Fire the Umps

[Baseball is Life]

(Image removed from quote.)

This is the Kemp at bat in the 9th where he lost it.  That hieroglyph on the right is pitch 4 and pitch 5, completely on top of each other.  Pitch 4 was a ball.  Pitch 5 was strike 3.

But, no, the bozos on this thread argue pitchtrax in no way should make us question the umpires' competency.

[TigerFan]

So the only argument I've heard is that it's too expensive to implement or it's too technically difficult. Puhhlllease. They said the same thing about instant reply. They could get this done by spring training if they wanted.

I'm surprised the naysayers are not using the more logical argument against it...A precise strike zone could possibly give hitters an advantage and therefore would throw off the whole dynamic of the game.

What kind of argument would that be? 

What about when technology fails?  Like when QB helmets fail, instant replay goes down, etc which has happened in other sports?

[Minty Fresh]

So the only argument I've heard is that it's too expensive to implement or it's too technically difficult. Puhhlllease. They said the same thing about instant reply. They could get this done by spring training if they wanted.

I'm surprised the naysayers are not using the more logical argument against it...A precise strike zone could possibly give hitters an advantage and therefore would throw off the whole dynamic of the game.

Or not....

This is the problem with PitchF/X - it only shows where the ball stopped moving, not where it moved and if it crossed the plate at some point.  A pitch (for example a wicked slider or slurve) could end up outside of the zone on PitchF/X but have passed over the plate (or hit the black) at some point.  Think about how a backdoor slider or a cutter moves and you can see why this is an issue.

But you can believe whatever you want to.

[Minty Fresh]

But, no, the bozos on this thread argue pitchtrax in no way should make us question the umpires' competency.

And nobody is saying that we shouldn't use it to critique umpiring, just that it can't call balls and strikes in real time.

You can't even follow your own arguments.

[Minty Fresh]

What kind of argument would that be? 

What about when technology fails?  Like when QB helmets fail, instant replay goes down, etc which has happened in other sports?

What are you talking about?  It's infallible.

[Baseball is Life]

And nobody is saying that we shouldn't use it to critique umpiring, just that it can't call balls and strikes in real time.

You can't even follow your own arguments.

You are not going to do well on the SAT reading comprehension portion.

I'm going to use short sentences and number them so your can follow the discussion.

1) Pitchtrax as it stands now can not be used to calls balls and strikes.

2) Pitchtrax as it stands now does indicate that umpires are routinely missing calls and are therefore unable to do the job.

3) Technology can be developed very easily to electronically call balls and strikes.

Even a 14 year old should understand that.

[Baseball is Life]

What kind of argument would that be? 

What about when technology fails?  Like when QB helmets fail, instant replay goes down, etc which has happened in other sports?

I didn't realize we had so many technophobes on here. In the rare instance that it would fail, you go back to the incompetent humans. Simple.

[varoadking]

They could get this done by spring training if they wanted.

Mindfact... 

[Minty Fresh]

1) Pitchtrax as it stands now can not be used to calls balls and strikes.

Now we need electronic balls and strikes to totally take away the umpires' ability to ruin baseball.

2) Pitchtrax as it stands now does indicate that umpires are routinely missing calls and are therefore unable to do the job.

The pitch types are self reported and, like all PitchF/X data, is two dimensions not three so this type of analysis suspect at best.

3) Technology can be developed very easily to electronically call balls and strikes.

And unless you're a hardware AND software developer...

Mindfact... 

And for the record, I didn't resort to name calling this time.  You did.

Who's obsessed with who now? 

[MarquisDeSade]

I didn't realize we had so many technophobes on here. In the rare instance that it would fail, you go back to the incompetent humans. Simple.

Jesus Christ are you a total freaking bozo.  Reread what I wrote and then kill yourself.  You really are a baboon.

[Minty Fresh]

Jesus Christ are you a total freaking bozo.  Reread what I wrote and then kill yourself.  You really are a baboon.

All of this.

[wpa2629]

So last night's ump was pretty good.

had a solid established zone, pretty much stayed with it all night - EXCEPT for the top of the 9th inning - the zone noticeably shrunk (at least that's what my eyes told me on pitch trax). Harper's walk would not have been a walk at any other time during the game.

Do you think that Umpires and MLB have a wink-wink/nod-nod to not end a playoff game on a punch out or something? Or I wonder if umps are just sphinxtering at that point and don't want to be the reason a game ends?

But then you go back to the world series a couple of years ago and it ends with a Miggy punchout - so who the hell knows.

