Yay! Balls and strikes challenge is here and it works great!

[MarathonMike]

I'm watching the D-backs and just saw my first ABS challenge. It works great, the graphics are very clear and it was fast, the whole thing took maybe 20 seconds. This is LOOOOOOONG overdue but I'm glad they finally implemented it.

 

[candycorn]

Video review is the worst thing to ever happen to sports. They should just return to having human error involved, acknowledged, and part of the lore of sport. I hate it. If you can't review everything, review nothing.

That being said, it will make the accomplishments of the old position players even more revered.

Once the body of work is established however, you'll probably see that many of the "strike outs" were specious. Pete Rose started like 3,500 games in his career. Four at-bats per game will put him up around 14,000 plate appearances. He struck out 1100 times and had 1500 walks. Of those 2600 plate appearances he probably had something close to 6 pitches per at at bat making for 15,000 pitches he faced in those 2600 plate appearances. If the data shows that 2% of the strikes were balls, that is 300 pitches. That'd probably reduce his strike out totals by 100 over his long career. So that would likely mean more walks, fewer at-bats, and a higher batting average. But who knows what it would mean to his hit total? If a pitcher is "up" 1-2 to a hitter and should be 2-1 or especially 3-0... he has to throw the ball over the plate. Needless to say that he would have have more hits than he wound up with.

 

[Votto]

I'm watching the D-backs and just saw my first ABS challenge. It works great, the graphics are very clear and it was fast, the whole thing took maybe 20 seconds. This is LOOOOOOONG overdue but I'm glad they finally implemented it.

I think it is good for the sport today because it seems that pitching is so much better than ever in the history of the sport as I've noticed the batting averages of players have plummited all around.

It really gives the batter a much needed edge.

 

[Votto]

Video review is the worst thing to ever happen to sports. They should just return to having human error involved, acknowledged, and part of the lore of sport. I hate it. If you can't review everything, review nothing.

That being said, it will make the accomplishments of the old position players even more revered.

Once the body of work is established however, you'll probably see that many of the "strike outs" were specious. Pete Rose started like 3,500 games in his career. Four at-bats per game will put him up around 14,000 plate appearances. He struck out 1100 times and had 1500 walks. Of those 2600 plate appearances he probably had something close to 6 pitches per at at bat making for 15,000 pitches he faced in those 2600 plate appearances. If the data shows that 2% of the strikes were balls, that is 300 pitches. That'd probably reduce his strike out totals by 100 over his long career. So that would likely mean more walks, fewer at-bats, and a higher batting average. But who knows what it would mean to his hit total? If a pitcher is "up" 1-2 to a hitter and should be 2-1 or especially 3-0... he has to throw the ball over the plate. Needless to say that he would have have more hits than he wound up with.

You enjoy human error?

Well, you are a democrat, so......................

 

[candycorn]

You enjoy human error?

I do enjoy your post come to think of it. Were you a mistake?

Nah...what I hate are the delays reviewing a call.

 

[Darkwind]

I do enjoy your post come to think of it. Were you a mistake?

Nah...what I hate are the delays reviewing a call.

Because baseball is so action-packed that it would interrupt the flow of the game. Right?

 

[MarathonMike]

I think it is good for the sport today because it seems that pitching is so much better than ever in the history of the sport as I've noticed the batting averages of players have plummited all around.

It really gives the batter a much needed edge.

I don't see it as giving the batter an edge per se. It is a much overdue improvement to the game which is similar to the line call system that has been in pro Tennis for years. The Dominican Republic was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic on a terrible strike call that would certainly been overturned with ABS challenge.

 

[MarathonMike]

Video review is the worst thing to ever happen to sports. They should just return to having human error involved, acknowledged, and part of the lore of sport. I hate it. If you can't review everything, review nothing.

That being said, it will make the accomplishments of the old position players even more revered.

