MLB experiments with robot umpires

[rwsaunders]

This is not an article from The Onion...

MLB to Experiment with Robot Umpires, More Rule Changes in Atlantic League | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights

[Saab2000]

Tennis does it. Why not! Not sure about all the changes but some are OK for experimentation.

BTW, indy league baseball is the best. The most fun I’ve had at a ball game in years was at a St. Paul Saints game a couple years back.

It’s not minor league players wanting to work their way up. It’s great ball players who are out of MLB or never went pro but are great players. Plus, the small atmosphere of the park is way more intimate.

[GrantM]

I think lots of things are wrong with MLB, but robots with lasers calling balls and strikes is not a solution to any of them.
It seems to me that rule changes, like moving the pitching mound, will turn out to be object lessons in unintended consequences.



-g

[j44ke]

Tennis does it. Why not! Not sure about all the changes but some are OK for experimentation.

BTW, indy league baseball is the best. The most fun I’ve had at a ball game in years was at a St. Paul Saints game a couple years back.

It’s not minor league players wanting to work their way up. It’s great ball players who are out of MLB or never went pro but are great players. Plus, the small atmosphere of the park is way more intimate.

That sounds like the Mets.

[j44ke]

I think lots of things are wrong with MLB, but robots with lasers calling balls and strikes is not one of them.
It seems to me that rule changes, like moving the pitching mound, will turn out to be object lessons in unintended consequences.



-g

Who is going to throw Bruce Bochy out of the game now? Or Clint Hurdle. Those are the only real chaw chewing dirt kicking managers left in the majors, aren't they?

[Saab2000]

That sounds like the Mets.

Empty park ≠ small park

[GrantM]

Who is going to throw Bruce Bochy out of the game now? Or Clint Hurdle. Those are the only real chaw chewing dirt kicking managers left in the majors, aren't they?

Managers are being replaced by spreadsheets, just having some difficulty getting the hats to fit properly.

-g

[bigbill]

As a youth baseball umpire, the biggest hassle is the strike zone. According to the rule book (MLB on down), the strike zone is knees to armpits and any part of the ball over the plate including the black. In youth baseball, the whole zone has to be called or it's a walk fest. But to call a chest high strike in the majors or even high school will make coaches and fans lose their minds. I would welcome the robotic strike zone, one less thing for the umpire and all he/she would have to do was keep track of the count and call plays at home. You could even go single umpire in youth baseball and just put one behind the pitcher to call the bases.

[Too Tall]

There is no crying in Biz-ball.

[Bob Ross]

the strike zone is knees to armpits and any part of the ball over the plate including the black.

Sorry, what's the "black"?

btw, I agree, would love to see robot-enforced strike zones...though, serious question, is the size of the strike zone (the "knees to armpits" part) supposed to scale with the size of the batter?

[bigbill]

Sorry, what's the "black"?

btw, I agree, would love to see robot-enforced strike zones...though, serious question, is the size of the strike zone (the "knees to armpits" part) supposed to scale with the size of the batter?

The edges of home plate are black and slope downwards but are still part of the plate. Most umpires will call batter's box to batter's box because the width of the baseball would still have part of it over the black.

The reality of strike zones in developmental leagues is that they start with knees to shoulders and the top of the zone comes down as the kids get bigger. The bottom should always be the knees. I'm not calling a chest high strike on a 13-14 year old but a 9-12 year old will get the call. The problem is that the rule book says knees to armpits so where do you put the zone? Batters will have to adjust their position in the box because the zone will be called over the plate. I call from "the slot" so I'm positioned at an angle over the shoulder of the catcher on whichever side the batter is on. I call where the ball crosses the plate so if a pitcher is working the bottom of the zone and the batter is back in the box, the pitch is likely below his knees from his (and parents, coaches) point of view, but the zone is over the plate, not where the batter is standing.

I'm more of a fan of the pitch clock, especially in youth baseball. The point in those leagues is to get as much baseball as possible into the time limit. With no runners on base, the rule book requires a pitcher to deliver to the plate within 20 seconds of receiving the ball from the catcher. Force the pace of the game, we don't need MLB games going >3 hours and youth baseball should always hit the inning count before the time limit.