The independent Atlantic League, one of four independent leagues designated as official MLB Partner Leagues following the 2020 reorganization of MiLB, will return to the traditional method of calling balls and strikes in 2022, reports J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. The league had adopted the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system — known colloquially as the ’robo-ump’ — ahead of the 2019 season, when it reached an agreement with Major League Baseball to test equipment and rules changes under consideration for use in affiliated ball. The league will also return the distance between the pitching rubber and home plate to the conventional 60 feet, 6 inches after a late-season trial of an extra foot was met with disfavor by players and coaches.
As Cooper points out, the strike-zone change is likely driven by the expectation of a more widespread implementation of ABS in the minors; there’s been no official announcement, but MLB posted job listings for an ABS tech to work with each team in Triple-A West (the successor to the Pacific Coast League) earlier in the offseason. The technology was also deployed in Low-A Southeast (the revamped Florida State League) in 2021 and in the 2019 Arizona Fall League.
Though just one of a number of rules changes mooted by the commissioner’s office during Rob Manfred’s tenure, the proposed automation (and thereby standardization) of the strike zone has proven to be among the most polarizing. Beyond more longstanding intra-fan disputes regarding the relative values of innovation and tradition, proponents of the idea have suggested that a strike zone standardized by precise technological measurement would substantially reduce the element of human error in umpiring decisions (and, perhaps, reverse the trend of declining contact rates), while those opposed argue that imprecision, ambiguity, and the idiosyncrasies of individual umpires — as well as the arguments that often ensue as a result of these — add intrigue and drama to the game.
Regardless of one’s opinion of the potential implementation of ABS at the big-league level, any longtime fan of the game will recognize a progressive change in the strike zone since the advent of pitch-tracking technology in the early 2000s, when MLB introduced QuesTec’s Umpire Information System in big-league ballparks to track umpire performance. This much less invasive system drew its fair share of criticism (Curt Schilling infamously took a bat to a QuesTec camera after a poor start in May 2002, and the umpires union filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board over its use before securing its removal in 2005 contract negotiations). Still, it’s long-term effects (as compiled in 2017 by Joe Lemire of Sports Business Journal) have rendered the effective strike zone closer to its rule-book definition, decreasing its width while increasing its height.
Despite scrapping the ABS, the Atlantic League will continue to test a number of potential tweaks to the game, including the use of 17-inch bases (2 inches larger than standard), anti-shifting rules (which require the four infielders to have two feet in the infield dirt before every pitch), and enhanced extra-inning ’zombie runner’ rules (which would place runners at first and second to start the 10th inning and load the bases in any innings thereafter). Further changes to Atlantic League play are expected to be announced later in the spring.
I am exceedingly happy.
I gotta say though, bases loaded in extras is horrid. that’s at least one guranteed run. garbage.
This is an objective statement.
What exactly is driving the decision to continue exploring extra-inning gimmicks? In soccer ties after regulation are common because there’s so little scoring, but baseball is not soccer. Approx 5-10% of MLB games are tied after 9 innings, that’s not a lot.
Folks, here’s a very key stat: The last year we had normal extra innings, 98% of all extra inning games ended in the 10th or 11th inning. So what exactly would they be gaining with these phantom runner gimmicks? Just one or two games a year per team that would end in the 10th instead of the 11th?
Can you imagine NFL games beginning overtime with each team’s offense getting the ball on their opponent’s 5 yard line?
All of the three other major team sports begin overtime without any gimmicks to increase the odds of scoring. Now they want baseball to be the sport with the gimmicks? Seriously?
I’d really like to know who is pushing the phantom runner gimmicks. Did they take a survey of fans in ballparks? I attend dozens of games a year, I’ve never seen such a survey.
The robot ump I’m all for.
The pitcher limit for rosters I’m all for.
I was fine with the no-pitch intentional walk.
I was fine with video replay being used to overturn calls.
I was fine with a time limit for pitcher warmups.
And I’m 100% for universal DH.
So being against silly gimmicks in extra innings is not a matter of me resisting change. I like change when it makes sense, the extra innings gimmicks do not make sense.
Why? TV doesn’t like extra innings, players, coaches, managers, fans and employees don’t like extra innings.
As a group, no one likes extra innings.
I like extra innings. But I live on the west cost and don’t have to get up until 7:15..
Halo – If you’re talking about games that go 12 innings or longer then I’d agree. Otherwise, I’d say only employees dislike extra innings because it’s like working overtime with no pay.
TV likes extra innings, nobody is going to turn off a game after the 9th inning with the game tied.
Players, coaches and managers like extra innings. If the home team is trailing by a run in the bottom of the 9th inning, they want to at least tie the game and go into extra innings. No player or manager or coach would prefer a loss instead of extra innings. Every time a player gets a game-ending extra inning hit there is a huge celebration, those wins are always remembered the most by the teams and fans alike.
Same thing with the fans in attendance, the possibility of their team winning with one swing of the bat is always thrilling.
I think having the phantom runners from the 12th inning on would be a good compromise.
I get my information from someone who talks to players and owners and coaches. And of course there are ratings and fans in the stands that back that up.
