2012 MLB Season

[The_Admiral]

All the talk of automated strike zones reminds me of this:

[njmeadowlanders]

Save instant replay for plays that result in a run being scored.

Baseball's already being slowed down enough by batters that need to re-adjust batting gloves after every pitch and pitchers that take too long to throw pitches. It doesn't need to be further slowed by allowing instant replay on every single play. You're going to chase away fans that don't have over 3 hours to kill watching a baseball game.

By the way the average NL game is still shorter than the average NFL game...but baseball takes too long...

[McCall]

You get rid of the general slowness by enforcing rules on the book.

And if anything, these close plays bring out the managers to argue for five minutes anyways. With replay, you could save time by having another umpire upstairs, go over the video, make the call, and boom.

Agree.

I like the idea of an "official" upstairs who reviews every fair/foul ball. He can "buzz" down to the home plate umpire or crew chief, and say he's reviewing or changing the call. Any play that results in a run is automatically reviewed. They take time in between batters anyway so there wouldn't really need to be much stoppage of play here. Give managers one or two challenges. Anything in beginning top 8 or top 9 can only be reviewed upstairs, no challenges. Balls and strikes are non-reviewable.

I'd at least start with fair/foul balls. Then maybe gradually had in safe/out. I was never big on expansive replay, but unless they're going to start holding umpires more accountable, like mandatory acknowledgement on all obviously blown calls, then they're going to have to go to replay. Too many screw-ups that now, with the technology, can be avoided. I'm a traditionalist, so some compromise bewtween expansive relay and not, would be the ideal situation. Just don't know how possible it is.

IMO, people who don't want (expanded) replay have no right to be complaining about the fair/foul call on that ball hit by Beltran. And also, IMO, it doesn't taint the no-no. I'm sure there was another no-no with a blown call, I don't see them with asterisks.

But the difference is those weren't a personal attack on the great St. Louis Cardinals organization and their wonderful fans.

Ohio!

[Shumway]

You get rid of the general slowness by enforcing rules on the book.

And if anything, these close plays bring out the managers to argue for five minutes anyways. With replay, you could save time by having another umpire upstairs, go over the video, make the call, and boom.

If you're referring to the Yorvit/Trout play from last night, I don't know that the video would've been enough to overturn it. I'll admit, I thought Trout was out, but the initial call was safe. On the super slow-mo replay, it wasn't 100% clear that this foot wasn't at the plate when Torrealba go him with the ball. The quick ejection was bull , I'll admit, unless whatever he said was really bad and directed at the umpire.

[mania]

No, at that point, I was referring in general, but I WAS hinting at that play, the Pujols play at second, and the ball going off Aybar on the last page.

[Shumway]

No, at that point, I was referring in general, but I WAS hinting at that play, the Pujols play at second, and the ball going off Aybar on the last page.

Don't think I saw the Pujols play at second. The Aybar play was again debatable....Elvis still should've thrown to first.

[TFoA]

Craig Kimbrel threw the 200th strikeout of his career today. He's the fastest in Major League history to reach that feat, and did it facing 474 batters. That is absurd.

[The_Admiral]

I like the idea of an "official" upstairs who reviews every fair/foul ball. He can "buzz" down to the home plate umpire or crew chief, and say he's reviewing or changing the call. Any play that results in a run is automatically reviewed. They take time in between batters anyway so there wouldn't really need to be much stoppage of play here. Give managers one or two challenges. Anything in beginning top 8 or top 9 can only be reviewed upstairs, no challenges. Balls and strikes are non-reviewable.

I'd at least start with fair/foul balls. Then maybe gradually had in safe/out. I was never big on expansive replay, but unless they're going to start holding umpires more accountable, like mandatory acknowledgement on all obviously blown calls, then they're going to have to go to replay. Too many screw-ups that now, with the technology, can be avoided. I'm a traditionalist, so some compromise bewtween expansive relay and not, would be the ideal situation. Just don't know how possible it is.

I think an eye in the sky for baseball is an idea whose time has come. Not to hockeyjack, but in the same vein, I think the NHL's second referee would be put to better use upstairs, as it would give a useful aerial perspective and open up the increasingly cramped rink.

But back to baseball, I'm sure we have the technology to take balls and strikes away from the Human Element. Obviously, you need a home plate umpire for safe/out calls at the plate ,but the elastic strike zone could and should be taken away from the ump with pitch-tracking technology. Embed a little traffic light behind home plate: green for ball, red for strike, and yellow if the computer is stumped and needs the Human Element to make a judgment call.

