FanPost

Give Me Robot Umps!

I think it is time to let a robot call balls and strikes. I know that sentence will be upsetting to many, but please hear me out. MLB has made other changes to the game in recent years that have made it more enjoyable. The time has come for a robotic strike zone because it too will make watching baseball more fun.

Let me start by saying that I really like the instant replay. I remember how UPSETTING it used to be to watch a game and have an umpire blow a close call in a key situation. It would literally ruin the game for me. I would be angry and upset for hours (or the entire off season if the call was blown in the playoffs). Instant replay has completely eliminated that! I almost never get mad at the umpires any more. Overall, they do an amazing job. But for those rare plays when they get it wrong...we have instant replay to correct it. No more screaming at the TV! Does anyone actually miss that?

Which brings me to the one thing that I find the least enjoyable about watching a baseball game today - bad calls by the home plate umpires. The home plate ump gets a ball or strike call wrong at least a dozen times a game...though it feels like a lot more! Each ump has a unique strike zone - WHICH IS BAD! Plus the strike zone is not even consistent from batter to batter. I find this maddening when watching a game. I complain aloud about the bad calls and argue with my TV as my stress level goes up. Baseball is something that I watch for fun...not to make my blood boil.

A consistent strike zone decided by a robot would eliminate all of that.

For traditionalist, you would still need a human umpire at home plate, of course. They would simply wear an earpiece so the robot ump can tell them whether each pitch is a ball or strike. The human ump can focus on foul tips, hit batsmen and check swings. Plus, the umps can really work on making their strike 3 calls more exciting! I love an ump who puts some effort into an exciting called strike three! Let them focus on crafting their own unique flourish.

An umpire getting it wrong is not a fun quirk of the game. It is just plain annoying. So get rid of it! It has worked really well with instant replay. It is time to let a robot call balls and strikes; because I want a strike to be called a strike, and a ball to be called a ball...every time.