Considering he calls someone and gets me VIP seats to games, including 10th row behind home plate at the All Star game that came with VIP tickets to every event, I’m going to defer to him on the subject.
Okay so your friend probably misunderstood them then. If viewers or fans in attendance have to be in bed by a certain time, that has nothing to do with extra innings. It has to do with what time it is. If there’s a 2-hour rain delay or the game is taking longer because of pitching changes, lots of offense, etc then some will stop watching at 10PM or whatever even if it’s only the 5th or 6th inning.
Ratings have a lot to do with the score. If your team is losing 10-2 in the 6th inning, you’re likely to stop watching the game even if it’s before 9PM. And if the game is close or tied, you’re likely to keep watching even through the 11th inning. No real fan turns a game off during extra innings.
Your friend is probably referring to games that go beyond 11 innings, especially on getaway day (that’s a term we use when the team has to fly out after the game) when players just want to get to the next city on the schedule.
TV doesn’t like extra innings because they don’t like scheduling uncertainty. Having happy baseball fans watching longer doesn’t make up for all the people calling and yelling at them because the show they wanted to watch got preempted by a game going long.
Of course, it’s absurd that we still have this kind of linear TV programming where only one thing can be aired at a time. But we do.
I think bases loaded to start extra innings could be fun but only if both teams get to bat and whoever scores more runs wins. If tied after ten the same rules apply to innings 11-end of game. I admit it’s gimmicky but how exciting would a walk off grand slam on the first pitch of the bottom of the 14th inning to win a 17-15 game be?
Stop with that bullshift let’s play real baseball the baseball we know for century come on
Players have changed. Economics have changed. Not close to the same game as 100 years ago.
Dunno about that. Joe West/Angel Hernandez calling the play at HP? never know if it will be correct or not, just like Hernandez’s wacky K zone.
Joe West retired bro. I would imagine Angel isn’t far behind him. He’s been doing it since 1991.
@ John silver: I’m with you John. MLB needs to automate the strike zone, and ASAP. I’m sick of watching the inconsistencies and incompetence of home plate umpires. Its really just almost an impossible thing for a human to do consistently.
One huge problem is the umpires union- and I’m usually fine with unions – just not theirs. Other problem is Manfred.
I don’t think the umpires union would have an issue with it. They know how many calls they get wrong. They know human beings are incapable of calling moving fastballs an inch on or off the plate correctly.
They aren’t ignorant. Human limitations have made it impossible for them to do anything but guess on close pitches.
MLB players are the best of the best. Union represents them, but once they get to a point where they slip? they are gone, back to MILB etc.. MLB umpires and that union protects the blind, along with the good and it’s wrong. Needs to be changed and has been for years.
Players vote every year on top and worst umpires in the league.. Blind of course.. Those lists should be used to rotate any who falls into like a bottom 25-33% rotated back to MiLB ball, or retirement after say..2y? falling into that bottom category, which means players (enough) feel they are lacking in ability.
That is a way around a union protecting those not deserving to be at the top and screwing over players who are.
Yep, defending the umpires by dismissing the problem and referring to it, as the ‘human element’ is wrong. The only human element I pay for, are the players. Not some egotistical, out of shape guy, like Joe West.
I think it would also speed up the game because pitchers wouldn’t be as tempted to nibble on the edges of the zone, hoping for a charity (or even-up) call. That happens often on 2-0 or 3-0 pitches.
Plus good hitters train their whole lives to recognize pitches, then they get penalized when someone like West or Hernandez decide that ‘their personal zone’, is the one that takes precedence.
I don’t get the league’s infatuation with extra-innings runners. Just call it a tie after the twelfth or something in the regular season like other sports do. No need for all this clownery
Why? MLB is still going forwards with the ABS system. They installed it in nearly every ballpark in the minors, majors, and spring training and they are hiring more people to work the system in 2 minor leagues. Its not going away. MLB is just not paying the Atlantic League to run its test program anymore so they are not using it in that league.
Yep, fix one thing and ruin something worse in the process.
One- step forward, two steps back… Manfred- yuck
That’s Manfred or ya. He hates baseball and wants to turn it into something it’s not.
The shift has changed the game more than Manfred ever could.
Keep the gimmicks coming. Baseball fans love gimmicks.
You are correct- and we need interesting ones too. I think they should introduce a play where they bring a hospital toilet to home plate and the batter can elect to hit while taking a dump- if he just puts the ball in play its an automatic triple. How about Jack Daniels sponsors the Saturday night game of the week where in the top of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th the starting 9 for each team has to do a shot and keep playing the game. I also say introduce a Winter Classic game like in hockey where a regular season game is played on ice in January. More foreign trips as well- but not Japan and England- how about a series in Somalia, Ethiopia or India. AROD can announce and tell us about the Ganges River.
Allknowingone. You my friend should be the MLB Commissioner.
I’m still waiting for “hard liquor and handgun night!”
Bill Veeck, where are you when we need you?
To hell with the robo-unps what we really need are robo-players. What a bunch of maroons! Ahahahaha!
