75 Comments
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Steve R.'s avatar

Just a thought to improve offense. Let's make it a strike only if the entire area of the baseball is within the strike zone. Seems like an obvious solution to me.

Lou Proctor's avatar

So now the plate is 11 inches wide instead of 17 inches? No.

Wogggs (fka Sports Injuries)'s avatar

Do not forget the brilliance of Sal Perez challenges. At least 4 for 4 over the weekend in Atlanta.

Tom J's avatar

Shouldn't there be a "Judgment Zone" incorporated in the ABS review? Maybe 1/2 or 1/3 of the width of a ball, where calls cannot be reversed. That way ABS does what it's supposed to do: fix egregious misses , but we are not wasting time determining whether a fastball just nicked the outside corner or not. That's always been a 50/50 call and should stay that way.

Kurt V's avatar

I agree. I’m glad the obvious calls are being overturned, but the ball barely nicking the zone feels different and gives an advantage to the pitcher. Hitting the line in tennis also feels different than hitting the “line” of the strike zone.

Lou Proctor's avatar

If the pitch "nicks" the zone it's a strike and always has been. You're suggesting changing or ignoring that rule. From MLB:

"The official strike zone is the area over home plate from the midpoint between a batter's shoulders and the top of the uniform pants -- when the batter is in his stance and prepared to swing at a pitched ball -- and a point just below the kneecap. In order to get a strike call, part of the ball must cross over part of home plate while in the aforementioned area."

"part of the ball" is the key phrase

KTM's avatar

Upon review of Trout's challenges (here) - Brings forth the meme of the "High Hard one". For years, writers of all types mentioned that particular phrase and used it in some articles, references or metaphor's about life's adjustments.

Rick G.'s avatar

Dub Gleed obviously is a time traveler from 1871, where he played for the Fort Wayne Kekiongas, who were a real live team in the American Association.

Lou Proctor's avatar

The Fort Wayne Kekiongas played the first game of the National Association against the Cleveland Forest Citys on May 4, 1871. If you've ever looked at a player's baseball-reference.com page, they list what number MLB player he is in the "Debut" line. For instance, Shohei's debut: March 29, 2018 (Age 23-267d, 21,569th in major league history). He was the 21,569th player in MLB.

Every player who played in that Ft. Wayne-Cleveland game on 5-4-1871 is listed as the 1st player, including the guy with my all-time favorite nickname, Charlie Pabor ("The Old Woman in the Red Cap"). His debut line: May 4, 1871 (Age 24-222d, 1st in major league history)

denopac's avatar

In the first four innings of the NYY@Sea game on Monday the Yankees while at-bat have had five calls overturned in their favor (so far). ABS on every pitch can't be far off.

In the meantime, the YES announcers (Kay/Cone) mentioned that all players were measured for ABS between 10am - noon since humans have a tendency to shrink during the day. In that case though, shouldn't MLB have measured everyone later in the day, when they are at their game height?

Barry L's avatar

While ABS is exposing the likes of C.B. Buckner's lack of skill, it will also ironically save his job because when we go to full-fledged ABS - which we should using right now IMO - his pitch-calling skills become irrelavant.

Ed B's avatar

Now if we can only get C.B. to see when a runner steps of first base.

Barry L's avatar

The funny thing is how he decided to err on "runner missed the base" as the default - makes you wonder.

Paul Smith's avatar

Wasn't Dub Gleed a Star Wars character?

Skinny Pete's avatar

Chase DeLauter's regular-season debut was a weird one, in that he played a couple of wild-card games last year. That used to be unusual but it seems to be getting more common.

Don's avatar

After two at-bats, Brandon Lowe was on pace for a 648-homer season.

Robert Berard's avatar

Actually, I think that it will ultimately save time to replace the challenges with the full ABS model. If MLB isn't quite ready for that yet, they might pick a random set of games for each home plate umpire and see how often he gets things right. If your accuracy is under, say, 75%, you will not be calling balls and strikes during the playoffs. If it's under 50%, you may be on a bus to Lynchburg, VA to call them for the Hill City Howlers.

Stephen S. Power's avatar

The robo ump will save baseball, having already revealed how inaccurate umps are. And Judge will get 100 more balls or pitchers will have to give him something to hit.

Erik Lundegaard's avatar

What I'm wondering? If pitchers will adjust based on batter's unsuccessful challenges. Ball hits the corner, tap of the helmet by the batter, call isn't overturned. Pitcher: "He thinks that's a BALL? Good to know." Starts drilling that spot.

Mark B's avatar

For those that don’t follow the Jays, their three starters, Gausman, Cease and Lauer all struck out a bunch, in all the Jays had FIFTY Ks on the weekend.

Lou Proctor's avatar

It occurred to me that Don Larsen's last strike to Dale Mitchell in his 1956 World Series perfect game would have likely been overturned by ABS if the Dodgers had any challenges left. Who knows what would have happened after that.

Josh R.'s avatar

Jack Morris isn't a Hall of Famer with ABS. His heroic Game Seven was built on a preposterous zone.

Todd Waters's avatar

So American Fork is a real place. I live in the next town over, so close to AF that Oneil Cruz could reach it with a throw from my front yard after misjudging a fly ball and running first towards my neighbor across the street.