Is it time for an electronic strike zone?

[UllysesS.Archer]

I'm a baseball fan, I guess if I have a favorite team, it would be the Houston Astros, mostly because their rookie league team is in Greeneville, and I am a season ticket holder.

I am sitting here watching the Giants at Padres game, and it's bottom of second, with nobody out, and the umpire calls a chalk ball, a strike, I mean the ball was on the corner, of the chalk. it missed the plate by almost a foot. How in the hell can a MLB umpire blow that call, that bad, and ive seen many of them already this season.

It's getting ridiculous. We live in an age where we could set up a real strike zone, equal for every player, and pitcher, and get these calls right, so why aren't we?

The game is supposed to be about the team/pitcher/batter matchups, but umpires can swing a game one way of the other.

It would be easy too, just give the homeplate umpire a electronic buzzer of some sort, and it will call balls and strikes, the umpire would just relay the call. it could also call check swing calls, and get almost every call right.

I know it's never going to happen, but it's a nice dream to have.

 

[Moonglow]

That would be okay, after they shorten the game to 5 innings....

 

[hangover]

If they can use a clock on pitchers, they can use a strike zone on umps. Umps are the worst part of the game. Last year the umps were wrong 47% on disputed calls.

 

[HUGGY]

Let's take it in a whole nuther direction. Lady Umpires!!!! Having "that time of the month" working into the equation would drive the number crunchers in Bazeballs crazy!

 

[DGS49]

Yes, it is definitely time. The zone should be fixed for all hitters, regardless of height.

Home plate umps would still be needed (employed) to rule on check swings, foul tips, plays at the plate and so forth. The problem of games being decided by blown strike calls is no longer tolerabe, now that we have the technology to end it.

 

[hangover]

Umps should be fired for expanding or shrinking the strike zone. It's corruption.

 

[Moonglow]

Umps should be fired for expanding or shrinking the strike zone. It's corruption.

Notice how many of them are middle aged and have weak eyes?

 

[DGS49]

Hangover rightly points out the WORST aspect of human umpires - the manipulation of the strike zone according to the whims and feelings of the Ump. Rookie pitchers get a strike zone that is as big as a shoe box. Umps intentionally call good pitches "balls" in order to antagonize the pitchers and see if they will whine about bad calls. And God help you if you complained about a call last time - you basically have to hit the bat in order to get a strike.

And don't get me started about the great pitchers of the '90's Atlanta Braves. They got an extra six inches off the outside corner because the umpires were too dim-witted to notice that their catchers were setting up outside.

 

[Treeshepherd]

I'd be in favor of an electronic strike zone. The strike zone always tends to be lower than the rules instruct it to be. Umps tend to call from the mid-calf to barely above the belt. Isn't it supposed to be from the mid-sternum to the knee-caps?

Uniforms could incorporate wearable technology. It seems like a machine could do a much better job, though probably still not perfect.

 

[Papageorgio]

I'd rather have the human element in the game, nothing better than a good argument with the Ump and batter or pitcher.