Should balls and strikes be called electronically?

[adios]

I knew you were rooting for the Red Sox or Diamondbacks before I read your post. If the Red Sox had won last night you wouldn't be complaining. This is bascially the same sort of sentiment I've encountered in other endeavors, my team, my dog etc. didn't win so the system is screwed up.

[RedRover]

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I knew you were rooting for the Red Sox or Diamondbacks before I read your post. If the Red Sox had won last night you wouldn't be complaining. This is bascially the same sort of sentiment I've encountered in other endeavors, my team, my dog etc. didn't win so the system is screwed up.

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no.


i'm an indians fan. still think balls and strikes should be automated. the ump last night was awful for both teams, not just the sawx.

[hemstock]

How is this a science. The ball either crosses the strike zone or it doesn't. There are only 2 possible outcomes

[sylar]

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Case in point tonight was when Manny took a 3-0 pitch that was 9+ inches off the plate and was called a strike. Instead of having the bases loaded and nobody out, he ends up hitting into a double play.

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while i don't disagree that there should be an electronic aid for calling balls and strikes, you can't seriously blame manny's GIDP on the umpire.

the problem with any sort of challenge system is that it shows up the umpire. you cannot have that. i don't care how much the ump sucks, you cannot afford his losing control of the game. this is different from tennis or tennis, because (*shocker*) tennis players have more etiquette, and in football only a coach can challenge.

but i wouldn't mind an electronic device in umpire's hand that shows him whether the pitch was clearly a strike or clearly a ball (or borderline) before he actually calls it. this can be done. it's a fraction of a second that lets him double check.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

The problem here is that the strike zone has 3 dimensions, only two of which (the width and depth of the plate) are constant, the height varies with the height of the batter, so any electronic sensor would have to be able to adapt to different height hitters (extremes like Richie Sexton/Dustin Pedroia) and cover the width and depth of the plate.

I always question the veracity of the display on TV. If the sensor is located, say, near the back of the plate, a tailing fastball could nick the outside fron corner and still register as 3-4 inches outside when it passes through the sensor zone.

I think calling balls and strikes electronically is a tough task to get right.

That being said, Manny should've been on 1st base.

[Eagles]

Have people seen teh K zone? Assuming that is the technology they use I need to say no because its obviously terrible.
Second no other sport has implemented anything like this, yes they have challenges etc... but no other sport has implemented a rule where they automate calls for every single decision more or less. I think one key point to remember is in other sports humans look at replays or w/e to determine the correct call but there has never been a sport where a computer has been calling the game.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Second no other sport has implemented anything like this

Tennis implemented Cyclops years ago.

[manbearpig]

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Besides, the strike zone is a 3d box.

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No it isn't. It's where the ball crosses the front edge of the plate. 2D.

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Also, of all the major game-changing controversies, how many involve balls and strikes? It's usually a safe/out mistake or a HR that isn't a HR, or fan interference, or something like that.

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Agreed, which is why MLB needs instant replay for these things way more than for balls/strikes.

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Following is the official definition of the strike zone. I assumed that "over" home plate meant "over," and that would give the strike zone depth as well as width and height.

Do you have a source that indicates that the strike zone has no depth? Thx

The STRIKE ZONE is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the knee cap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.

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Front edge of the plate. Thats why breaking balls can bounce and be strikes.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Different umps with different strike zones keeps the game interesting.

According to the rules, what is and is not a strike is not open to interpretation.

[ClarkNasty]

Couldn't there be sensors embedded in each official uniform at the high and low points, as well as on the plate that would enable an exact zone? Not sure why that would be hard.