Umpires

[jrgocards]

I think the umps are really good - but not good enough.

Electronic balls and strikes or at least have challenges like in ST.

JR

[AnExParrot]

Would love to see some posters behind home plate calling 99-100 mph pitches . Call 30 of them and see how many are correct ?

Put them at 1st too and see how many bang bang plays at 1st they get right ?
Ever notice that if all the close ones where manager holds up his hand for the team video Guys to check. That a vast majority of them are waived off (no replay) asked.
Umps do a very good job !

We aren't trained to do so. We aren't paid, handsomely, to do so.

They can't even manage to be objective or consistent from pitch to pitch, count to count.

https://community.fangraphs.com/how-the ... -by-count/

Umpires are clearly bad enough that every year more people want some kind of automated strike zone, but keep defending incompetence with the "do it better yourself" shtick.

[acco40]

Couple of points. First, a pitcher is more apt to intentionally throw a strike on a 3-0 count and more apt to intentionally throw a ball on a 0-2 count. Second, on television the strike zone is shown by a simple two dimensional box. In reality, the strike zone is a three dimensional volume (it has depth) and a pitch should be called a strike if at any time any part of the pitched ball is located inside of that volume. So it is possible for a ball to be completely outside of the TV box and should technically be called a strike. That is simply not emphasized enough during the games.

Again, technically the strike zone is the area over home plate from the midpoint between a batter's shoulders and the top of the uniform pants (not armpits as so many announcers say) -- when the batter is in his stance and prepared to swing at a pitched ball -- and a point just below the kneecap (hallow).



But don't forget the strike zone has depth.

[Rojo Johnson]

Would love to see some posters behind home plate calling 99-100 mph pitches . Call 30 of them and see how many are correct ?

Put them at 1st too and see how many bang bang plays at 1st they get right ?
Ever notice that if all the close ones where manager holds up his hand for the team video Guys to check. That a vast majority of them are waived off (no replay) asked.
Umps do a very good job !

We aren't trained to do so. We aren't paid, handsomely, to do so.

They can't even manage to be objective or consistent from pitch to pitch, count to count.

https://community.fangraphs.com/how-the ... -by-count/

Umpires are clearly bad enough that every year more people want some kind of automated strike zone, but keep defending incompetence with the "do it better yourself" shtick.

My favorite, used by putzes like RFDannie, “oh yeah, let’s see you do it if you think it can be done better”. Do you use that one for the doctor who cut off the wrong arm? What a stupid argument.

[ramfandan]

Would love to see some posters behind home plate calling 99-100 mph pitches . Call 30 of them and see how many are correct ?

Put them at 1st too and see how many bang bang plays at 1st they get right ?
Ever notice that if all the close ones where manager holds up his hand for the team video Guys to check. That a vast majority of them are waived off (no replay) asked.
Umps do a very good job !

Can I get training and this is my only job?

Sign me up!

For years there was an umpire school in Florida . In fact, when I was in my teens I wanted to attend it in Florida Think Harry Wendelstadt was the major leauge ump running it .. ( Believe his son Hunter became an ump too ). My father did not wish to send me saying that first off very few guys that would be trained ever make to the majors as you would be in the minors . Secondly, he told me it would not be a good family life as you are constantly on the road (a traveling salesman type ) so not with your family and kids. I always wondered if I had gone if I had made it .
This was 1960's and just 8 teams in each league . So 32 major league umps and hundreds of umpiries trained that were at Low A, High A AA AAA The odds of making to the majors would be quite slim.

[OldRed]

I liked the challenge they used in spring training because so many of the missed strikes are on strike three.

[illiniriles]

Outstanding text by Acco40, and really interesting by Scouty as well. However, although have never checked it out in the rule book, and don't even own one, I was always coached that a strike is called where it crosses your lead leg and letters in your stance. Volume makes no sense to me. With the spin pitchers can put on the ball in today's game they could throw a sidearm curve on the outside that could not be hit with a boat orr that would clip the strike zone by the tip of the plate. That's why a strike is not called where the ball is received. And why framing pitches is such a valuable form of accepted cheating. Something that Yadi was absolutely famous for. And in my estimation, the high strike has never been called. Used to be said that it had something to do with the different chest protectors worn by the AL and NL umps.
Also, Scouty is absolutely correct about umpire school in FLA. Headed by Harry the hat Wendlstadt (Sp)? His son, Hunter, in my mind is a tremendous ball/strike ump, but an arrogant D-Bag. Seems like he always felt the fans were there to watch him ump the game. I think he was the only ump to give Ozzie Guillen the heave ho. And I'll bet if Scouty had stuck to his plan he would have tossed quite a few managers and told them to [fork] off, too.
Sorry for the long reply. Hope y'all made it to the end.

[illiniriles]

Whoops, sorry guys. Went back and checked. It's RamfanDan that had the plan. And he'd never tell anybody to [fork] off.