Anyway of all the umps in our series, last night was definitely the best.

[DPMOmaha]

So last night's ump was pretty good.

Ringing up Desmond was pretty atrocious.

[skippy1999]

Ringing up Desmond was pretty atrocious.

It really was and for as much as I've dogged Desi it hurt my heart to hear him say after the game the reason he didn't argue more vehemently was because he didn't want to get thrown out, he was so certain they were going to tie it up and his team would need him

[wpa2629]

Ringing up Desmond was pretty atrocious.

Yeah - there were certainly some noticable exceptions to the "good" part  - I was speaking overall -

Anyway in terms of accuracy and most importantly consistency, Umps all pretty much suck overall and need to be replaced. Pitch trax makes them look way too bad to continue the status quo

[Tokeydog]

Ringing up Desmond was pretty atrocious.

It was, but lets be honest here.  Desi would have struck out on the next pitch.

[DPMOmaha]

It was, but lets be honest here.  Desi would have struck out on the next pitch.

Possible, though he already had one hit on the day. I'd rather the pitcher actually strike him out, which he didn't, so no, I won't assume the only other outcome was that he would strikeout.

[HalfSmokes]

Ringing up Desmond was pretty atrocious.

the way he was wrong was atrocious- you have an official at first for a reason

[comish4lif]

So last night's ump was pretty good.

had a solid established zone, pretty much stayed with it all night - EXCEPT for the top of the 9th inning - the zone noticeably shrunk (at least that's what my eyes told me on pitch trax). Harper's walk would not have been a walk at any other time during the game.

Do you think that Umpires and MLB have a wink-wink/nod-nod to not end a playoff game on a punch out or something? Or I wonder if umps are just sphinxtering at that point and don't want to be the reason a game ends?

But then you go back to the world series a couple of years ago and it ends with a Miggy punchout - so who the hell knows.

Anyway of all the umps in our series, last night was definitely the best.

Fangraphs proposes taking the check swing call away from the HP ump:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-take-check-swings-away-from-home-plate-umpires/

Also, earlier in the season, I'll have to see if I can find it, either Fangraphs or BaseballProspectus studied strike zones and found that on 0-2, the strike zone is really small (the ump doesn't want to ring you up) and on 3-0, the strike zone gets really big (the ump doesn't want to give away a walk). Which supports your claim that the umps are "doing" something - whether or not it is on purpose is different.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Fangraphs proposes taking the check swing call away from the HP ump:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-take-check-swings-away-from-home-plate-umpires/

[wpa2629]

Fangraphs proposes taking the check swing call away from the HP ump:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-take-check-swings-away-from-home-plate-umpires/

Also, earlier in the season, I'll have to see if I can find it, either Fangraphs or BaseballProspectus studied strike zones and found that on 0-2, the strike zone is really small (the ump doesn't want to ring you up) and on 3-0, the strike zone gets really big (the ump doesn't want to give away a walk). Which supports your claim that the umps are "doing" something - whether or not it is on purpose is different.

That's very interesting -

[Baseball is Life]

Jesus Christ are you a total freaking bozo.  Reread what I wrote and then kill yourself.  You really are a baboon.

 

Good to have you back. The place was way too serious without your comedy stylings.

[Baseball is Life]

Mindfact... 

Hyperbole. But I don't think there's an icon for that.

[Baseball is Life]

Fangraphs proposes taking the check swing call away from the HP ump:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-take-check-swings-away-from-home-plate-umpires/

Also, earlier in the season, I'll have to see if I can find it, either Fangraphs or BaseballProspectus studied strike zones and found that on 0-2, the strike zone is really small (the ump doesn't want to ring you up) and on 3-0, the strike zone gets really big (the ump doesn't want to give away a walk). Which supports your claim that the umps are "doing" something - whether or not it is on purpose is different.

I propose taking check swings away from umps altogether. And giving the call to robots.

[The Chief]

What about when technology fails?  Like when QB helmets fail, instant replay goes down, etc which has happened in other sports?

Occasional mechanical failure vs everyday human failure?  Seems like a solid trade to me.

I know I suggested this several years ago, but why not have the machines/sensor arrays reading the balls and strikes and the umps have a redlight/greenlight HUD inside their masks.  Everything looks the same outwardly, keeps the "human" element, but we have a MUCH higher degree of accuracy and consistency on balls/strikes, and even less reason for players/coaches to argue them, which leads to fewer delays and shorter games.