Technology replacing Umpires

by redandblue on Nov 4, 2009 7:48 PM EST Comment 40 comments

I think the clamor for replay in baseball is misplaced. Replay simply analyzes decisions made by men ("that's the role of women", cymbals!). Replay slows down a game and there are times when it is even inconclusive.

I propose that we skip replay and simply replace the umpires with advanced sensors. I don't mean completely replace the umpires but they would be replaced as the primary decision makers, the umpires would be the backup. Here is what mature technology could do next season in baseball.

replace the calling of balls and strikes by the umpire with the system that they use now to evaluate the umpires. Why not just use the system that the umpires are graded by? There could be many different ways that the system could immediately signal strikes and balls. The umpire would still be behind the plate in case the system crashes or makes an obvious error. Most importantly, somebody has to sweep off home plate . . . until they get a Roomba.
foul ball detector-this would be the same system that they use in tennis.
sensors in the glove, base, and shoes-this would be the only system that isn't in use today though it is still based on currently available technology. The sensor in the glove would be able to detect when the ball arrives, the sensor in the base and shoe would be able to detect when the runner touches the base. This would solve the common question about if the ball or the runner arrives to the base first. The glove sensor might even be able to detect if the ball was trapped during the catch.

So, why can't this happen? Who is happy with the umpire's mistakes right now? Umpire errors work themselves out during the course of a season. The post-season is too short (barely) to let errors decide games.

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I, for one...

…welcome our new robo-ump overlords!

Gotta be better than Joe West.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Nov 4, 2009 8:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

What happens when the sensor in the piss cup goes off?

Do they send Judge Dredd to your door? Or perhaps employ Robocop (hasn’t had work in decades) to neutralize the fringe.

Johnny 5 could be the home plate ump while a pair of sentinels could mind the foul line.

by Excalib8 on Nov 4, 2009 8:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I've been proposing most of this for a couple of years

so i’m going to rec your fanpost!

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Nov 5, 2009 7:56 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

My son says he hack into the sensor system at will and modify the outcomes in favor of whichever team pays the most.

To understand Israel and the Middle East, you must understand Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. -Glenn Beck (former cocaine addict and pedophile.)

by Madville on Nov 5, 2009 10:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yankees win again...

Have the money transferred into overseas accounts like Cheney and Ghooliani.

by ol Pete on Nov 5, 2009 11:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The umps are unionized, right?

Then as good of an idea as it is, it’ll never happen.

"And then there was the USAID guy in Kandahar who drove a giant pink Cadillac, which the locals set on fire one day. If you wanted to destroy something symbolic during a riot, you just could not do better than that. Good stuff." - Ghosts of Alexander

by Cy Schourek on Nov 5, 2009 3:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

nah

just lock them out and go with replacement refs

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Nov 5, 2009 3:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Unionized umpires giving you trouble? Perhaps we can be of assistance.

We can’t bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell ‘em stories that don’t go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on ‘em. “Give me five bees for a quarter,” you’d say. Now where were we? Oh yeah – the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. (Burns and Smithers sigh) They didn’t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones…

by Brendanukkah on Nov 5, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs

you ever get the feeling that madville is just doing a very good grandpa simpson impression?

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Nov 5, 2009 3:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Holy hell, I think you've nailed it

"What'd I say?"

by jch24 on Nov 5, 2009 3:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Back when I was younger things were a lot different.

I’m talking about the times before Uncle Brendan was a kid. Back when the thunder was louder, before climate change, back then umpires were actually killed for making irresponsible calls…back when the game was played the right way. We did not have the kind of money where one could just throw bumble bee nickels around…nobody owned quarters in those day except the rich..quarters were rare and we still owned Canada

(Pay no attention to the date on that quarter). But we gave up Canada because the people there talked funny and some of them wouldn’t learn English. It was at this time that onions were beginning to replace clove of garlic on one’s belt.Many people today are unaware that big Red onions were the first used and then later the yellows and finally with the advent of racial profiling White onions became the rage.

To understand Israel and the Middle East, you must understand Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. -Glenn Beck (former cocaine addict and pedophile.)

by Madville on Nov 5, 2009 5:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I only regret that I have but one rec to give to this comment...

"What'd I say?"

by jch24 on Nov 6, 2009 6:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And us mobile contingent don't even get to vote!

by Brian B on Nov 7, 2009 5:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

but if they disban umpirs all togeather the union can't do shit about it?

call up AAA umpires to take there place.

The last time the Umpires tried a power play they got destroyed.

"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion

by justin007000 on Nov 5, 2009 9:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Like I said - kill the Umpires!

To understand Israel and the Middle East, you must understand Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. -Glenn Beck (former cocaine addict and pedophile.)

by Madville on Nov 5, 2009 9:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And next

Robot players!