Just make sure they don’t get a heart because, as The Twilight Zone taught us, that kills their will to compete.
There is a card game called baseball highlights 2045 where humans, cyborgs and robots play together. So another 20 years.
Blue Skies Lost Angeles- Those who enjoy gimmicky sports- Only those who are bored & chronic degenerate gamblers afflicted with severe attention deficit disorder and whose caretakers tossed / deleted or lost their collection of pro wrestling DVD”s?
Don’t gaslight us because it involves something you don’t like
MLB absolutely NEEDS robot umpires. Please get them implemented in the next couple of years. Regular umpires calling balls and strikes does not add drama or intrigue to the game. Accuracy matters. I don’t hear anyone complaining about replay review after it was implemented (other than that it takes too long sometimes)
Spoken like a compulsive gambler. Did you bet on curling during the pandemic?
??? Spoken like a compulsive gambler. ?? Please explain how an umpire reading a hand held strike zone reading is going to help gamblers?
I suppose gambling is harder when the home plate ump determines the outcome of the game in a random way instead of the better team winning. But that’s hardly a reason to embrace umpire errors.
Nobody intelligent doesn’t want a automatic strikezone. Like their entire argument is incorrect calls adds to the game, it’s by far the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in baseball.
Not a lot of intelligence in the above comment. The argument against it is that it is awkward to implement. Look how poorly instant replay is done. Now let’s add that to every single pitch. That’ll put asses in seats.
A. It ain’t a Nintendo game. No matter how much you geeks wanna make it one.
B. It’s a game and entertainment. There is not one reason to throw every accessible form of technology at it. Save that for something serious like curing cancer.
Instant replay still is decided by humans and isn’t a good comparable for this technology at all. lol @ “geeks”, really showing your hand on that one
I want a well called game, wherever it comes from. If robo umps are more accurate, let’s do it. Test it thoroughly and make sure it is more accurate first
I don’t agree that it’s awkward to implement. With refined tech, a ball or strike can be determined even before it even touches a catchers glove. I hated the idea of instant replay review and still don’t like it but it’s where we’re headed. I also don’t like the idea of a pitch clock since it’s the only pro team sport that doesn’t use a timer.
All balls and strikes are called before they touch a catcher’s glove. I mean, just to get technical in a way that actually matters.
@YBC – I’d argue that a pitch clock might be more important to baseball than robo-umps. Some pitchers with runners on base take up to 45 seconds between pitches and then make it even worse when they step off the mound after all that time and start the process again. It slows the game to a crawl and it makes fans lose interest, especially the young ones. Put in a 25 second pitch clock and the game’s pace of play (and action) will speed up considerably.
Depending on who is pitching any given night, a pitch clock could speed up the game by 15-30+ minutes. That would be a welcomed addition as the average game time for 2021 was 3:10, an all-time record. They need to get the average length of a game down to 2:45 or less for kids to stay engaged and keep them as fans when they reach the primary demographic age baseball is looking for from its fanbase (Age 25-50). A pitch clock could get them 80% of the way to the 2:45 goal all by itself. I love the game of baseball (always have) but even I’m getting annoyed with the pace of play sometimes. There’s no reason a Red Sox / Yankees game should take 4+ hours to play in the middle of May.
Actually, umpires are taught to wait until the mitt pops to make a call; it improves accuracy. Though you’re correct insofar as the call is based on where the ball is as it’s crossing the plate.
Get real you obviously have never watched a game where the auto k zone has been added. And that’s where the problem lies. You goofs complain about stuff because you’re completely ignored to how it’s implemented. Just be quiet the changes will be made and you’ll complain loudly for a game or two and you’ll realize it’s better and forget you had this stupid opinion
You equate that with the robo ump? More evidence you don’t follow the game. The process is smart enough to have customized strike zones for every player. It’s not a one size fits all box. You don’t even know what a robo ump is.
It’s really simple. Some people prefer umpires deciding games, some prefer players deciding games.
@ pzaccheo. That was my point. Because of the current “pitch framing” obsession, it’s seemingly become forgotten that balls and strikes are called where the pitch crosses the plate, not where the catcher receives it. Unfortunately this misunderstanding is a big part of what appears to be driving the movement to “perfect” the game by reducing the human element. It isn’t about perfecting the game, it’s about changing the game. Makes you wonder how baseball has managed to survive for 150 years with the terrible flaw of being officiated by imperfect human beings.
@dotty The pitching clock would have not sped up the game much at all. In 2021 the average pitch was delivered in 19.65 seconds according to Sports Info Solutions. A 20 second pitch clock would not have sped up games on average. Now if you made the batter stay in the box, THAT would speed up the game. Or if you incentivized putting the ball in play over walks and strikeout/HR that would shorten the game. The average game in 2021 had 51 more pitches than the average game in 1981. That is 16 minutes more time and not exciting game time.
A point of statistical order. If the average became the maximum, the average would certainly decline.
Not sure what happened to the rule about the batter being required to keep at least one foot in the box. It was supposed to have been implemented several season ago but I haven’t heard boo about it since.
@Dorothy I can’t argue against that. It’s a pick your poison situation for me.
