Robot Umps in AAA this year

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Fred

Maybe they'll start sewing sensors to the uniforms to make things even tighter for strike/ball calling accuracy.

Just think, they can cut up the used sensors and apply them to cards to create really nifty chase cards…

With GPS tracking, tied to an NFT. Monitored by MLB.

OMG

[D. Bergin]

Get the right call. I can't wait.

...and if the Roboump makes 1 bad call for every 100 bad calls an ump makes, I'll gladly accept the ramifications of whatever that means for the "sanctity of the game".

If this gets bumped up to MLB anytime soon, the Yankees might very well get their money's worth out of Aaron Judge if he stays healthy for at least a few more years.

Biggest downside out of all of this, is I think this will benefit the hitters long-term, much more then the pitchers. Once hitters get a sense of where their zone is being set up by the computer, they will settle in without having to worry about where today's strike zone is going to be...depending on who's standing behind the catcher.

The better hitters will learn to become much more selective about what they chase or bail out on, and what they don't.

I think we will see a lot more walks.

[Mike D.]

Interesting thought Dave on this benefiting hitters. It's quite possible...although I could see the high strike actually getting called benefiting pitchers.

Of course, the consistency benefits everyone...hitter, pitchers, managers, fans...and that's a good thing.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Get the right call. I can't wait.

...and if the Roboump makes 1 bad call for every 100 bad calls an ump makes, I'll gladly accept the ramifications of whatever that means for the "sanctity of the game".

If this gets bumped up to MLB anytime soon, the Yankees might very well get their money's worth out of Aaron Judge if he stays healthy for at least a few more years.

Biggest downside out of all of this, is I think this will benefit the hitters long-term, much more then the pitchers. Once hitters get a sense of where their zone is being set up by the computer, they will settle in without having to worry about where today's strike zone is going to be...depending on who's standing behind the catcher.

The better hitters will learn to become much more selective about what they chase or bail out on, and what they don't.

I think we will see a lot more walks.

Great point about a possible long-term benefit to hitters. Makes excellent sense that better hitters can take advantage of a truly fixed and more consistent strike zone.

And as a potential added collateral result, it may also lead to more emphasis down the road on grabbing pitchers that throw balls that move more than others, rather than just those that throw 100+ MPH fastballs. Extreme backend movement could become the new 101 MPH fastball seemingly desired in every pitcher's repertoire today.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by BobC

And as a potential added collateral result, it may also lead to more emphasis down the road on grabbing pitchers that throw balls that move more than others, rather than just those that throw 100+ MPH fastballs. Extreme backend movement could become the new 101 MPH fastball seemingly desired in every pitcher's repertoire today.

Yeah, I think that's already standard practice. Fans bag on modern hitters approaches, but one thing they can do, is hit a 100mph fastball very far, pretty routinely.

Clay Holmes throws a 100+ mph sinkerball, but when it's not sinking, he gets tattooed. Aroldis Chapman isn't worth the mound he's standing on when his ball isn't moving for him...even when he's hitting 104 or so. His occasional wildness actually works to his advantage. He might be out of a job permanently, if hitters just wait for him to put it inside of their batters box for them.

[jayshum]

This also means that catchers trying to frame pitches will no longer be needed. I don't think they're going to fool a roboump.

[etsmith]

I don't see how a robo umpire could possibly be worse than some of the umpires we have now. And some of the problems people mentioned that might happen with robo umpires already happen with human umpires. I've already seen some of the umpires not adjust the strikes zone enough for a shorter player to get a fair shake.

[mq711]

I think the robo umps are necessary for two main reasons. First the movement that these guys can put on a 100+ pitch is almost impossible to follow with the naked eye. MLB umpires seem to have Supreme Court Justices status as it pertains to a job for life. But there is a skill set involved in umpiring that is somewhat based on physical limitations that deteriorate overtime (real world example would be night driving at age 42 and 62). Umpires should have tryouts or be skill tested just like players with MLB getting the best and the others sent down so they can improve themselves.