Baseball Electronic balls and strikes

[Major]

Balls and strikes are the most subjective aspect of baseball umpiring. Every ump seems to have his own idea of where the strike zone is, and they are often inconsistent with it.

The technology is there to call balls and strikes electronically, instantly and accurately. Should MLB implement electronic home plate umpires?

 

[EdgeHead]

I don't know. I'm on the fence about it. While the technology would avoid some controversial calls, the old school guy in me would miss getting pissed off at umpires behind the plate for inconsistent strike zones and everything lol

But all kidding aside, maybe that yeah, it's time for it. But I still think an umpire should still be behind the plate, just in case.

 

[Babe_Ruth]

I'm undecided. I think umpires have been truly awful for a long time and most of them don't even know where the strike zone is. They're really inconsistent, too.

Just not sure how I feel about having a "robot" calling balls and strikes instead. I guess I would like to see it happen in the minor leagues before they initiate it in the big leagues.

 

[Doc]

I guess I would like to see it happen in the minor leagues before they initiate it in the big leagues.

This is exactly how I see it. I believe that the replay system, which I support, has been poorly implemented. It slows down games too much. I'd rather see an electronic system tried at a different level of baseball, like AA or AAA, for a couple of years. It would give them time to work out bugs instead of having to live with bad rules through the season only to have them resoled in the offseason.

 

[Babe_Ruth]

This is exactly how I see it. I believe that the replay system, which I support, has been poorly implemented. It slows down games too much. I'd rather see an electronic system tried at a different level of baseball, like AA or AAA, for a couple of years. It would give them time to work out bugs instead of having to live with bad rules through the season only to have them resoled in the offseason.

Don’t get me started on the replay system. First off, managers should not be able to call the review guys upstairs to see whether they should challenge it or not. It should be the managers call, and he has 15-30 seconds to make that call. Also, the length of these calls are outrageous. And, to me, sometimes I think the umpires will stick with their call so they don’t look foolish with their original call.

 

[Doc]

And, to me, sometimes I think the umpires will stick with their call so they don’t look foolish with their original call

100% agree with your other points, but this one is inaccurate. The call is made by a member of an anonymous umpire crew in New York who reviews the replays from the stadium and both broadcasts. They make the call and pass it on to the on field to the crew chief and ump who made the call. Your point of keeping calls to save face still stands true.

 

[Babe_Ruth]

100% agree with your other points, but this one is inaccurate. The call is made by a member of an anonymous umpire crew in New York who reviews the replays from the stadium and both broadcasts. They make the call and pass it on to the on field to the crew chief and ump who made the call. Your point of keeping calls to save face still stands true.

Call me a conspiracy theorist on this one, and I know what you’re saying, but at times when they say it’s too inconclusive to change their mind, I personally believe it’s total BS. They have the best cameras in the world for this review, and yes, at times it’s hard to make a call, but often times you could clearly see if the runner was tagged out or not and they still make the wrong call.

Maybe I’m just bitter because it’s happened way too often to the Blue Jays.

 

[Crypticshock]

Aren't there a few pitchers that pitch a little differently that wouldn't work with this automatic systems? Do they have to retire once the system comes in? Their pitches look like a ball in the electronic ball position but it actually went over for a strike. It just doesn't look that way if you use the robots call. I believe the Jays faced one of those pitchers in the last two weeks and Buck brought up this point...

 

[Millz]

I understand the idea of doing this but I can't support it

Human error should be part of the game IMO

 

[TheRealVJ]

I think there should be a common ground where human umpires are used "with" the support of technology to call balls and strikes. I for one love the human element of the game, and no matter how horrendous the calls are, no one can argue that it does make the game more interesting. It definitely gives the media and the fans something to talk about for the next couple days, and thats all the MLB can really ask for.