I like the idea of giving field managers a formal challenge, just like how I thought it was nice when tennis allowed for them, but not allowing them in late/extra innings seems like a contrived analogue to football's last two minutes.

I don't think each and every run-scoring play needs to be reviewed because most of them are cut and dried; we just get hung up on the iffy ones and mentally overrepresent them. No one needs to review a home run to right-center that lands in the street.

[STL FANATIC]

Well said, admiral, although I think the idea of a challenge is contrived entirely. If someone is watching every play and fixing it when necessary, there's no need to give managers challenges, and there's certainly no need to limit them.

[McCall]

Well said, admiral, although I think the idea of a challenge is contrived entirely. If someone is watching every play and fixing it when necessary, there's no need to give managers challenges, and there's certainly no need to limit them.

With the challenges, their intention is for those plays that aren't always reviewed, such as a safe/out call if only fair/fouls and scoring plays are the only ones being reviewed.

[STL FANATIC]

Well said, admiral, although I think the idea of a challenge is contrived entirely. If someone is watching every play and fixing it when necessary, there's no need to give managers challenges, and there's certainly no need to limit them.

With the challenges, their intention is for those plays that aren't always reviewed, such as a safe/out call if only fair/fouls and scoring plays are the only ones being reviewed.

Ah. I guess that makes sense.

But under my plan, I'd just have those plays all reviewed anyways.

[sportstar1212]

The first two innings of today's Jays-Red Sox game were crazy.

I was honestly surprised Bard didn't get tossed after injuring Escobar and Encarnacion.

[Funky Bunky]

The problem with the Angels bullpen is that half of the bullpen is stellar, and the other half sucks :censored:ing ass.

[McCall]

The first two innings of today's Jays-Red Sox game were crazy.

I was honestly surprised Bard didn't get tossed after injuring Escobar and Encarnacion.

I only caught a glimpse of Escobar but saw Encarnacion and it was obvious it wasn't intentional. Bard just couldn't control the ball at all when he was out there.

[McCall]

I hate Carlos Zambrano, but he is a prime example of why the NL game is so great. He can pitch, but also has all the ability and power of an everyday hitter. 24 career home runs. He said he takes hitting very seriously and it shows and it's awesome when you see a pitcher doing something great with the bat.

[sportstar1212]

The first two innings of today's Jays-Red Sox game were crazy.

I was honestly surprised Bard didn't get tossed after injuring Escobar and Encarnacion.

I only caught a glimpse of Escobar but saw Encarnacion and it was obvious it wasn't intentional. Bard just couldn't control the ball at all when he was out there.

I haven't seen a replay of it yet, I was at the game.

[The_Admiral]

Yeah, Zambrano is a treat. It was totally worth it to trade him away, pay his salary, and take back a pitcher who can't stay in the majors. But I am assured nevertheless that Theo's got this.

[Still MIGHTY]

The problem with the Angels bullpen is that half of the bullpen is stellar, and the other half sucks :censored:ing ass.

And that Scioscia tends to leave the ing ass part of the pen out too long each time. Why the hell did Cassevah go back out for a second inning of work? He BARELY escaped the previous inning. Did Sosh just want to see how far Nelson Cruz could hit a baseball? (Answer: Really ing far. Longest HR in the majors this season at 484 feet.)

Can't win them all I guess, and it could have been much worse based on the men left on base. (But who knows if Albert actually comes through in the 7th with the bases jammed. Ah well.) Still won the series and gained a game on Texas. Better than losing the game/ground in the race. Long way to go, and the Angels are looking much better overall.

[STL FANATIC]

Here, I'll be fair.

The Cardinals just got a break as the ump thought the Mets' 1B foot came off the bag early on a ground out. Live it appeared it did, but replay said other wise. Didn't mean much beyond an extra batter, because the Cardinals are awful.

[BigBubba]

The first two innings of today's Jays-Red Sox game were crazy.

I was honestly surprised Bard didn't get tossed after injuring Escobar and Encarnacion.

I only caught a glimpse of Escobar but saw Encarnacion and it was obvious it wasn't intentional. Bard just couldn't control the ball at all when he was out there.

I haven't seen a replay of it yet, I was at the game.

It obviously wasn't the ump that threw Alvarez out for brushing a guy with a 2-2 count and 2 out in a blowout inning with no prior warning or history, then.