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Baseball question/opinions?

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by Strange Famous, Apr 23, 2014.

  1. Strange Famous

    Strange Famous it depends on who is looking...

    Location:
    Ipswich, UK
    in MLB games, why don't they use the TV strike zone to call strikes and balls rather than a fallible human being?

    I get some calls in sport have to be judgement calls, but the strike zone isn't one of them - and so often the calls made by a human are just plain wrong.

    Every MLB game is televised, and the thing comes up on screen within a second or two of the pitch, so it shouldnt delay the game. People say that taking the umpire out of it takes the human element out of the game, but I dont see how. You still have a human pitching and a human hitting, I cannot see any disadvantage to making 100% of the calls correct rather than whatever a human will do (95-97% I'd guess?)

    _

    Also, just a question I have that I couldnt find the answer for online (probably cos it is stupid)

    In the AL, say if your pitcher is a better batter than the catcher, can the pitcher bat and the DH take the place of the catcher in the batting line up instead?

    I know as a rule pitchers arent good batsmen because they don't practice and dont get the rhythm of playing day in day out, but it doesnt seem that outlandish that you might have the odd pitcher who is decent and the odd catcher, or short stop or whatever who isn't much of a batter?
     
  2. the_jazz

    the_jazz Accused old lady puncher

    Tradition as far as the strike zone goes. They're just now getting replay this season for questionable plays. The behind-the-plate ump has always been God Incarnate on the diamond, and you WILL get tossed from a game for arguing balls and strikes. In addition, it's also hard to tell exactly when a ball crosses the plate, and the ump has the best view to make that call, arguably better than a centerfield camera.

    No, a pitcher in a game in the AL cannot bat by rule unless it is as a pinch hitter.
     
  3. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    As @the_jazz said, it is mostly tradition for the first one. The technology is fairly new to see as well as we can now, and not all parks have had the right camera angles until recently. Baseball is VERY slow to change or adjust from tradition. The idea of anyone but the umpire calling balls and strikes is likely decades away.


    The only caveat I'll put on his pitcher batting answer is that a team could use the pitcher on his off days from pitching as a DH. But generally skills are so specialized that good pitchers who can hit well eventually become 'one or the other' by college or the minor leagues. No one wants a good pitcher getting injured running the bases unnecessarily, or getting their hand/wrist broken by a pitch.
     
  4. Strange Famous

    Strange Famous it depends on who is looking...

    Location:
    Ipswich, UK
    Well, in fairness I haven't done any research into the technology of the TV strike zone, so I dont really know what I am talking about, but I find it hard to believe that it cannot do better than a person.

    I have a subscription to mlb.tv so I've watched quite a few games this season so I know they are using replay, and I think its a good idea in theory, I just think it isn't being used in the most sensible way at the moment. (like what is a catch and so on, that sometimes is just a judgment call). I also saw one instance when the replay blatantly showed Xander Bogarts tagging a NY Yankee's base runner out and yet when it went to review they didnt give the guy out, because the ref reviewing it apparently didnt have access to same the footage that the TV station did live... thats just buffoonery.
     
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  5. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member


    Those observations are not because of any ignorance on your part. They are basically the same ones knowledgeable fans here make, especially on how they are using replay today. Baseball's hierarchy is painfully slow to adapt to technology or new ideas.
     
    • Like Like x 2