Spoken by someone who understands umpires decide more close games than players.
Allknowingone has lost his melon. Just ignore him and move on. You can explain it to him but you can’t understand it for him
Damn… Why didn’t someone tell me we could bet on curling!?
I’d argue that it certainly does add drama and intrigue to the game, but I don’t think those are worth sacrificing accuracy for.
Why stop there? Make every batter use the exact same bat! Redesign every field so that they are identical, also enclose them so the weather doesn’t affect play. Finally, make all of the players be the exact same size. Standardize everything! Accuracy matters!
You forgot the Baseball tee, We wont need a pitcher, That will save money.
You do realizes none of those examples has any to do with accuracy. I think you are confused with uniformity. Also you should not stop there as you should always strive to be as accurate as possible.
You can’t come up with good reasons to be against it so you make up lame reasons to be against it.
I’m for it. The fewer games umpires decide, the better.
Another ridiculous stupid argument
I hate to disagree with you. I think the robots are a horrible idea and waste of resources. If they do come in the league, I think a lot of fans will leave. It’s bad enough with the coaches challenges. Why add something else that can potentially stall a game? If the robot glitches or shorts out, fans will be in a uproar and calling for live umpires again. It’s a disastrous idea and there is nothing better than the coach sharing his feelings with the ump of the strike zone. They are classic and have been around for decades.
I think you over estimate how many will leave. I don’t know what a coaches challenge is. Do you mean replay challenge? If the umpire sees that something is wrong he will just override what the hand held strike indicator reads and make the call. The umpires are still there calling out a ball or strike and there is so much more he does that has nothing to do with this system including balls and strikes such as foul tips, did he go around, did the pitcher touch his mouth.
Roboumps aren’t making calls on plays at the plate, balks, or checked swings so the home plate ump would call balls and strikes if the technology crashes or something. But we are talking about MLB so they would probably find a way to make that easily remedied situation into an unimaginably convoluted mess that leaves nobody happy.
The ump looks at his hand held unit and yells ball or strike. He has to take in to account. not just the path of the ball but did the batter swing , did it graze his uniform. Most fans would not notice any thing different. The umps are still there behind home. I guess system could tell him if the ball made contact with something but i don’t think we have that yet. The umpires union I think have approved it’s use. The system needs umpires to work .
Piratesfan1981 another guy who has a opinion on the subject but has no clue how it’s implemented and more importantly how the game is played with the system in place. Watch a game where it’s in place, once you’re done you’ll have enough time to watch another one because the game is so much faster you’ll think there’s more hours in a day.
I am not a fan of the robot calls. I don’t care if it’s to “perfect” the game. The robo strike zone will be an embarrassment to the game. Maybe you guys played too much of the video games and want traditional game wiped out. NASCAR in its peak did too many changes and the sport lost millions of fans. MLB is going down that road. We watch the sport because it’s pretty dramatic and emotional. You add a silly robot to the game, it takes away what makes baseball different from any other sport
@houkenfloken are you kidding? There’s been plenty of criticism about the replay.
It is too long, but even more than that mlb replay decisions have been bad. Out of all the professional sports leagues, they have had some of the worst calls resulted. Just confusing conclusions drawn.
Relax and have a beer. It’s old fashioned, but they play 162 to minimize the impact of luck. The robots are redundant.
the reason to do it is the inability of mlb to root out incompetent umps. and there are too many. especially with gambling, there could be temptations!
i would imagine the later is a concern for the umpires’ union. if the league found out it’s very likely the union would be sacked.
This might be taking things too far. I will say that without a doubt giving the umpires this electronic toolkit adds to the INTEGRITY of the game.
my point is on the suggestion of umps throwing games.
I understood but just thought that I can think of no reason to go after the union.
I think the ability of pitchers has exceeded the human capacity to call pitches correctly.
I think this is a good point. At least at being consistently correct.
The best gamblers don’t bet on who is playing in the game, they bet on the tendencies of the umpires.
Yes we definitely need more gimmicks, the more gimmicks the more fans, MLB needs to use the WWE business model in order to take baseball to the next level, patiently waiting for the next big thing.
DH in one league and not in the other is a gimmick and yet people hate that for some reason.
Amen.
So you are saying a gimmick being adopted by only one of the leagues is itself a gimmick? Now there’s a logic pretzel!
i don’t like the word, but the dichotomy is honestly something I love. two different games to an extent.
Gimmick, a trick done for the sake of attention or publicity. Can’t blame the word for what it means.
I’d like to see MLB replace the bat with a folding chair.
Three words: Tackle Baseball.
i dunno what this would entail but I wholeheartedly agree.
I’m stilll trying to figure out how “tackle baseball” constitutes three words.
Tack uhl baseball ⚾️
Chief…humor isn’t your string suit is it?
@prov not only allow tackling but allow the runner to hold onto the bat. That’s a prime weapon.
Yes, so many possibilities.
Mixed Martial Baseball
Reading between the lines, I’m thinking the robots were becoming self-aware…
Would the robots self identify as robots? Just asking ⚾️
Go dog whistle somewhere else with your tired a** jokes
If you are responding to it, doesn’t that make you the dog?
