You are right, we could not disagree more. I think the argument that all that matters is "getting the call right" is the lie at the core of much that is wrong with so many of our institutions, particularly sports, and especially baseball. Yes, the strike zone is defined in the rule book, but it is defined in relative terms (in terms of the body of the batter). By "definition", the strike zone - the spatial location in which a pitched ball might be called a strike, is different for every batter. By long tradition, if not black letter law, that relative strike zone has also always been relative to the position of the umpire - particularly his eyes - to the plate. Baseball was better for my money back in the day when the leagues differed in how the umpires wore their chest protector, resulting in significant differences in how they perceived the strike zone.
I say screw the fiction of an "absolute" strike zone, and insidious fiction that the reality created by computers is somehow more real, and more accurate, than the reality experienced by human beings. Within the confined of any particular game, a strike is precisely and exactly what is called a strike by the umpire, and nothing more. And even when the Giants benefit from a replay, I would much rather sacrifice the increase in so-called "accuracy" for the finality of the umpire's call at each base on each play. For me there is, literally, nothing worse for the game than this sequence, which we now get two to five times per game: "The batter is out at first...for now...lets see if they are going to challenge...the manager is signaling he wants the umpire to wait while his coaches check the replay....yes, he is going to challenge......<4 minutes waiting for New York>....no, the batter is safe [even though a third of the time the audience at home is left thinking the replay showed the batter was actually out]. Yay!? On Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 9:58 AM, 'Dave Sikula' via TVorNotTV < [email protected]> wrote: > Boy, I couldn't disagree more. If the strike zone were not specifically > defined in the rule book, I might agree with you, but there are defined > parameters that are thrown out given the whims and vagueries of every > individual umpire. If we need technology to overcome that, so be it. I also > think the replay is the best thing to happen to the game in decades. > > Screw the "human factor;" I'd rather get the call right. > > --Dave Sikula > > -- > -- > TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "TV or Not TV" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
