How should it be used?

Question:
Use it for:

Choices:
Home run calls
Home runs plus safe/out at 1st base
Home runs plus safe/out at all bases
Home runs, safe/out all bases, plus balls and strikes
Get rid of it

 

The umps this post season have been awful. If you have the technology use it. Homeruns, safe/out, fair/foul, everything except balls/strikes.

As nice as it would be to implement, it would slow what already is a 4 hour game. It seems like a no brainer when the stake are high (playoffs) but imagine it over 162 games over all those teams all season. Sheesh.

I also think you would be shocked at how it changed the game. How many times is the 1st baseman already walking feet away from the bag when catching the throw over on a ground out?

I'd actually be into the balls and strikes, kind of like what they do for tennis on serves.

Although I am occasionally frustrated by terrible calls, I like the imprecision of the game. It still feels like a "game", as opposed to the NFL's attempts at creating a robotically correct (which it never quite manages to do) Football Experience.

What would the fans in the stands do if they couldn't boo the home plate umpire and yell, "Great game, ump. Too bad you're missing it!" lol

Why not cover the field and plate areas with laser sensors, and do away with the umps altogether? No more mistakes, no more time wasted arguing and kicking dirt.

sports should be about the human element. not the officiating. that should be precise. bring out the umpbots!

Is it possible they just need better umpires? Some of the calls that are getting blown are just flat out awful. I'm not sure of the training, etc. that goes on, but perhaps it needs to be revised, as well as bringing in some new blood.

One thought I have had is to get younger umpires. I don't know the average age of umpires, but some of those guys seem old. I think we all know that certain reaction times, abilities, etc. diminish as age increases (which is why the players are in their primes in their 20-30's), so perhap some younger umps would be good? But, that is just a totally random thought that popped into my head recently.

I thought the biggest blown call last night was the Phillie pitcher intentially beaning the one Yankee. Third time in two games the guy has been beaned, and he doesn't hug the plate. All the replays shows the pitcher throwing directly at the guy.

The ump should have tossed the pitcher right then. Instead he gives both benches a warning! That was male bovine manure.

The fair/foul thing should be replay eligible IMO...there is no reason it makes any sense to me to allow these calls to be botched.

I wasn't even really thinking about the obvious blown calls, like that ball down the left field line or the two runners tagged out at third and only one out called. I was thinking more of the real close calls, like Ryan being credited with a catch and then doubling Posada, when he really short-hopped the ball. I can't fault the ump. He was in the proper normal position to make a call on a play at the bag, but that left him a drop behind Howard and he was unable to see whether the ball was short-hopped or caught. The ump was in the right place but he was screened out. There was also a double play to end an inning where Utley was actually safe at first but called out. If that was called correctly, Howard would have batted with men on base instead of the inning being over. The stop-action showed the ball a few inches from the glove when Utley hit the bag. It's hard to fault the ump when the difference was the tiniest fraction of a second.

I voted in this poll to do away with it, going along with a point made earlier about it slowing down the game. If they can get straight forward with some of the fair/foul calls to the point where it doesn't hold up the game much, I would be for it. But, it is tough to think about what you do with the base runner if the ump onfield calls a ball foul but it was really fair - similar to the one that I believe was hit by Mauer in the MIN/NYY series. There is a lot of judgment to then determine if he should go on 1st, 2nd, etc.

In my mind baseball just can't seem to get anything right and they seem way too resistant to change...yet I still pay attention to it.

Leave the game alone.

I agree with Syd. I think that on homeruns it's ok but I enjoy the human element of umpiring even though it's maddening at times. I also agree that the game will be WAY too slow if replay applies to too many aspects of the game.

I get not wanting the games to last longer so what about giving each team 2 challenges a game. That wont slow it down that much and it gives managers the chance to challenge plays that are obviously wrong.

What I dont get is people saying human error is part of the game. For the players sure, but it hsouldnt be for the umps if it can be fixed.

They can’t have both umps calling the strikezone and have replays concerning balls and strikes.

But allowing managers 2 or 3 challenges in a game for other issues is something that should have been allowed years ago and that won’t slow the game down. It’s always a shame to see a game hinge on a bad call.

Agree with allowing 2 or 3 challenges per game. We need something new to call the manager a bonehead over.

Many is the time where I've seen a blown call change the entire momentum of the game. And not just in baseball.

For balls and strikes... a resounding NO

For HR vs not...YES, absolutely..A 2 minute time delay is all this takes...and adds or takes nothing away from a 3 hour game, but may make a difference of multiple runs, clearly a potential high yield scenario

For close calls on the bases, while reasonable, the opportunities are too many for the yield. Maybe 1 challenge per side per game

so convient someone from NY left off foul ball calls from the list.

Of course it would only be needed when the ball is fair by at least a foot and the ump is about 30 feet away.

Honestly, I just don't see how this is a close call. And, surprisingly, the vast majority of voters here agree with me.

Replay will come no matter if the old men here like it or not.

It is time and it is very necessary as this post season has made clear.

Make the implementation slow to give the old timers time to adjust their spectacles and catch on.

System works like this:

Managers can instigate a challenge from the dugout with a phone call to an ump upstairs. Light comes on letting umps on the field know play is under review.

Plays reviewable are out/safe, caught/not caught ball, leaving early/not leaving early, home run/not home run. That will be it at first.

Limit to two challenges and add a pitch clock to speed the game and prevent batters from delaying, everyone rejoices.

quote:

Originally posted by Sticky2:
Replay will come no matter if the old men here like it or not.

It is time and it is very necessary as this post season has made clear.

Make the implementation slow to give the old timers time to adjust their spectacles and catch on.

System works like this:

Managers can instigate a challenge from the dugout with a phone call to an ump upstairs. Light comes on letting umps on the field know play is under review.

Plays reviewable are out/safe, caught/not caught ball, leaving early/not leaving early, home run/not home run. That will be it at first.

Limit to two challenges and add a pitch clock to speed the game and prevent batters from delaying, everyone rejoices.

They should put a base in the dugout that the manager can hurl onto the field when disputing a call.

Maybe we could have a Miller Lite fan Twitter vote on the close calls.