Of all the various gimmicks, for lack of a better term, the automated strike zone is the one that’s needed the most IMHO. I hope it eventually catches on in MLB.
Use me as the “I didn’t even know they were doing (did) this” button.
this has been well reported on this site…
Things are well-reported on this site?
Another copy/paste joke
I don’t like any of the recent proposed changes, most of all the Little League-like runner on 2nd base rule in extras. That’s one step away from pitching to your own team.
If the Atlantic league is dropping robo-umps, that suggests it was not popular and maybe they are just trying to spin it because MLB wants it. I think they should treat balls and strikes as a replay issue and only use the robo-ump to check a challenged pitch call. It should only take a few seconds and they can limit challenges per game/inning, or whatever.
Maybe, but MLB is also hiring people to work the digital zones at Triple-A West, at Spring Training at Florida, and in Low-A Southeast. I also thought the same thing, but the fact they’re implementing it into more minor league stadiums cotradicts that. It’s probably just the Atlantic League being used as guinnea pigs again like they have so far with other rules and stuff.
Could be right. Manfred seems to be tone-deaf and is dead set on shortening the game. So he’ll implement it regardless if he wants it.
Tone deaf? They’ve gathered data from all baseball fans and are trying to implement rules based on the fan’s feedback.
The ratings for extra innings games stink, the stadiums are empty, the players hate it. Everyone who works in the stadium hates them.
If anything you should be mad at Manfred for listening to the data. But that goes against your position, so nope, you won’t go there.
They are dropping it because MLB stopped paying them to test it. MLB is now doing its own testing and the system is installed in all but 2 ballparks in the majors and minors.
By any chance do you know the 2 ballparks still without?
So was this just a trial run to see how it would fare? It’s a bit of an odd reason that they’re taking it away just because the digital strikezone is going to be more widespread in the minor leagues.
What does wider bases do? Help stealing bases? Less Injuries running or sliding to them? Easier for double plays?
Help lessen the amount of collisions at a base.
A few inches should in theory increase the ability to steal as it cuts down the length of the base paths.
Probably wont make much difference. If you are slow, you are slow. And a 5% increase in odds is not going to encourage the analytics guys to start running wild.
But then men have unnecessarily been worried about a few inches forever.
Why need bases at all. They can be chalked or drawn. In or out of the lines (bounds) on or off “ base” can be seen by umpires. Verified digital review easily.
An increase in base size will change player recorded sprint speed. You bet analytics will take that into account and effect the way a groundskeeper crew prepares a field for an opponent.
It puts fielders slightly closer to bases too right? If the bag is slightly easier to get to for a force will you see more double plays?
Or the extra two inches will be used mainly for increasing access to hitters headed to first base, the increase being completely placed in foul ground. I believe this is how the base is configured in softball.
Reverting back is the right move. Robo-umps and changing the distance of the mound definitely alter the integrity of the game for the worse.
Your argument is one that has been made for every change in baseball over 100+ years and has almost never aged well
Rubbish retort. Standard has been 60’6″ and 90′ baselines. The fact the players didn’t endorse it just validates how ridiculous moving the mound back is. That has aged perfectly fine and shall continue into the future. Period.
You could say the same for raising the mound, DH in the AL, smaller stadiums, etc etc etc
Johnrealtime for sure on the mound & DH. For stadiums I believe there are some guidelines in place but certainly a place like Colorado compromises the game.
So getting calls right ruins the integrity of the game. Man you people are delusional.
And the distance to the mound has been changed a few times. Should we go back to 50’ 6”?
Complete rubbish. A strike or ball here and there are insignificant in the overall picture of the game. No one can ever point to a single player who has had his career adversely altered by bad calls… nor a season or series. Either you win the game or you lose the game on your own merits. Period. Guys also weren’t throwing 100+ MPH from 50 feet, I believe they were throwing underhanded and throwing what the batter asked for.
Strikes and balls are insignificant? So you don’t follow baseball. Got it.
We should go back to only allowing white players to play ball and owners owning the players their entire careers too, right?
“those opposed argue that imprecision, ambiguity, and the idiosyncrasies of individual umpires — as well as the arguments that often ensue as a result of these — add intrigue and drama to the game.
Yes, because intrigue and drama are SO much better than accuracy. Holy cow.
The sports world needs Ted Denslow now more than ever.
Coop for Denslow cup MVP.
I contend we should have three baseballs per game. Fans throw the balls back or game ends. That’s a gimmick I can stand behind.
I legit laughed at this idea. Can you imagine?
Early 20th century baseball used very few balls.
Might as well legalize spider tack again because those balls would be getting some crazy spin after the first couple batters
Put a barrel of beer at second base. You get to second base you have to stop and drink a beer before moving on
The trick is not to get picked off whilst gulping 🙂
They don’t end the lockout soon, we’re gonna need some robot players.
MLB needs to be getting involved with our communities and children so they will enjoy the game again, All these gimmicks are ruining the game. Baseball is just fine the way it was!!!
And it will get those kids off your lawn!
Some teams are really buying in to that actually.
