Strike zone

[buckweat]

Originally Posted by wsttxump

We will call our strike zones, you call yours.

Wsttxump,

You’re the only one who’s credentials have been posted as far as the highest level of ball you call, but perhaps you have an insight to what no one else seems able to answer what I asked way back in post #68.

…if anyone’s ever had the dubious pleasure of being “graded” by QuesTec”, I’d sure like to know exactly what the purpose of the thing is, and what exactly it is that you see when you throw the DVD in the player.

I’d also be curious to know how it would “score” one of those pitches that seems to be bringing out such angst. I.e., a pitch that crosses the zone at the bottom and front of the plate, but hits the dirt in front of the C.

Its not that I don’t respect what anyone saying, because that just isn’t the case. Any opinion I have is pure conjecture, so I have no choice but to bow to those who actually are making the calls. But, I can’t help but wonder why MLB was thinking and what they’re looking for with this “training” program.

I’ve read and heard a lot of the rhetoric both pro and con about it, but press releases, sound bites, and video clips aren’t really telling anyone what’s going on. What are the main goal(s) for doing it?

I can certainly see why MLB would want to try to bring the highest consistency to calling pitches. But, with all the “hits” baseball has taken with its integrity lately, I can also see where that might be a very big motivator too, and I can also see that the way integrity is viewed by the owners might have several facets.

The bottom line is, since the “standards” for umps calling pro games under ML auspices are obviously are lot more stringent than for college, let alone any level below that, what does it say for those lower level umps if what the top ones are doing is in question?

I’m not trying to say anyone is right or wrong, but normally businesses don’t train people unless they feel they could somehow be doing a “better” job. I’m trying to find out what MLB thinks could be done “better”.

There has to be some reason MLB is spending untold millions of dollars on the specific task of calling pitches.