that be the Cardinals, as they were the team that did actual hacking? The Astros were the team that got hacked in that particular case...

[moonslav59]

Shouldn't that be the Cardinals, as they were the team that did actual hacking? The Astros were the team that got hacked in that particular case...

 

True dat.

[notin]

True dat.

 

It actually does bring up what I consider the most glaring concern against robot umpires - what do you do about hackers?

[moonslav59]

It actually does bring up what I consider the most glaring concern against robot umpires - what do you do about hackers?

 

That's easy: you make the system hack-proof. (LOL)

[Elktonnick]

That's easy: you make the system hack-proof. (LOL)

Error 404

[notin]

That's easy: you make the system hack-proof. (LOL)

 

Like by having human umpires call balls and strikes?

[Elktonnick]

Like by having human umpires call balls and strikes?

There is a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza!

[notin]

There is a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza!

 

Except I was joking.

 

Hacking is a legitimate concern, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker...

[moonslav59]

I really think that if the computer calls the strike through an earpiece in the umps rea, and he makes the call just like he does, now, even the detractors will soon get over their trepidation and angst over the new system.

 

It won't even be visibly noticed.

 

Players and managers will stop arguing, since they know there is nothing they can do about it, and there is no use trying to persuade the ump to give you the "next close call."

 

That should save some time. It should reduce the time of pitchers and batter fuming about a bad call- stepping off the mound or out of the batter's box to regroup and send a subtle message to the ump that they hated the call.

 

Just get this done, please!

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I believe most here know how I feel about chUMPIRNG in MLB. I'm all for robo-chUMPS. When inepts like Angel Hernandez and Lars Diaz are still employed to call balls and strikes, you know it's time to make a drastic change.

[notin]

I really think that if the computer calls the strike through an earpiece in the umps rea, and he makes the call just like he does, now, even the detractors will soon get over their trepidation and angst over the new system.

 

It won't even be visibly noticed.

 

Players and managers will stop arguing, since they know there is nothing they can do about it, and there is no use trying to persuade the ump to give you the "next close call."

 

That should save some time. It should reduce the time of pitchers and batter fuming about a bad call- stepping off the mound or out of the batter's box to regroup and send a subtle message to the ump that they hated the call.

 

Just get this done, please!

 

Exactly.

 

It fixes a lot of the blips in the game, although it won't affect the overall pace as pitchers who take a long time will still take a long time.

 

I could foresee a tech-savvy team hacking into the system to add an extra half inch or so to the strike zone when their team is up and gain a slight edge. As we have seen with the Astros and the Cardinals, teams will do anything to gain an edge. but this doesn't mean the whole idea should be scrapped...

[Elktonnick]

Robo players will save even more time. And we won't have all those messy labor issues and contract disputes.

[Bellhorn04]

Robo players will save even more time. And we won't have all those messy labor issues and contract disputes.

 

We watch the games to see the players perform. We don't watch to see the umps perform. Ideally, game officials are not noticed. But with balls and strikes calls, umps get noticed a lot.

[Elktonnick]

Another advantage to Robo players would be no covid issues. Maybe we could play the whole thing on the internet on virtual fields. That way we would have no pre game and post game traffic jams.

[mvp 78]

Another advantage to Robo players would be no covid issues. Maybe we could play the whole thing on the internet on virtual fields. That way we would have no pre game and post game traffic jams.

 

Dumb.

[Elktonnick]

We watch the games to see the players perform. We don't watch to see the umps perform. Ideally, game officials are not noticed. But with balls and strikes calls, umps get noticed a lot.

Yes the umpires add nothing to the color of the game. Since the dawn the game no one has every had any interest in anything the umpires have had to say about the games. So let us do away with all umpires and automate the entire officiating of all games.

[Elktonnick]

Dumb.

 

The only dumb idea is Robo umps

[a700hitter]

I think Max likes to sled on the same slippery slope as Elktonnick.

 

Are there any anti “automated calling of balls and strikes” arguments that don’t devolve into fans secretly fearing MLB will turn into Westworld, with the robot umps turning on their creator(s)?

I thought Max was proposing Robo Managers.

[notin]

Robo players will save even more time. And we won't have all those messy labor issues and contract disputes.

 

Oh sure we will.

 

Thanks to advancements in AI, robots have learned to create arguments and develop their own languages. The ability to negotiate is inevitable, and the ability to out-negotiate humans and financially ruin MLB for the sake of greedy robots then becomes the obvious next step...