I live in Miami and since the new ownership group took over there is actual Marlins presence in the city. Players visiting schools, appearances, clinics , giving out supplies and food. The Loria Marlins NEVER did anything like this. I’ve seen it start to work on some people and it’s good to see. So yes I agree work more with the city and give back and get kids interested in Baseball.
Good to hear. I remember Jeter stating that community outreach was one of his M.O. The top one was removing that hideous centerfield structure which he also followed through on.
We need those robo umps fast! Technology has advanced while Angel Hernandez just gets older and more erratic… with 4k and so many angles/cameras, it’s easier to call balls and strikes from the broadcast than from behind the plate.
I wonder if you need experience to get the job as the ABS tech. Probably limits the candidate pool to like 5 people in the world.
We need better umpiring training, and to bring back the enthusiasm that umpires used to have back in the day. They look bored on the field, and sometimes I can’t tell a call either way.
I’m holding out for a robo-Commissioner.
I believe your wait was over years ago.
Unfortunately I think you’re right. The game of baseball and it’s fans deserve better
The point being, the commissioner is and always shall be the owners’ sock puppet.
umpires need to be invisible. and lay off the donuts
Dunno about you, but I watch baseball for Angel Hernández and Joe West.
– Nobody
Joe West strongly disagrees with this comment.
There goes the mlb experiment.
I like the fact that different umpires have different strike zones as long as those strike zones remain consistent. The good umpires can do this and the bad ones are the ones who cannot. A skill great hitters have is to adjust within a game and adapt to where strikes are being called. Great pitchers learn to do this also. To me removing the need for this ability numbs the human element on the player side as well.
To me this is one of the best arguments against the new strike calling system. I think it is logical and honest. I still think I would like the new system better because many great stuff gets missed by the umps. Have you not seen a pitch that drop of the table and hits the corner, Some pitches are just hard to follow in real time. Sometimes the pitch fools everyone including the umpire. The same can be said of hitters. another problem is the umps can be inconsistent.
Eephus11 this is exactly right. As long as a guy is consistent there’s no advantage one way or the other, and players need to be smart and adjust, just as a batter adjusts to what a pitcher is doing or a pitcher pitches to a batter’s scouted weaknesses. It’s part of the game, and a good one.
Batting averages fluctuate hundreds of points depending on the count. Are you suggesting bad call occur consistently, in similar situations, for both sides, throughout the game?
Do you people follow this game?
Yes, adjust to something that’s wrong. That makes so much more sense than getting it right. Of course, how could I miss that? Holy cow.
What’s with this “you people?” Folks are giving their opinion. Understand the being an Angel fan can be frustrating but lighten up.
People aren’t giving reasons and they are making stuff up. You don’t like the robo ump? Fine. Give a real reason.
If people give real reasons, I won’t knock them, but I’m sick of politicians who flat out make things up or can’t make their point with facts.
I think we all should have had enough of that garbage by now,
I’d rather have players decide the games than umpires. If you would rather have umpires decide games, why?
The problem with this is it requires batters to figure out each umps strike zone in real time. We’ve all watched games where the zone was lower than usual or wider than usual, and we’ve all seen strikes called inconsistently during a game. We live with it right now, but we’ll get used to a consistent strike zone really quickly, I believe. It’ll be nice to see a rookie pitcher get the same calls as a respected veteran
Gina, that’s a huge problem. If an umpire calls a strike 3 or so inches off the plate, what’s the batter going to do the next time?
He’s going to make a out. The pitcher has him.
Halo fan, it’s not worth your breath, to argue with some folks on here, who probably never played the game at a high level. They keep popping up like wack-a-moles.
I don’t think they realize T-ball doesn’t count.
We can set up the automated zone to call a slightly different strike zone each game. It’s no problem at all, and that way the pitchers and hitters are rewarded for their adaptation instead of being penalized by an inconsistent call at the worst possible moment.
I’m for 1 inning games to speed things up
Are they keeping the Team Mom for juice boxes and ice cream after games or just going back to Baseball Annies and STD’s?
It puts fielders slightly closer to bases too right? If the bag is slightly easier to get to for a force will you see more double plays?
I don’t understand all this “gimmick” nonsense. Getting the call right is super important, and the umpires aren’t incompetent. Tell me how well you’d do calling a Blake Treinen sinker on the black, in real time, while keeping track of all the other aspects of the game you’re responsible for.
Try reading all the way to the end of the article if you want to understand the gimmick nonsense.
“Jerks who can’t be fired getting things wrong is part of the charm of our sport!!!”
I would love to see automated home plate umps. Let’s get some consistency of the strike zone and maybe. Averages will go up. An umpire calling an outside pitch a strike on a 2-1 obviously changes the hitters approach. Some of these umps (Angel Hernandez) are horrible. I have never understood a billion $$$ business not wanting to make it self better with technology.
Consider for a moment that your definition of “better” might be entirely in your head.
Yep it is idea of “better” might be subjective, but it is surely not entirely in his head. The people against are out strong on this site, and tend to be more vocal in general. Truth is there are lot of people who would agree with him.
And a lot who would disagree, and that’s also the truth.