Once the body of work is established however, you'll probably see that many of the "strike outs" were specious. Pete Rose started like 3,500 games in his career. Four at-bats per game will put him up around 14,000 plate appearances. He struck out 1100 times and had 1500 walks. Of those 2600 plate appearances he probably had something close to 6 pitches per at at bat making for 15,000 pitches he faced in those 2600 plate appearances. If the data shows that 2% of the strikes were balls, that is 300 pitches. That'd probably reduce his strike out totals by 100 over his long career. So that would likely mean more walks, fewer at-bats, and a higher batting average. But who knows what it would mean to his hit total? If a pitcher is "up" 1-2 to a hitter and should be 2-1 or especially 3-0... he has to throw the ball over the plate. Needless to say that he would have have more hits than he wound up with.

You are broad brushing the subject. I agree that SOME video review is over the top such as the frame by frame breakdown of a tag play at second base that takes 5 minutes. There should be a 1 minute time limit on those plays and if it isn't an obvious mistake, move on. As for ABS challenge, that is particularly important because games have been decided on ONE BAD CALL just like the one that eliminated the Dominican Republic in the WBC. Umpires should never decide a game with a bad call.

 

[candycorn]

Because baseball is so action-packed that it would interrupt the flow of the game. Right?

Yes actually.

 

[candycorn]

You are broad brushing the subject. I agree that SOME video review is over the top such as the frame by frame breakdown of a tag play at second base that takes 5 minutes. There should be a 1 minute time limit on those plays and if it isn't an obvious mistake, move on. As for ABS challenge, that is particularly important because games have been decided on ONE BAD CALL just like the one that eliminated the Dominican Republic in the WBC. Umpires should never decide a game with a bad call.

It worked fine for 100+ years. Just let the umps make their calls. It also deprives fans the ability to compare players from different eras.

 

[MarathonMike]

It worked fine for 100+ years. Just let the umps make their calls. It also deprives fans the ability to compare players from different eras.

There is not much "fine" in a blown 'balls and strikes' call that turns a potential Win into a Loss. Teams often miss the playoffs by a single game so getting the 'balls and strikes' calls right is critical.

And fans will always compare players from different eras, the ABS Challenge won't change that.

 

[candycorn]

There is not much "fine" in a blown 'balls and strikes' call that turns a potential Win into a Loss.

Really? Can you remember the last time that there was a heated argument about a ball or strike call years after it was made?

And there are only a handful of other blown calls that get brought up years later.

Teams often miss the playoffs by a single game so getting the 'balls and strikes' calls right is critical.

Can’t wait until the calibration of the electronic strike zone in Yankee stadium or the Astros ballpark is called into question because they’re cheaters..... As long as there are humans, there is going to be error.

And fans will always compare players from different eras, the ABS Challenge won't change that.

Back when I gave a serious flip about baseball, it seems as though all I heard was that Babe Ruth would have not had all of the homers he had if he had to face relief pitching, Babe Ruth would have had 1,000 homers if he had played in the new ballparks and expansion diluted the pitching he face, and Babe Ruth would have had 2,000 homers if he had the training, scouting, diet, air travel.....

 

[MarathonMike]

Really? Can you remember the last time that there was a heated argument about a ball or strike call years after it was made?

And there are only a handful of other blown calls that get brought up years later.



Can’t wait until the calibration of the electronic strike zone in Yankee stadium or the Astros ballpark is called into question because they’re cheaters..... As long as there are humans, there is going to be error.


Back when I gave a serious flip about baseball, it seems as though all I heard was that Babe Ruth would have not had all of the homers he had if he had to face relief pitching, Babe Ruth would have had 1,000 homers if he had played in the new ballparks and expansion diluted the pitching he face, and Babe Ruth would have had 2,000 homers if he had the training, scouting, diet, air travel.....

Everything I read says the ABS Challenge system is a big success and well liked by over 70 percent of baseball fans. So just like your politics, you are part of the outraged minority.