why doesn't baseball use a computer to call balls/ strikes?

Question

TV has K-zone and other things to call balls/ strikes. Why doesn't MLB adopt it?

Answer 1

computers would become smart and see all decisions as their responsibility and eventually see the human race as a threat to their existence and systematically exterminate all of mankind

Answer 2

First of all, the K-zone seen on baseball broadcasts is not perfect for the simple reason that it is looking at the strike zone in only 2 dimensions when the strike zone is actually in 3 dimensions. The reason for this is that, obviously, a TV screen is only 2 dimensional. The strike zone in baseball not only has height and width, it also has depth - meaning that if a ball crosses the plate at any point, front or back of the plate, it is a strike.
I think a better solution would be to actually call the strike zone as defined in the rule book, and review the umpires for their ability to do so. The umpires need to learn that the strike zone is not determined by them, but by the rulebook. A ball 6 inches off the plate is not a strike, regardless of who is umpiring. Likewise, a ball just above waist level is always a strike, regardless of who the umpire is.Too many umpires have taken away the high strike and extended the plate outwards, meaning they are now calling a strike zone that basically has been turned 90 degrees from what the rulebook actually defines it as. The strike zone now seems to be wider then it is high.
Probably the best way to solve this would be better umpire training, and the elimination of umpires who feel that they are allowed to change the definition of the zone.

Answer 3

Because computers don't play baseball.
How can you be so sure that "K-Zone" or whatever new gimmick that's on TV is actually better than the umpire, anyway? You can't. Nobody can. Computers are only as good as those who make, program, and use them.
The only thing they do wrong is not have just one guy call the plate--instead of an expert, there are four plate callers anywhere from good to awful. They should stick with the guy who does it the best most of the time, if not always. It might improve the quality of the calls. . . .

Answer 4

precisely how might it artwork? might this is something like the little field that they use on television? And whether that's that, does not you nonetheless want somebody to interpret it? (and don't think of those pitch tracker style of units are all that precise - they artwork on a 2 dimensional plane, while the strike zone is 3 dimensional) Or might this is greater like a gadget that should "sense" the place the ball went. possibly via using sunshine beams or action sensors? And if it is so, how do you identify whether the sensor might grow to be tripped via the catcher's mitt or the bat extremely than the ball? possibly some style of a chip interior the ball? yet does not that be robust costly - extremely simply by actuality MLB makes use of, on average, approximately 40-50 balls consistent with recreation?Or what if a ball bounces into the zone? might that then be a strike? in spite of what technologies you employ, it could have complications. and you will nonetheless want an umpire to double examine the technologies. the project isn't that umpires make blunders. the project is that MLB umpires do not call the strike zone as that's defined interior the rule of thumb e book. Their is not any reason a tumbler ought to ought to "alter" the strike zone reckoning on who the plate umpire is. as a replace, MLB ought to refresh the umpires memories slightly, and remind them that a pitch this is 3 inches off the plate isn't a strike, and that a pitch 2 inches above the belt is one. To have each umpire calling his own "interpretation" of the strike zone is ridiculous. you are able to to boot have the umpire % to alter the different regulations to boot - possibly one umpire will call a participant secure at first if he's out via under a step, possibly yet another can basically call him secure if he's a step previous the bag whilst the ball gets there. As for soccer utilizing technologies, they don't use it to surely make the calls - they use them to substantiate them. And jointly as tennis does use it to decide whether a ball is in or out, a baseline or sideline call remains made first via a line decide, then appealed via the participant in the event that they disagree with the call. there's an marvelous between that and utilizing computers to make the call itself.

Answer 5

I know it's different than what you're asking, but umpires do use computers to call strikes, after games they go back and watch the game and see if they made the correct calls.

Part of the reason is because different umpires call different strikes zones and for the most part we're ok with it. Otherwise pitchers could figure out loopholes on how to pitch in the strike zone with the worst trajectory for hitting maybe?

Answer 6

Because baseball to me just wouldn't be the same without the human aspect of the umpires. Yeah they make mistakes, but baseball has been running this way since it began. That's an aweful lot of tradition there, go against it, and you could potentially lose a lot of fans, which means losing money.

Secondly, the umpires UNION won't go for it, simple enough.

Answer 7

great question. I think that all the time when i watch the games and see k zone and other tools. Look at what tennis does. The difference is that the strike zone various by batter and of course by umpire. Its not an exact science, but players look for the umpires to be consistant all game and fair for both teams. Personally, I dont think its "charming" or "tradition" watching one of these bloated umps ruin the game with their bad calls.

Answer 8

Because it would be used so often that it would slow down the game sometimes. Baseball is fine how it is, I don't think it needs instant replay of a K-zone. The umps are proffesional and make the right call a majority of the time

Answer 9

Umpires are as much of a past-time as baseball itself. They use QuesTec to judge umpires to make sure they are correctly calling pitches though. I believe the deal is if an umpire gets less than 90%, they are fired.

Interesting question though. QuesTec is probably the closest we'll ever get to full computerized umpiring.

Answer 10

It's a tradition... umpires have always been a part of the game and they always will be.... bad calls come with the territory. But baseball has always been "America's Sport" a game of tradition, and nobody is willing to give that up

Answer 11

simple. Tradition. Back when baseball started in 1876, there were no computers to umpire games. Now we have the capability to have computers umpire, but tradition has kept the human umpires in business.