Around Baseball 2019

[Spanky__99]

I feel like this issue would be resolved a lot easier by just scouring the earth for humans that are better able to judge balls and strikes. If you had open tryouts for umpiring, I'm confident you would find a lot more capable humans just in the general population, than what currently exists in the MLB.

 

Also, I see a lot of missed calls when the umpire sets up too far on one side of the plate. If he's set up inside and the pitch is thrown on the outside, he sees it as a strike because of perspective. But they have to set up directly behind the catcher or they risk getting drilled by a foul tip. You could just put a small protective device between the C and the ump and you ensure the ump has his stupid head directly behind the plate and centered, and the calls would improve.

 

The robo zone is anything but foolproof. Just wait until pitchers figure out the optimal pitch that triggers a strike call but is unhittable.

 

It's not lol. Half these dudes are geriatric so their eyes are objectively worse. What percentage even have 20/20? Ok, I went overboard with "general human population" but there are thousands of dudes umpiring games somewhere. Put all the sub 50 year old umpires into a combine and pick the ones who have the highest % of correct calls. Train them up for a year if you have to.

 

I believe his post was in reference to the bold part, I believe.

[Spanky__99]

The Astros are probably working on this as we speak. Probably some variation of a 12-6 curve that catches the plate super deep in the zone or something.

 

If it's a strike, it's a strike... am I missing something?

[Spanky__99]

Ok that's fine. But I think people are really underestimating what kind of pitches we could be seeing. And how often pitchers will be using them. Curves could trend closer to Eephus. Then if you don't have a swing that matches, you're out of the game. So everyone is in the launch angle era. I don't think this is that inconceivable.

 

And also I think it's a virtual guarantee that base stealing is out of the game. Since framing doesn't matter, teams are only employing catchers who can throw. And they also have the benefit of basically setting themselves in a throw position.

 

There are a lot of unintended consequences on the horizon IMO.

 

Who cares about framing, once they've lost that aspect, receiving, blocking balls, pop-up times, feetwork and arm strength still matter, the change wouldn't be that bad for the running game? For your former aspect, just ban the eephus, problem solved. The correct strikezone is miles more important to the game than these geezers calling balls and strikes.

[Abomination]

Umpires will never go away completely though, because umps still have to call runners safe or out.

I doubt a machine can take that over anytime soon

 

AI could almost certainly handle that right now. For the maybe 1% of calls that it couldn't, it could indicate it didn't know and the ump could still make the call.

[Spanky__99]

[Ex Player]

AI could almost certainly handle that right now. For the maybe 1% of calls that it couldn't, it could indicate it didn't know and the ump could still make the call

Maybe, but I still think you need to have umps on hand as a backup

[Abomination]

Robo-Ump has been largely successfull:

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/08/19/baseball-robo-umpires-atlantic-league-mlb-trackman/2038459001/

 

That lying about the height part is hilarious! Players are soon going to be slouching as much as they can when they get their height taken.

 

It'll be interesting to see how Hawk-Eye differs from TrackMan. I didn't know Hawk-Eye could handle it in real-time though.

[Abomination]

Maybe, but I still think you need to have umps on hand as a backup

 

Oh yeah, I have nothing against having them there. I just want them to use the technology instead of their own intuition.

[Spanky__99]

Oh yeah, I have nothing against having them there. I just want them to use the technology instead of their own intuition.

 

I'd be happy with the strikezone first please, and that's years away from happening, lol.

[Abomination]

I'd be happy with the strikezone first please, and that's years away from happening, lol.

 

Yeah, I think the player in that article is probably right in guessing 3 to 5 years.

[Ex Player]

Oh yeah, I have nothing against having them there. I just want them to use the technology instead of their own intuition

Same here.

 

Another thing is you would still need umps at the foul line to quickly signal fair or foul on ground balls and line drives.

You cant have a machine doing that because the call has to be made in a split second so the fielder can see it

[Spanky__99]

Same here.

 

Another thing is you would still need umps at the foul line to quickly signal fair or foul on ground balls and line drives.

You cant have a machine doing that because the call has to be made in a split second so the fielder can see it

 

I guess you've never watched tennis in your life, lol.

[Ex Player]

I guess you've never watched tennis in your life, lol

What are you gonna do, put a traffic light on 1st and 3d base??

Green for fair, red for foul??

 

How exactly would the fielders know if its fair or foul without an ump??

[Spanky__99]

Billy Hamilton claimed off waivers, good selection for a PS bench player.

 

[Spanky__99]

Brendan McKay suxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Spanky__99]

Watching Bauer pitch is good TV.

 

lol... gives up a bomb.

[Spanky__99]

Man, I can't believe the Angels continue to roll out Pujols in the lineup every day. The guy's atrocious and he's always batting 5th or 6th in the lineup so he's always ruining any momentum that club might be having offensively. If one looks at his numbers, it's clear he's a bum, but I guess because he's a "big name" they feel the need to keep on rolling him out there.

 

So dumb.

 

Who do they play at 1B, without embarrassing him? I see no-one better at the time.

[Abomination]

Brendan McKay suxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Brendan McKay and Kolby Allard ... there goes that mini-max entry!

[Spanky__99]

Brendan McKay and Kolby Allard ... there goes that mini-max entry!

 

Hah... I had an Allard start... Whoops!

[Boxcar]

Who do they play at 1B, without embarrassing him? I see no-one better at the time.

 

Taylor Ward

[Spanky__99]

Taylor Ward

 

lol... like I said.

[Spanky__99]

Yates s***ing the bed, haven't seen this often???

 

Or not...

[EastCoaster]

Chris Sale done for the season.

 

The Boston Red Sox received a major blow to their playoff hopes Monday with the news that ace left-hander Chris Sale will likely miss the rest of the season due to inflammation in his pitching elbow. Sale underwent a plasma injection and will be re-evaluated in six weeks by Dr. James Andrews. According to Andrews he doesn't need TJ surgery as of yet but who knows what the future will hold for Sale.

[Spanky__99]

 

Chris Sale done for the season.

 

The Boston Red Sox received a major blow to their playoff hopes Monday with the news that ace left-hander Chris Sale will likely miss the rest of the season due to inflammation in his pitching elbow. Sale underwent a plasma injection and will be re-evaluated in six weeks by Dr. James Andrews. According to Andrews he doesn't need TJ surgery as of yet but who knows what the future will hold for Sale.

 

You made this part up.

[Brownie19]

That's good for the Jays, but bad for baseball.

[Spanky__99]

That's good for the Jays, but bad for baseball.

 

Why? It's only bad for the Bosox stretch run. He'll be back.

[EastCoaster]

You made this part up.

 

The treatment could be good news for the ballclub, who feared that Sale might need Tommy John surgery. That would likely have cost him all of the 2020 season.

 

You notice they use the word could be good news rather than good news right now he doesn't need it but if his elbow doesn't hold out next season who knows what the options are going to be

[Spanky__99]

The treatment could be good news for the ballclub, who feared that Sale might need Tommy John surgery. That would likely have cost him all of the 2020 season.

 

You notice they use the word could be good news rather than good news right now he doesn't need it but if his elbow doesn't hold out next season who knows what the options are going to be

 

Medical science says different. It's inflammation. Can we call a spade a spade, you added that part on top of the quip from USA Today.

[Spanky__99]

Nelly's back... unbelievable bat.

[Boxcar]

lol... like I said.

 

Ward is almost a lock to be much better than pooholes.