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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Thursday night's Cubs / Nats game essentially ended when José Lobatón was picked off at first base by Willson Contreras, the Cubs catcher, ending the 8th inning.
Well, sort of. The first base umpire called Lobatón safe as his foot hit the bag before he was tagged by first baseman Anthony Rizzo. So far, so good for the Nationals. However (you knew that there'd be an however, didn't you?), that call was overturned after the instant replay revealed that Lobatón's foot slipped off the bag while Rizzo held the tag on him. The inning was over, with the tying runner left on second base. Without the call having been overturned, the tying run would have been on second and the go-ahead run on first, with two outs. My question is this: what do y'all think of instant replay in baseball in general, and about this call being reversed in particular? |
stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
I like getting as close to the facts as possible, and instant replay allows us to do that. I remember a time when umpires generally refused to reverse any calls whatsoever, especially if that meant one umpire trying to persuade another member of his crew that he had gotten the call wrong. It just wasn't done--at least not publically. This attitude gradually changed to one of, "Let's get it right," and it became common for the crew to consult with one another when a call was questionable. This was all a good development, I think, and it preceded the use of instant replay. So when instant replay was introduced, the umpire crews were already in a non-traditional mindset, and were ready for the change.
I do have a problem with the failure of most TV broadcasts to attempt to show a three-dimensional strike zone, however. Regarding the call in question: I haven't watched it yet, but it sounds to me as if it was a perfect example of a call that should have been reversed--if not by instant replay, then by an umpire crew whose highest priority was to "get it right." |
R.S. Regular user CT one day I'll have 184 Posts |
I agree with Stone. I think "getting it right" is paramount in any sport where a wrong judgment call can make all the difference in the world to the outcome of a game.
I'm not totally sure what he means by his three-dimensional strike zone comment though. Perhaps he can elaborate. But that does bring up another thing that I have an issue with - the issue of "techno-clutter". During yesterday's ALCS Astros/Yanks game on Fox TV I noticed for the first time that they kept a superimposed strike zone on the screen for the whole game. Just a square outline, but it was there the entire time. Now some may like this, or not care one way or the other, but I've always felt that just because you have the technology, it doesn't mean it adds anything of value to the experience. To me, the less screen clutter, the better. You don't need to superimpose a circle under the base runner, or add a tracer to the ball when it's thrown from the outfield to the infield, or superimpose (in realtime) a dot with the speed of a pitch where the ball just hit the catcher's mitt, or draw lines on the field and add in distances from baserunner to base, etc. STOP IT! I can see for myself where balls enter a strike zone. I don't care if a pitcher's arm angle was 30 degrees vs 40 degrees (besides, much of this sort of thing is guesswork anyway). I don't need the field to be lit up with superimposed spotlights and arrows and boxes and graphics. It's just way overdone these days. I don't like that my viewing experience has been reduced to trivial (or non-provable) superfluous technology driven stats. Not every little thing needs to be deconstructed. Of course, YMMV. Ron
"It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry." Thomas Paine
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TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3163 Posts |
With today’s tech stuff being an umpire has to be a very hard job.
While replays can be fun/helpful to the fans, I personally like just leaving the job up to the umpires on the field. Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
Quote:
On Oct 15, 2017, R.S. wrote: The graphic which you complain about is indeed the problem. First, it needn't be ever-present, exactly as you say. They could use it after a sequence of pitches to see how the pitcher (and umpire) is dealing with the strike zone. Second, the strike zone isn't a rectangular outline at the front of the plate but a three-dimensional floating box above the plate adjusted to the batter's height and stance. In theory, a ball could enter the front of the plate outside of the strike zone and curve or drop into the strike zone within the space from the front of the plate to the back of the plate--which of course narrows to a point at the pack, which also narrows the width of what could be a ball or strike. Also, the ball must simply touch any portion of the zone to be a strike. So a strike zone is hardly a simple rectangle at the front of the plate, and TV graphics are misleading. Lastly, it is common knowledge that the strike zone might slightly differ from umpire to umpire. That might sound imprecise, but players, managers, umpires and league officials have always accepted the human factor in calling strikes and balls. So it might sound like I'm contradicting myself when I say that balls and strikes are different from foul or fair or tag or no tag, but they are. Modern technology is becoming so sophisticated that I can imagine a day in which balls and strikes are called by computer--strictly according to the rules, no less. But we aren't there yet. |
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