MLB Around the League

[Steve-o]

Mets' JD Martinez breaks Cardinals' Willson Contreras' arm in freak accident on catcher's interference



The link has video of the play.  The catcher sticks his glove up and forward to receive the ball, but it is the path of the swing.  I'm kinda surprised this doesn't happen more often.

[Gunner55]

 Me too.

[dutchboy]

Blame it on the pocket protector crowd. They would kill their own grandma to get an extra strike call.

[Steve-o]

Former MLB umpire Angel Hernandez took financial settlement to retire: reports

Hernandez grew a reputation for being one of the most controversial umpires in baseball. He ranks 67th out of 85 umpires in correct call rate this year. Near the end of last year, he ranked dead last.

As replays have become more prevalent, and the automated strike zone has become more of a reality, Hernandez has been under a much larger microscope, and his bad calls have gone viral.

In a game last month, he made some of the worst calls in the history of pitch-tracking.

Several MLB players, including C.C. Sabathia, said Hernandez should not have had a job.

Hernandez joined the MLB ranks in 1991 as a National League umpire and has been in the majors since 2000.

[Steve-o]

Luis Arraez! 

[LPS]

A big thing behind the digital strike count is the betting crowd.

[Steve-o]

I'm not a bettor, but I want the digi-strike zone.  I'd rather see the players determine the outcome of games, not the home plate ump.

I've seen too many games where a team is mounting a comeback (Twins do that a lot) with runners on base, and the ump miscalls a pitch to move the count to 2-2 instead of 3-1.  It change the whole complexion of the at bat, the inning, and sometimes the game.  It is a cliché that no single missed call is the reason a game is won or lost, but sometimes it is.   

[LPS]

I feel wholeheartedly the same way.  Accuracy beats all.  If not doing it right why do it at all.  With all of the money and practice involved and then do a "sort of right" at the home plate doesn't cut it.  Remember all of the people that were against instant replay in the NFL?  Now none would go back.  Why would you? 

[Steve-o]

The technology is really just crazy - all of the real-time tracking they have of every pitch...  the spin, the angles, the curves, the speed, then the bat speed, the launch angle, the launch speed.  Its crazy what they have available to them.  Why not use it all.

[Bobberineyes]

But strikes and balls still comes down to the ump...right? I haven't caught many games this year but on t.v. the ball clearly caught a corner but it was called a ball, or strike depending who's behind the catcher..

[LPS]

It would be computerized but the ump is still there for if it fails now and then.  He may call them but the computer could correct him or he hesitates a second to get the call I don't really know. I have read it both ways.  He still needs to be there to manage the game. 

[LPS]

Maybe each team gets so many replays on it????

[Gunner55]

They tried the "robo-ump" in AAA ball last year & hardly anyone liked it. So, this year in June, they changed it to a challenge system that everybody seemed to like better. They still have a few details to iron out so the new challenge system isn't expected to reach MLB until the 2026 season. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/06/mlb-automatic-balls-strikes-challenge-system-triple-a-test

[Gunner55]

  I believe the pitcher can challenge too as that's what everybody else says.

[LPS]

That makes sense.