There's your human element. Why, when the technology is readily available, are humans still...

There's your human element. Why, when the technology is readily available, are humans still calling balls and strikes?

over 2 years ago Jack Moore 19 comments 0 recs |

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For those that like "real" pictures

and

by PagsBrewCrew on Jul 3, 2009 6:45 PM EDT reply actions

Given the camera angle

That may have been a ball after all. So very close, frankly, Fox should’ve taken a hack at it.

by Harry Pavlidis on Jul 3, 2009 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd like to see how Fox was standing before the pitch.

If he’s bending over, of course it’s going to be at the letters.

---
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by Jack Moore on Jul 3, 2009 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Here you go

Composite with the left side being where Kendall catches it and the right side being Fox immediately before going into his crouch:

It was a great selection of awesome.

by battlekow on Jul 3, 2009 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions

nice.

- "I went at it and didn’t slow down, so it kind of bounced off me." -Lil' Dunc

by SleepyCA on Jul 3, 2009 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sure if it's actually a ball

But that camera angle is about 15 degrees off from center. It may have been inside, it’s difficult to tell from this angle

by Tommy Bennett on Jul 3, 2009 8:00 PM EDT reply actions

the gameday

should be correcting for that. So, it’s not as clear-cut as the television would indicate, but nonetheless, it was a rulebook strike.

by PagsBrewCrew on Jul 3, 2009 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Based on Gameday

which doesn’t use the CF camera, it kinda looks like a ball. In any case, up and in is not a place where umpires find many strikes.

by Harry Pavlidis on Jul 3, 2009 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions

looking at the actual #s

px=“-0.658” pz=“3.037”

The rule book plate extends to -0.71, so it caught the plate. Fox’s average zone top is 3.4 ft (std. dev of .24) so it’s quite likely the pitch was a strike that way, too.

by Harry Pavlidis on Jul 3, 2009 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions

OK, now I feel confident enough that I can write the follow up to this without looking TOO ridiculously biased.

Thanks, Harry.

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http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com

by Jack Moore on Jul 3, 2009 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Regardless, if #7 is a strike, #9 is a strike, no? At least horizontally.

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by Sky Kalkman on Jul 3, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions

7 was a foul.

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http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com

by Jack Moore on Jul 3, 2009 9:43 PM EDT up reply actions

when will gameday color fouls another color?

or swinging strikes at least?

there should be a color for
1) ball
2) called strike
3) swinging strike
4) in play, out
5) in play, no out
6) foul-off (no strike added)

by PagsBrewCrew on Jul 3, 2009 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Well that changes things.

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by Sky Kalkman on Jul 4, 2009 7:12 AM EDT up reply actions

But it's also clearly a strike.

---
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com
http://www.rightfieldbleachers.com

by Jack Moore on Jul 3, 2009 9:43 PM EDT up reply actions

It happens

This was an at-bat by Ryan Roberts of the D-Backs facing Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers in the top of the ninth inning earlier this year.

Wear your own fur.

by Marc Fournier on Jul 4, 2009 4:44 PM EDT reply actions

Uh, if the ball touches the strike zone, isn't that a strike?

Also, what strike zone is gameday showing?

Either way, all those look pretty darn close, no?

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by Sky Kalkman on Jul 4, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

But close would imply that it’s also close to being a ball. Pitches three and five, if at all, just merely graze the edge of the strike zone. The second pitch is a little closer to the edge but is still largely out of the zone.

“Uh, if the ball touches the strike zone, isn’t that a strike?”

I’m no umpire but I don’t think strikes should be rewarded if the stitches of a ball tickle the edge of a strike zone. Maybe if the entire ball was on the edge (see Gameday picture at the top of the page) I would be more willing to accept the call. None of the pitches above qualify though.

Wear your own fur.

by Marc Fournier on Jul 4, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m sure we’ve all seen cases, though, where the call was completely missed. I remember seeing a game where some pitches literally down the middle were called balls and way outside were strikes.

VOTE SANDOVAL
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa

by raisingcain on Jul 9, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions