Jocko87

I would certainly work with that ump referenced to bring his zone closer to the true zone were I the UIC. He made Quantrill look like a stud. His consistency is what makes him one to work with as he obviously has a good eye. Just adjust it a bit. Over a period of time. Another problem with the replay is that it’s a cardinal sin to adjust your zone during a game. Umpires can and do get flustered by coaches, it’s a sickening feeling if they can get under your skin. When I get one wrong I want to crawl in a hole. I realize this is an argument for the ABS but it’s also one firmly against the replay aspect. I’m not changing my zone mid game and you can challenge 3 pitches but after that I’m in charge again. I always want to get my calls right but I’m not sure how I’d react to my work being ant f-ed on the Jumbotron. It would lead to more blown calls in the long run and not out of spite. I’d love to see some fans TPS reports being graded up there. Amazing as always that we can be so comfortable and confident in proclaiming someone who is among the top 100 in the world at their craft all sorts of incompetent. Go back to your shoe store, Mr Bundy.

These are important distinctions and two completely different discussions. The replay thing would suck the biggest suck that ever sucked a suck. The ABS? Meh, I don't care as long as the general fan won't really see the implementation and the technology is actually there. There are high speed ballistics type cameras that can do this, but Trackman ain't it. They still struggle with golf balls. I need 99.9% rather than roughly equal to a human ump to change it over.

The calls of most balls and strikes will not slow anything down, I agree there. But almost definitionally the replay will only happen at big moments if you only have three chances. So we will see standing around waiting to leave the field quite often. I'm thinking back to the Ohtani/Trout AB in the WBC. The discussion was how many pitch clock violations there would have been called, ruining the moment. While there wasn't a controversial pitch I'm sure looking forward to a pause for replay next time. In that way I agree as well. If they are going to do it, they better do it all. The transition will be horrible. I still haven't got an answer to my question from earlier. How wide is the strike zone, without looking it up? It's an important question for everyone who is so sure about this topic. Also, rate the accuracy of this screen box from a random Bally's broadcast snip. Camera on the shortstop side.

I even said bias in the post sooo, you’re welcome? To be clear, I have no career aspirations at risk here, I just love baseball and really enjoy working with the kids and most coaches. It’s also very important to the topic for me to state that as a very important perspective on this particular discussion. What I’m telling you is that you have no idea what you are seeing on television. The presentation is horribly inaccurate but only subtly so in that it looks very credible. Of course errors happen and can be seen but what you think the zone is does not correspond with what is happening on the field. I would be very curious to hear from other umpires in the thread if there are any. There is a heavy observers bias in many of these responses. My overarching view on replay is that we have to draw a line somewhere. We cannot have enjoyable sporting events if one shining moment is constantly paused to check the monitor. The personal line I’ve drawn is use replay in cases where an official didn’t have a position to call the play live. I can live with a miss if the human eyes were in position and called what they saw. What if I told you a high throw and touch of first base can’t be seen together and must be interpreted from other inputs? It still works pretty well and it will average out. Are we to pause and verify every touch? Even though it’s across my personal line I begrudgingly accept the use of replay in those cases. I’m also bit perplexed that Ted saw two challenges that confirmed the umpire and thought, this fixes everything! It only confirms my earlier post that only the umpire actually knows what the pitch did, every time. It is his only primary focus. If hitters knew, they would get a piece of every pitch they swing at. If the catcher did you would never see a ball tick off his glove when he’s trying to steal a strike or throw out a runner. If a pitcher did he couldn’t field his position or follow through properly. We are taught as umpires that the most important thing in making a good call is stable eyes and it makes perfect sense. You can’t see as well when your eyes are bouncing in your head. That rules the pitchers out. The most glaring tell of bad plate ump is if his head is moving with the pitch. You don’t see that very often and never in MLB. Since all the players that are able to challenge are compromised what are we gaining? More delays, more controversy, more talking head fuel, less baseball and less flow. That the machines have errors and are extrapolations from data that can have accuracy effected by environmental factors brings me back to the same place. I’m out on this proposal regardless of umpire experience. My experience helps me understand why I don’t like it. It’s a be careful what you wish for situation in all kinds of ways.

I don't think MAT goes anywhere. With a full roster I would really like him off the bench as a run/defense sub much better than Gordon if Lewis and Buxton are paying center. Lewis will still have reps in the infield one would assume and CF would be the exception rather than the rule. MAT is probably the 80% CF going forward most likely.

This is an insanely disingenuous framing. Without looking it up, can you tell me the width of the strike zone? Umpscorecards.com is baseball savant but for umps, they have a great twitter feed. Please spend a little time here and compare some of the worst things you can remember to the actual data. There is plenty of accountability, feedback mechanisms and training going on. These guys are flippin good. I would wager they are much better at their jobs than we are at ours. One of the great things about the recent replay everything craze is that it has brought a spotlight to just how good these guys and gals are in all sports. Do they miss? Sure, but consistency is the key. The scorecard from Sundays game is a great example of that. I don't particularly like that his zone was that far off from the true zone and would work to correct that were I in that position but the consistency rating means that no one should complain about the "missed calls" in the 7th and 8th. I re-watched the Kepler AB and he can be a little gruntled over the call but knowing that has been the zone all day means its on him to adjust. Bremer's comments are just asinine, like he wasn't even watching the game. If I were Manfred, I'd take the box off all the broadcast screens. It's not official, not accurate and causes nothing but confusion. It's not even the correct width. There is a good explainer on the umpire scorecard website that explains which broadcasts do what with their boxes. Summation is that they are different. Add an imperfect camera angle and our view on TV is almost as bad as the manager in the dugout. In case you hadn't picked up on my bias, I work 6-8 games a week behind the plate. I'm all for using technology to improve and would love to have access to the data on my strike zone to check and adjust but I'm firmly against an electronic zone or replay challenges of balls and strikes. Use the data to train and adjust and demote the umps as required. I suspect most of us wouldn't like a game called to the true textbook zone anyway. It would be a completely different experience. To answer another question asked in the thread, MLB umpires can absolutely track and see the nasty stuff Duran and others are throwing now. I can't, but could if I worked up to it, just like hitters. I would also probably wash out, like most hitters🤷‍♂️. I had a couple 14 yo throwing 90 this weekend, 10+ mph higher than most. I noticed in warmups, geared up for it and it wasn't a problem. The difference is stark but fairly easy to adjust to.

There are only 2 people that know if it was a ball or strike. Catcher and Umpire know with the pitcher and batter getting partial credit. Why? The batter and pitcher both have a primary focus other than laser focus on the strike zone. If the catcher has something else taking his attention (runner stealing) it leaves only the ump. Coaches have the worst view, as I have to remind at least one every weekend.

Any worse than 1B or 3B? Worse than Garlick? Serious question. It was 3 games, 25 innings 5 for 5 on chances but I don't have video. He also has almost 1700 innings in the middle infield that were predictably not stellar. I'm not expecting him to be at either the Miguel Sano or Robin Yount ends of the spectrum but just average would be fabulous considering his skills and fitting the roster construction. For the record I don't think he's healthy. Missing Farmer and Solanos glove being worse has been a real strain. He should not be leading the team in plate appearances. It's pretty obvious he needs some days off and maybe he has played himself into a longer break. Being slightly injured but still a better option than Solano or Castro would explain a lot. I also don't think he has a long term home at 3rd with Lewis and Lee on the horizon. The fit as a LF/1B/DH RH platoonish bat is actually very tantalizing.

Glad you could help.

I actually feel an IL stint with rehab coming on. The shoulder ain't right. It would help with the mental aspect also. Castro has a different role and Farmer slots naturally at third most of the time.

Further. This is a pretty solid MLB player.

But it would still be better than what we are seeing. When its not professional at bats a solid veteran is an enticing option. What's the chances they give Gallo a shot at 3rd, maybe in something of a platoon with Farmer? I'm not usually one to throw someone into a spot like that but he has played there passably before and is apparently a magical baseball unicorn athlete. Once or twice a week would be great flexibility. I ask as I'm wondering it the Farmer roster move is direct for Miranda, maybe an IL stint for the shoulder. It might be the cleanest and the same methodology as AK/Larnach.

And I think this is where the front office comes down as well. Had Larnach or Wallner been obviously that dude, we may have seen the last of Max already. I'm starting to think one of them is traded before Kepler. They certainly value a rock solid lineup lock that is consistently solid but not spectacular at a very reasonable price. Its hard to get more value trading that than playing it. One of those two is a larger return and they know them best. Remember that if AK was healthy Larnach doesn't even break camp. They may be looking pretty smart in that calculation as he has been much better than Larnach and for the most part been very solid and starting to even heat up. I was noodling thorough his savant page and found the following interesting. He is simply hitting the ball much harder than he has recently and especially compared to the banner 2019 season. His expected numbers are all higher than the actuals and the lack of elite launch angle is probably nipping a lot of production. If he can keep hitting the ball this hard he will be worth every penny he's paid. I don't see getting that plus equivalent defense out of Wallner or Larnach. The FO is looking pretty good on this path so far.

He would be passable at 3rd if he was hitting a bunch. He's going to have issues staying there when both Lewis and Lee could be better on both sides of the ball. Speaking of Cuddyer, what's the chance Miranda could play a functional left field? A young RH outfield bat fits this roster much better.

Correct call on the Ramirez play.

Hilarious that in 250 odd posts I don't think anyone got close. Maybe someone said random injury for partial credit.

How'd the bullpen usage treat you today?

Dereck Rodríguez. Horrible contact picture for AK too.

Larnach was cleanest. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/05/twins-select-dereck-rodriguez-recall-alex-kirilloff.html

There's the first shoe dropping. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/05/twins-select-dereck-rodriguez-recall-alex-kirilloff.html

Rocco, from what I’ve read in other threads.

Bro.

Bro.

While I defended Rocco a bunch today this is where he is too cute by half. Bummer is the only lefty they have and one AB in the 6th isn't worth losing Gallo defense and potential late inning at bat. Miranda OK whatever, but all the chip in the 6th is too early.

Top 3 WPA: .Joe Ryan (.364), Nick Gordon (.177), Brock Stewart (.135) Why didn't he start Nicky G? Dumb Rocco, that's 3 home runs and 8 great catches we missed out on.