No doubt about it.
Anyone against Robo Umps, check out the Twitter and website “Umpire Scorecard”. Im going to assume many of you have seen it but if you haven’t … You’ll want robo umps.
That being said. They need to shut it about everything else. Keep the mound the same. No extra runner nonsense at all EVER. No doubleheader 7 inning games. Let teams shift players wherever they want, the hitters need to learn to hit it where they aren’t. And if you’re making the base bigger, have it only be first base and it stretches a bit in to foul territory so we have less impacts there. The rest of the bases? No. I believe Softball does this.
MLB is no longer paying the Atlantic league to test the ABS system so they will stop using it. It costs more money. An extra employee and additional equipment that needs to be maintained. Instead MLB has installed the system in all but 2 minor league parks, all MLB parks, and in all 21 spring training parks. 169 systems in all. Not sure what the cost was for all of them, but if they all cost the same as the one nearest my home then MLB spend about $27.5 million just on the equipment alone. They already got approval from the major league umpires union to use it. They don’t need the Atlantic league anymore.
Let’s say you have this job where nobody gives a crap about you, every mistake you make gets half of the people teed off at you, you make a small percent of what the people around you make, you spend a good amount of your time standing around doing nothing, and then all of a sudden you have to make a correct judgment in a tiny portion of one second.
Someone offers to let you use a machine that makes your job less stressful.
Yes, please.
Speaking of Atlantic, the Mets should relocate to Atlantic City.
Manfred, destroying baseball one season at a time. Just a terrible, terrible commissioner.
Ownership agrees that he’s a terrible commissioner, which is why he just lost his job.
Oh, wait.
you like the guy? Family member are ya? lol
Read what I wrote. Or maybe you are one of those who doesn’t understand who employs the commissioner even after you’re told?
The only point you have been able to come to is the one on top of your head. You are talking in circles and riddles.
So to you, pointing out that the commissioner acts on behalf of the owners who employ him and nobody else is some sort of riddle?
Wow. Really difficult to know where to go with that.
1. Kill the roboump idea
2. Ban the “shift”
3. Ditch the instant replay
4. Return to regular strike zone
5. Return to regular extra innings rule
6. Impose a minimum and salary cap to all teams
7. Rename the IL the DL
8. Stop trying to change and tweak the game.
Then maybe baseball will be great again.
The only thing I would keep is the 3 batter rule, And add the MLB creating programs for the kids, their future fans!!
The “regular strike zone”. Funny.
I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone thinks we should ditch instant replay. Blown calls are no fun and add nothing of value to the game
I don’t like anything Manfred has done. It’s almost like he took over in a panic, as if baseball was collapsing. He’s made a ton of radical changes and I don’t understand why. The franchises are going up in value, the players salaries keep getting more and more astronomical. The tv and digital rights are also astronomical. Where’s the issue? I know I live in the biggest baseball town in the world but still … you see all the baseball acadamies filled with youngsters and it’s also growing world wide in other countries such as Asia and obviously all the Hispanic nations. I’m tired of these stupid pace of play rules and all this greed with the lockout. It’s making me sick. The game is fine, the business of baseball is excelling … stop acting like it’s tanking trijet to appease impatient people who can’t appreciate the fact that baseball is like a chess match. I’m tied of players making 30-40 million dollars complaining and I’m tired of hearing owners who have enough wealth to make 5 generations of their family filthy rich complaining about the game. It’s disgusting. This used to be a blue collar sport. What the hell is happening here?
It’s big time entertainment, like country music.
Which means of course, it’s dead on arrival.
If you want to ruin something, throw money at it.
I wish they made the mound 61 feet high.
It would be really hard to throw strikes!
No need for runners on base after 9 innings, Just bring in a homerun derby pitcher to throw a cookie to each team, problem solved!
I like extra innings, but the data shows most fans don’t. Just view the attendance of those 12 inning games. View the ratings.
Play the tenth an eleventh. The have the runner on second.
Not really into robot umpires. Takes away a human aspect of the game. Abnormally bad calls should be held accountable though.
So let umpires decide more close games than players? I’d rather have the players decide the games.
I read “robot umpires” and all I can picture is the robot from Rocky 4 arguing with a manager and telling him ‘you have been ejected from the baseball game please exit the premises promptly to avoid further discipline’.
All these changes to the game sound great in theory but nobody seems to be aware of how it changes the small subtle magical things about baseball. This new wave of tech and changes is taking the living beating heart of baseball that we’ve all loved for over a century and turning it into a mechanical heartless machine.
It’s truly sad to know that the baseball my kids watch won’t be the baseball I watched when I was a kid. Part of the awesomeness of baseball was how timeless and unchanged it’s been throughout the years but apparently nothing is sacred.