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Nov 5, 2009 5:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Only if we get Robot managers

To understand Israel and the Middle East, you must understand Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. -Glenn Beck (former cocaine addict and pedophile.)

by Madville on Nov 5, 2009 7:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i feel like there needs to be a human factor

"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion

by justin007000 on Nov 5, 2009 11:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm not going to argue with that

I’m going to just quote Dusty Baker, "It takes the human element out of the game and the human element is a big part of our game." When Dusty is on your side . . .

If you're not having fun, stop participating.

by redandblue on Nov 6, 2009 8:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

my question is

who would issue warnings? Things like that… I feel that you need at least one person on teh field to keep the peace and answer questions. Call ground rule doubles when the ball gets caught under the fence, in the ivy, fan interference etc, balks, etc.

I think the the place a robot crew would help the most is ruling on tag ups, it is difficult for an umpire to watch the baserunner and the outfielder at the same time.

"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion

by justin007000 on Nov 7, 2009 1:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I completely agree

What I propose is not going to replace the need for umpires. I think that every baseball game has some play that could never be predicted. Umpires have a role in these and also in over-ruling the system if it is obviously wrong.

The purpose of my post is to move the debate beyond replay yes/no into a discussion on what technologies would work better than the human eye’s recognition of split second events.

If you're not having fun, stop participating.

by redandblue on Nov 8, 2009 12:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So i asked an Ump...

“If they did get a machine to replace us, you know what would happen to it? Why, the players would bust it to pieces every time it ruled against them. They’d clobber it with a bat.” – National League Umpire Harry Wendelstadt

To understand Israel and the Middle East, you must understand Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. -Glenn Beck (former cocaine addict and pedophile.)

by Madville on Nov 6, 2009 10:26 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

I'm pretty sure Joe Buck has money invested in replacement umpire technology

The Fox post season theme was rip the umpires.

The tennis replay is the worst in my opinion. Balls thy for centuries were called out are now in because a computer reproduces the flight of the ball and shows in microscopic detail that a hair of the ball grazed the back if the line. An it’s not even real. It’s a freaking cartoon reproduced by a computer, and they depend on that. There are matches where the calibration is clearly off, and yet no one says anything. It’s awful. But tennis (and John McEnroe) has declared it, in Bud Selig fashion, “a success.”

Why can’t people just deal with it the way people dealt with it for 150 years?

by Brian B on Nov 7, 2009 5:29 PM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

kind of like how we just dealt with Bubonic Plague?

by Charlie Scrabbles on Nov 7, 2009 11:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Great analogy.

Because live umpires are killing 50% of the world’s population.

by Brian B on Nov 8, 2009 2:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

the analogy may have been over the top, but your last sentence killed your argument.

it is never ok to “deal” with something that is wrong when we have the ability to evolve and fix it.

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Nov 8, 2009 9:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We're talking about a sporting event, not eradicating a population-killing disease.

So no, “technology” does not always improve the game it any more than cartoonish special effects “improved” hollywood.

by Brian B on Nov 12, 2009 11:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

now you're arguing against shrek

you’re clearly out of your mind

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Nov 13, 2009 8:48 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I was kinda thinking how black people used to just deal with being brutally murdered for whistling at white women.

"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion

by justin007000 on Nov 13, 2009 11:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

"Why can’t people just deal with it the way people dealt with it for 150 years?"

High definition TV and DVR.

If you're not having fun, stop participating.

by redandblue on Nov 8, 2009 12:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What's that supposed to mean?

yeah, I know we all get to see that the ump was wrong on some plays. That’s fucking life. Get on with it.

by Brian B on Nov 12, 2009 11:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I gave up working out. My philosophy: No pain... no pain. ...
Mads.

by Madville on Nov 8, 2009 1:48 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

that thing is adorable

i want to have a little boy and give that to him for like his 5th birthday.

"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion

by justin007000 on Nov 13, 2009 11:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Please keep you pedophilac feelings contained at this blog site.

Thanks
The Mgmt.

"Success is getting up one more time than you fall down, then walking away saying "Fuck it".

by Madville on Nov 13, 2009 11:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i'm just saying i am too much of a man to buy that for myself

but yet i want it, so the only way i could justify it would be if i had a 5 year old son, to give it to him as a gift, and then take itaway claiming he has outgrown it and only babies play with that toy, and i play with it after he goes to sleep.

"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion

by justin007000 on Nov 14, 2009 2:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

if the day ever arrises

i’m gonna be a swell dad.

"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion

by justin007000 on Nov 14, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I for one, deman to see a photo of the future Mrs. Justin

Why?
well if your kids look you…well what more need I say…
However if your fiancee is as attractive as everyone says, then there is hope for Justin Jr. and his sister Justine.

Men get laid, but women get screwed.
Quentin Crisp

by Madville on Nov 14, 2009 3:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs