They have the technology, is it time for balls and strikes to be called electronically? They would still use an umpire behind the plate to make calls (out/safe) at the plate, just as they would at a base. But the ball and strike calls would be eliminated. Is it time for this? Or do you think things should be left as is, and that it's just the responsibility of the pitcher/hitter to recognize and adjust to an umpires individual strike zone?

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Go Cubs!!!!

Yes, but allow the umpire to call the pitch if the robots deem it too close to call.

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Yet another 12 bitches in a bitch boat thread from Elmhurst Steve.

When will it end?

Who's to say some Kansas City Royals fan wouldn't hack the electronic strike zone?

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God is the uncaused cause of the universe. He had no beginning and has no end. He is not bound by the laws of the universe he created.

yes because umps should have as little influence on the game as possible.

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

how do they account for large vs small guys? the umps hardly do anyway though

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

xbox kinect can do it, im sure commercial video processors can do it even better.

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

Yeah, Steve is wrong (as usual) that the technology is available. There are several groups currently working on it. Nobody has really perfected it. Eric Byrnes is one of the guys working on a product.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I predict this would be a clusterfuck and never will get off the ground.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Ask Eddie.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

How hard can it be to have sensors in the ball and plate?

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It's coming at some point in the future don't you think?

I wonder what they'll do for plays at the plate then? Do you have a guy back there just for that or are they station off to the side and only get into position when something's about to go down?

No reason why he wouldn't be in the same place, behind the catcher. Everything remains the same, except the balls and strikes are called electronically. it would also remove problems like Umpires holding a grudge against a pitcher or hitter who has shown them up and then calling borderline pitches against them. Or the Greg Maddux, Tom Glavin effect, where umpires often gave them 3-4 inches off the outside corner. The zone is always the same.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Rule 2.00: The Strike Zone

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 kneecap. 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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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

sounds like you'd maybe put sensors in uniforms? but then people might cheat. snap a series of stills as the ball crosses the plate from various angles and quick-as-a-thought analyze them to determine if the pitch is a ball or a strike.

I always thought it was letters to the knees, these umps can't see dick with a mask, all that padding and hiding behind a catcher.

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I hate this idea and I hate replay. Get these fucking nerds out of baseball.

anyone know what this twitter account uses to determine balls/strikes? it appears automated and accurate:

https://twitter.com/CubsUmp/with_replies

So getting calls right doesn't matter to you? Okay, this cements the thought that an electronic strike zone is a very good idea.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Lose the art of pitch framing? Neva!!

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Not more than a bunch of other things.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Careful, Steve. He's a mod now.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Theos next inefficiency to exploit is to lower the letters on the jersey.

I like the idea of a catcher just catching the ball, rather than trying to sell the umpire on a pitch being a strike, by sliding his glove quickly into the strike zone after catching the ball. But more than that, I just want pitchers and hitters to have a consistent strike zone. Free of individual "interpretations" of the strike zone and free of umpires who might hold grudges against certain hitters or pitchers.

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Go Cubs!!!!

That's not unreasonable, I just don't think you realize what a drastic change to the game it would actually be.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I know it would be a big change, but I believe players would adjust quickly. After the initial adjustment period, I believe players would love it, as they would have a consistent zone and have a much easier time learning to be disciplined at the plate. Knowing they don't have to protect as far away from the plate, for fear an umpire might call a pitch 2-3 inches off the plate a strike would be huge.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I'm not talking about the players. Fuck the players. I'm talking about the fans. This would radically change the game as entertainment.

The game is too player-centric already. That's one of the big problems. The players make it very difficult for the fans to actually like them. Everything in the game has come to be about the convenience of the player rather than the enjoyment of the fan. It's not enough that these guys make ridiculous salaries. The have to be pampered like princesses. If MLB and the Players' Association were running a mall they would insist that the players get the parking spots right in front of the door and let the paying customers walk half a block.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I believe fans would love it too, because they wouldn't be shown a K-zone that shows a pitch thrown was a strike but called a ball and vice versa. Frustration is built from a hitter getting rung up on a pitch 3 inches outside the zone, or a pitch your pitcher brilliantly throws a pitch with crazy break, getting called a ball, because the umpire misjudged it. The "art" of framing a pitch is nothing more than conning the umpire. I favor taking that ability to have the umpire manipulated out of the equation and having a strike zone that is just correct and fair for everyone. I think fans would appreciate that fairness.

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Go Cubs!!!!