Balls/Strikes NOT from the ump?

[ApogeeDemon]

As technology improves, it may one day soon to have a computer call balls and strikes. This is similar to "Cyclops" computer used in tennis. My question is this, would you like this in a game or not? There would still be an ump behind the catcher for every other play such as out of the batters box, fouls tips, plays at the plate etc. but they wouldn't call balls/strikes. Coaches always say to batters that they should adjust if the umpire keeps calling balls high, outside, etc as strikes but this could take that out of the equation. A strike/ball would always be accurate. What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[Blue Ice]

I would still complain about the strike zone...

 

[SoCal_Dad]

MLB has been using systems like that for a number of years to evaluate and monitor their umpires' strike zones. The end result has been more uniformity in the strike zone and some pitchers lost the extra strikes they were getting (e.g. Greg Maddux).

It's not completely automated because an operator has to adjust the top/bottom of the strike zone for each batter. The umpires' union initially objected that the non-union operators weren't accurate enough to provide reliable evaluations. Over time, that became a non-issue.

 

[FastBat]

I like the way MLB uses it. I still need that "entertainment" from the ump. (Although, I'm sure some would disagree with the entertainment part!)

 

[Irish196]

I don't know. Part of me loves the idea because I've seen how an inconsistent ump can screw with a young player's mind. For example she is being taught not to swing at pitches out of the strike zone yet ump calls a third strike on an impossibly low ball. So the next time she's up she swings at an impossibly low ball because she doesn't want to go down watching.
But then another part of me is ok that there is a little bit of fallibility with the calls - especially if it goes both ways. Life is that way so they might as well get used to it. Plus it helps them develop the mentality to swing at less than ideal pitches if they have to when they are facing 2 strike situations.

 

[wow]

There are pluses and minus as described above. The one piece is whether or not changing a fundamental part of the game will have longer term implications. I think this technology is about a decade away from anyone below the professional level. It is inevitable part of the evolution of the game!

 

[TnTs_Dad]

There would no doubt be differences in the zone based on how the device was set up or environmental conditions or manufacturer variations and on and on. So it would be no different, everyone would just complain about the electronic blue instead of the human blue.