MLB Tests Trackman Computer System to Inform Umpires of Balls and Strikes

cageymaru

Fully [H]
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
22,060
Major League Baseball (MLB) has started its 3 year experiment in the minor leagues that will see the introduction of a Trackman computer system that uses Doppler Radar to accurately track balls and strikes. Plate umpires wearing earpieces will be informed of ball/strike calls by the computer. The umpires can overrule the computer, but some are wary of earlier attempts of introducing a tracking system. Umpires have been evaluated by the Trackman system since 2017.

West, who has umpired more than 5,000 big league games and is on track to break Bill Klem's record in 2020, said the 2016 test was far from perfect. "It missed 500 pitches in April, and when I say it missed 500 pitches, that didn't mean they called them wrong. They didn't call them at all," he said.
 
No, just fucking no. An integral part of baseball is figuring out the umpires strike zone and pitching to it. Baseball isnt a short term game, it's about the long game. Umpires change every game and they all see something differently.

This whole, "let's speed up baseball movement" is horse shit. I listen to baseball on AM radio because I like the analysis and commentary, speeding up the game takes that out.
 
Look on the bright side: at least Joe West, CB Bucknor and Angel Hernandez will have statistical data that shows they’re the worst umpires in baseball.
 
No, just fucking no. An integral part of baseball is figuring out the umpires strike zone and pitching to it. Baseball isnt a short term game, it's about the long game. Umpires change every game and they all see something differently.

This whole, "let's speed up baseball movement" is horse shit. I listen to baseball on AM radio because I like the analysis and commentary, speeding up the game takes that out.

Disagree completely. We watch to see the players perform. We don’t watch to see who will get screwed tonight because they have a starting pitcher that can’t throw to the one spot the umpire is “giving”. Or when you have a patient lineup and you watch them get rung up on bad calls routinely.

Smokey, this is not ‘Nam, this is baseball, there are rules.

Human umpires are bugs, not features.

I do agree on speeding up the game. It’s pointless. You can’t speed the game up unless you do something like make it even harder to get on base. The fastest games are those with the fewest baserunners - usually pitchers’ duels.

They could start by removing the incredibly long commercial breaks though...
 
Last edited:
Disagree completely. We watch to see the players perform. We don’t watch to see who will get screwed tonight because they have a starting pitcher that can’t throw to the one spot the umpire is “giving”. Or when you have a patient lineup and you watch them get rung up on bad calls routinely.

Smokey, this is not ‘Nam, this is baseball, there are rules.

Human umpires are bugs, not features.

I do agree on speeding up the game. It’s pointless. You can’t speed the game up unless you do something like make it even harder to get on base. The fastest games are those with the fewest baserunners - usually pitchers’ duels.

They could start by removing the incredibly long commercial breaks though...
Completely agree. If you are going to have consistent rules for a strike zone then those rules should be enforced consistently and not by the idiot who can't see worth a shit. It gives every batter and pitcher a fair call on every pitch, every time. I bet you that if you polled the players, the vast majority of them would agree with me, even the pitchers. You could even automate the calls on if a batter's bat crossed the plate. The technology is there today so why not use it to make the game better?

You are also not taking away the jobs of the home plate umpire as they would still have to make other calls (but you would make their jobs just as boring as the rest of the other umpires on the field).
 
I like it. Watch any game with the box that shows where the pitches land and its obvious that there's a ton of missed calls, and a lot of time, just bias, whether unconscious or conscious. An truly impartial judge of the strikezone will only help, assuming it doesn't forget to call pitches.
 
Speeding up the game is not the main problem with baseball, its making it less boring. The best way to do that is more offense. If this machine starts forcing the pitchers to actually throw the ball over the plate and in the batters strike zone to get a strike called, then the result will be a lot more offense. No more bullsh** pitchers duels which are usually only happening because the plate ump has a 4 foot wide strike zone. Also quit softening the balls to try and show your anti steroid practices are working. Harden them back to where they where in the 90s, home-runs are awesome.

Having said that I do believe the batters need a time limit to get back in the batters box. These dipshi** that have to undo and redo there gloves 3 to 4 times, kick there shoes, kiss there necklaces, point to god or alah or whatever, then hold there hand up and dig a trench for their foot between each pitch are a joke to the game. 5 seconds from the time the last pitch was thrown or a strike is called. That would stop that stupid stuff really quick. They would probably just start staying in the box, like they should be doing anyways.

If this happens I will definitely start watching more baseball.
 
Back
Top