Baseball used to be a thinking man’s game; as the powers-that-be have made it today, very few can think for themselves, ah public education. Baseball used to be a game of endurance, from individual games that go MANY innings, with pitchers that throw 15 innings AND BAT and pitch 45 games a year; to position players that played 154 no matter what. Today’s SNOWFLAKE MILLIONAREs are pathetic, if they hit .260 (against greatly watered down pitching no less) for a 10-year career, the fake news makes them HOF’ers. Cannot even go to a MLB stadium without ear plugs as the canned noise is over whelming, especially the wild cheering when you look around and everyone there has two hands on their cell phones and are looking down!. HOW ABOUT BASEBALL GOES BACK TO BEING BASEBALL and let the snowflakes have their power-puff “fire him, he made me cry” NFL.
Baseball was NEVER a thinking man’s game. OMG, listening to George Will blathering on about baseball makes me want to poke my eyes out. All you need to HATE baseball is to have some intellectuals talking about it. Torture.
There’s a simple solution to the shift and it involves the strike zone. It could be done with technology. The full size strike zone would be intact when there is no shift defined as two infielders on either side of second base. When a third infielder comes over, the strike zone is smaller by taking away part of the strike zone towards the batter when he is being played to pull the ball. That makes outside corner normal but inside corner closer to the center of the plate. Batters will lay off inside pitches, pitchers will have to throw more towards the center and the shift won’t work so well. Problem solved.
You’re welcome.
The shift has dramatically changed the game for the worse.
Eliminate that and make the batter stay in the box between pitches and game is fixed.
Too simple I suppose.
I think the biggest problem in the game is the shift. It discourages contact and ground balls.
It turns the game into a flyball, stikeout and walk game.
I don’t understand how an incorrectly called strike zone is somehow a good thing.
Robert, very few people give logical reasons to be against robo umps.
Maybe because the reasons in favor aren’t very logical.
See how that works?
Has anyone went to a game and said “I’ve been here way too long? They need to make ways to get me home sooner?”
Of course they have, that’s why so many fans leave early.
Many a time have I looked up at the scoreboard and sighed, “It’s only the ____ inning.” I will say that there are games that keep your attention so that the time passes by more quickly. But there are many games where it’s a bit tedious.
I love baseball, I’ve gone to hundreds of games and have only left early when my ride left early. I can understand people wanting to get home. I can understand people who want to go to bed.
The problems playing without a clock is the real life clock doesn’t stop ticking.
I remember Eric Byrnes promoted the robot ump during a minor league all star game or something on the mlb network. Seemed legit as the relay to Byrnes calling the game behind the plate was quick. You would never know he was a robot. I for one am against robots, but they use game calling stuff like this in Tennis and volleyball so why not.
Moving the mound back was complete nonsense. Kids were trained to throw a dart with precision. Now go ahead and risk injury cause you gotta throw it farther now, oh and still be precise and throw just as hard would definitely hurt more right?
I am more for the robo umps so that pitch framing can be done with. Tired of seeing the catcher moving his glove all over the plate. I think it is so underated how the catcher affects the strike zone when it should be just the pitcher. The pitch could be right down the middle but if the catcher had to move his glove drastically like from the outside corner, more often than pitch will be called a ball.
Or, consider that pitch framing might just be a fantasy, given that umpires aren’t looking at the catchers waving their mitts all over the plate as if it matters, they are looking at where the ball passes over the plate, that being their job. And consider that umpires might be fooled by pitchers in exactly the same way batters are fooled by pitchers, that being their job. I know, it’s a radical theory based on actual baseball, and we can’t have any of that.
Count me on team human when it comes to umps. The close calls, the hand gestures and shouts, the frisson of disagreement, are all central components of how baseball tells the story of life itself. The umps are not outside of the game; they’re a part of it, even more than the crowds and the crackerjacks. I’d just as soon have empty stadiums as robot umpires.
The close calls, the hand gestures and shouts they will still be there with the Robo-umps . There are stats that umpires review to improve themselves. We don’t see those, I think the umpire’s union stops that, but as a whole they can be inconsistent, especially certain pitches. Umpires still make the call. Think of it as watching on tv and you can see a 3D strike zone were the strke zone lights up were and if it touches the strike zone. The umpire can see this and add that to his knowledge of the pitch. Remember the Robo-ump right now only helps with if the ball crossed the plate. there are many other inputs like did the bat touch the ball , did the batter swing, did the pitcher go to his mouth, catcher interference. Even if the system clearly shows a ball or strike, the umpire has the right to make a different call. There is no machine sitting behind home plate. If you look at game using this system it looks about the same and the game I saw the umpire worked really quickly so it should not slow him down much if any.
The close calls, the hand gestures and shouts they will still be there with the Robo-umps . There are stats that umpires review to improve themselves. We don’t see those, I think the umpire’s union stops that, but as a whole they can be inconsistent, especially certain pitches. Umpires still make the call. Think of it as watching on tv and you can see a 3D strike zone were the strke zone lights up were and if it touches the strike zone. The umpire can see this and add that to his knowledge of the pitch. Remember the Robo-ump right now only helps with if the ball crossed the plate. there are many other inputs like did the bat touch the ball , did the batter swing, did the pitcher go to his mouth, catcher interference. Even if the system clearly shows a ball or strike, the umpire has the right to make a different call. There is no machine sitting behind home plate. If you look at game using this system it looks about the same and the game I saw the umpire worked really quickly so it should not slow him down much if any.