I would like to see a season with the plate umpire standing squarely behind the plate all game to see if that would help eliminate ridiculous calls.
Would baseball be a better game with an automated strike zone?
cjroman
Club Hoing Ain't Easy
Directly behind? That's how you tell me you know nothing about umpire mechanics. Directly behind is NOT the correct position at all...the umpire above is in the "Slot", allowing a better view of the low/away pitch while providing the best protection against foul balls. Directly behind, is not only dangerous, but gives you a greater chance of being blocked out by the catcher.
The first thing most viewers need to do is completely ignore that K Zone box on the TV. They vary between networks and broadcasts.
Umpiring behind the plate was objectively terrible before the introduction of current technology. Actually, it wasn’t just that it was bad it was that umpires thought it was correct and acceptable for each of them to have a different strike zone. Technology has been very very good for the game, IMO.
I could envision a future world where the HP umpire is just a base umpire. Every pitch call would be right. The game would go faster. I would be fine with it.
I could envision a future world where the HP umpire is just a base umpire. Every pitch call would be right. The game would go faster. I would be fine with it.
And I would be first telling you umpiring is only a discussion for me, and not sure why it would be more dangerous. The previous picture I put up has the umpire's midsection completely exposed, and from his point of view, it would seem the white line of the pitched ball would be outside (or above) the white straight edge of the plate on the 3rd base side, so how was the call missed. Not sure about more protection, or being blocked by catcher, it seemed to work before. Maybe umps need to man up more, what's a few bumps and bruises.
cjroman
Club Hoing Ain't Easy
There's plenty of reasons why it's better than what was previously taught. It maximizes the use of your gear and takes you out of the direct line of foul balls. I'm on my 5th year working for an association that covers everything from 10u rec ball, all levels of travel, high school, and summer collegiate wood bat. Trust me, anything hurts...even from the little guys. The faster the pitching, it hurts worse. I took an untouched pitch in the low 80s last spring to my right forearm, right above the wrist. It was the size of a large orange in about 2 minutes after impact. I still have a quarter sized bump of scar tissue that's there. The younger/inexperienced catchers are the biggest culprit in getting hit. By staying in the slot, I've never taken a direct hit to the mask...and only have had a few glancing hits, with a lot taken out by the ground or catcher.
I'll take the "Man up" comment as a sophomoric attempt at humor...
But I love Angel Hernandez behind the plate. Games are so much more entertaining 
Have Angel Hernandez be in charge of monitoring the robots. Boredom problem solved.
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After seeing some of the really bad calls base on the square box strike zone on tv, I would say better.
In general having seen it in practice in the minors last year. I like the idea of an umpire calling the game but a limited number of pitches can be challenged against and automated backup system for a final ruling. You are using the automated backup system to keep stats and judge umpires accordingly by comparing their real calls to what the system says and use it for performance reviews. It could also check to make sure the automated system is calling them correctly.
But isn't the square box basically the same as the artificial first down line on tv in football? It's just a tv image and could be inaccurate as well. The first down line on tv usually is wrong in football.
I'll have a further look on those very interesting slot positions to see how it's defined in both spatial size and placement, so thanks for that clarification. Yeah, good catchers keeping a plate boss clean are hard to find, but they're out there. On the picture below you posted, I agree about having a clear view to the outside corner, I'm not so confident however the view to the outside corner accounts for position perspective, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't, not sure. The video below gives an idea of perspective change that might be important. But going a little off topic, so until next time...
...a seniortized attempt at humor.
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And people wonder why baseball is dying.
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Maybe on the close ones, but some are called strikes that miss the box by quite a bit.
Let's not ignore the ball caught outside the box, that catcher frames back into the box.
Until Baseball gets a hard salary cap and minimum it’s going to continue to suffer as the big teams will spend and small market clubs will only occasionally compete when they get lucky and hit in the draft enough to be slightly competitive until their stars move to the big spending teams when the are in free agency.
Balls and strikes are the least of the concerns
Balls and strikes are the least of the concerns
Baseball has a lot more problems right now than the strike zone. I grew up watching, playing, and loving baseball. Wasn’t quite good enough to play at the college level but didn’t stop going to MLB scouting days until after my sophomore year in college. I can barely stand to watch baseball now. It is no longer the game I grew up with.
True, that does happen.