Has anyone noticed the strike zone has shrunk??

#1

BelleVol

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2020
Messages
218
Likes
791
#1
Right at tournament time? Reminiscent of the women’s softball fiasco when pitchers were penalized for not staying in contact with the pitching rubber - - nd the rule was enforced at tournament time.
 
#6
#6
I had heard the SEC is grading SEC umps (especially ball and strikes) pretty closely this year so most umps, whether consciously or not, have tightened their zone. Ofttimes the camera angle is deceiving on broadcast , at least to me, so the zone appears to be inconsistent at best.
 
#7
#7
It is just different from crew to crew. It's the staffs job to relay the scouting reports on umps tendencies to the players. Shouldn't be like that but that's the way it will be until they go robotic. That (Robotic)still may be a moving target with different heights of players and relying on humans to add the info to determine the zone per line-up player. As long as there are humans involved the 3 things can happen, input or interpret the info incorrectly, miss a call or cheat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kptvol1452
#8
#8
It is just different from crew to crew. It's the staffs job to relay the scouting reports on umps tendencies to the players. Shouldn't be like that but that's the way it will be until they go robotic. That (Robotic)still may be a moving target with different heights of players and relying on humans to add the info to determine the zone per line-up player. As long as there are humans involved the 3 things can happen, input or interpret the info incorrectly, miss a call or cheat.
HEL-! It's different from ump to ump, from inning to inning, batter to batter and pitch to pitch!
 
#9
#9
HEL-! It's different from ump to ump, from inning to inning, batter to batter and pitch to pitch!
You are probably right. I know I was watching a little of a college game last night and a ump called a ball on a 2 strike pitch and the female & male announcers said wow that looked like a strike. The next pitch was exactly the same and he K'd him looking ( I say exactly but I'm not sure the camera angles may have changed but like I said it was back to back pitch).
Saying all of that Umps do have tendencies that I'm sure the coaches are addressing pre-game.
 
#10
#10
It is just different from crew to crew. It's the staffs job to relay the scouting reports on umps tendencies to the players. Shouldn't be like that but that's the way it will be until they go robotic. That (Robotic)still may be a moving target with different heights of players and relying on humans to add the info to determine the zone per line-up player. As long as there are humans involved the 3 things can happen, input or interpret the info incorrectly, miss a call or cheat.
I know to baseball purists, the umps and their varied strike zones are considered part of the game, so I respect that, even though I personally would prefer an objective strike zone. Question is: would that improve the game or change it in ways unforeseen?

I have heard rumor that the NCAA is working with ESPN on developing a so-called robotic strike zone. The prototype is known as the SKRUW TN 3000.
 
#11
#11
I had heard the SEC is grading SEC umps (especially ball and strikes) pretty closely this year so most umps, whether consciously or not, have tightened their zone. Ofttimes the camera angle is deceiving on broadcast , at least to me, so the zone appears to be inconsistent at best.
If that's true, I have seem a lot of F's lol. I umpired for many years and was always told I had a good consistent strike zone. Its not that hard, but the last few years, it seems to be getting very inconsistent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tennrich1
#12
#12
They have been squeezing our strike zone since we first put on the daddy hat and wore the fur coat. Nothing new to see here.
 
#13
#13
Seemed like the ump last night had a pretty generous strike zone. I noticed it only because it seemed larger than what we normally get.
 
#15
#15
What I noticed a couple of time last night was right handed pitchers throwing to right handed batters getting a lot of inside strike calls that seemed to be out of the zone and totally un-hitable. It's not unusual to have a left handed pitcher throw a ball that goes through the strike zone and finishes low and inside to a right handed batter. It seemed to me there were a few pitches from right handed pitchers that finished low and inside and never got close the zone but were called strikes.
 
#16
#16
I'm not a fan of some new baseball rules.
Challenges etc.. Every player thinks they are safe and immediately goes to the helmet asking for a review.
With that said, the game needs to address the home plate balls and strikes. So many of these guys set the tone of the game with " their idea of a strike zone".
You really can't talk about balls and strikes without getting tossed by some guy that's in a crappy mood because momma wasn't in the mood last night.
The coaches need to be able to discuss the zone during the game with the booth according to a digital box superimposed on the screen that everyone can see.
I'm not sure exactly how to address it if the guy is just blatantly bad, but they need to be called out for a subpar performance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#17
#17
If that's true, I have seem a lot of F's lol. I umpired for many years and was always told I had a good consistent strike zone. Its not that hard, but the last few years, it seems to be getting very inconsistent.
If camera angles are bad, then I watch where the catcher sets up and his mitt.
 
#18
#18
The camera angle we see on the steamed games from LNS is a bit deceiving. It makes pitches slightly off the plate to right handed batters look like a strike.
 

VN Store



Back
Top