Red Sox (Suarez) vs Marlins (Alcantara): 8/24/26, 6:40pm

[notin]

11 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

Who gives a hoot?  Hitters, catchers, and even pitchers can challenge any ball/strike.  

I vastly prefer a live umpire calling balls and strikes because I want umpires on the field making all the calls--usually very visibly.  They are not supposed to be invisible.  They are part of the game.  

With all the possible challenges, few bad calls are not remedied.  

Calling balls and strikes is insanely difficult.  I know Ive said this a million times, but it’s essentially deciding if a projectile moving at 100mph touched any part of an invisible box of varying size.  Other sports like tennis and horse racing have adopted automated refereeing for some calls.  There is no shame in MLB doing so as well…

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

I used "Eli's Coming" too as he rounded the bases.

I'm hoping that's the song they play when he enters the game.  Even the non-musical part 'Eli's comiiiiiiing'.  Unfortunately, we have no one the 40 for 'Jose's on his way'.

[mvp 78]

26 minutes ago, notin said:

Calling balls and strikes is insanely difficult.  I know Ive said this a million times, but it’s essentially deciding if a projectile moving at 100mph touched any part of an invisible box of varying size.  Other sports like tennis and horse racing have adopted automated refereeing for some calls.  There is no shame in MLB doing so as well…

Whatever they do, just get the k zone off my tv screen. 

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

I keep imaging how good Ceddanne can be if he ever learned the strike zone.  It may happen, then look out.  

I've never seen it work.  I've seen batters cut down, but then lose some of their aggressiveness.  PCA has moved in a positive direction, maybe Ceddanne can follow.  Even a marginal improvement each year would be big.

[mvp 78]

Just now, JoeBrady said:

I've never seen it work.  I've seen batters cut down, but then lose some of their aggressiveness.  PCA has moved in a positive direction, maybe Ceddanne can follow.  Even a marginal improvement each year would be big.

 

He has a 787 OPS right now and a 289 AVG. This could be his peak. I think people are expecting a little too much out of his bat. He's been more than anyone on here expected. Saying that he needs to do even more than what he's currently doing is ridiculous. 

Rafaela at 750 OPS has an insane amount of value. Anything above that is found money. 

[JoeBrady]

31 minutes ago, notin said:

Calling balls and strikes is insanely difficult.

I'm very pro-review in its current format, but that's not a knock on the umpires.  The chances of getting every pitch right is essentially -0-.  If we can spend an extra 2 minutes a game (sponsored Draftkings) getting 6 important pitches right, I think it is a slam-dunk.

And no one mentions it, but it has worked so well, that I wouldn't even bother using it fulltime.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Whatever they do, just get the k zone off my tv screen. 

You mean the two-dimensional outline that delineates zero of the 17-inch depth from the front to the back point of home plate that old umpires are supposed to perceive when a high curveball enters the batter's box shoulder high to the hitter and then drops into the catcher's mitt somewhere behind the dish?

That fakery that makes some viewers think they're privy to a better view than even professionals?

(like the paid video reviewers in New York who were the only humans in the world that didn't see Alonso's FAIR home run vs. the Yankees on replays).

[drewski6]

2 hours ago, jad said:

In no job or institution is the policy of 'weeding out the bad ones' good, as anyone who has been involved in a real world situation with this knows.   On this board, there is no agreement on even who is a bad player, for which there are piles of objective data.

What about landscaping/lawn-care?

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

You mean the two-dimensional outline that delineates zero of the 17-inch depth from the front to the back point of home plate that old umpires are supposed to perceive when a high curveball enters the batter's box shoulder high to the hitter and then drops into the catcher's mitt somewhere behind the dish?

That fakery that makes some viewers think they're privy to a better view than even professionals?

(like the paid video reviewers in New York who were the only humans in the world that didn't see Alonso's FAIR home run vs. the Yankees on replays).

Alonso's HR may have been foul. BAL doesn't have a good angle showing a ball hit down the line. The one where it looks fair is angled from the dugout. Why don't they just have a camera installed on top of the pole? That'd just make too much sense.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

22 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Alonso's HR may have been foul. BAL doesn't have a good angle showing a ball hit down the line. The one where it looks fair is angled from the dugout. Why don't they just have a camera installed on top of the pole? That'd just make too much sense.

With a vertical laser on top that is motion-activated by a flying baseball.

Nah, forget it; yahoos would bring their own and throw them at the poles all night, and wind up beaning distracted fans who paid good money for seats where they could scroll on their phones in peace and tumult (wait -- this may be a good invention).

[Maxbialystock]

5 hours ago, notin said:

Calling balls and strikes is insanely difficult.  I know Ive said this a million times, but it’s essentially deciding if a projectile moving at 100mph touched any part of an invisible box of varying size.  Other sports like tennis and horse racing have adopted automated refereeing for some calls.  There is no shame in MLB doing so as well…

Tennis does the same thing as MLB--allow players to challenge calls.  Horseracing is barely a sport any more.  

I agree calling balls and strikes is tough, especially for the umpire who stands behind the catcher.  Nevertheless, I am delighted that the vast majority of umps seem to get the calls right.  Even better is the catcher, hitter, and pitcher all being allowed to challenge calls.  I have read that maybe 3 umps are planning on retiring after this season because they have been challenged so much.

Finally, this.  No one on the field or in the dugout can see that cotton-picking rectangular strike zone.  It's a fabrication, but a powerful one because we can see it at home on our screens.  Thus am I dead set against relying on something the players and umps can't even see.  The umpires are part of the game and should never be invisible.  They should continue to make all calls and do so demonstrably.  

[moonslav59]

7 hours ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

I keep imaging how good Ceddanne can be if he ever learned the strike zone.  It may happen, then look out.  

I always worry about this kind of thinking. The guy does a good job with a poor approach. I'd hesitate to try and change anything.

Don't fix what ain't broke.

[moonslav59]

6 hours ago, drewski6 said:

What about landscaping/lawn-care?

Or some cheap weed killer.