Will the Atlanta Braves Support the Commissioner’s odd Pace of Play Plans?

Where was that blue?

Stark points out that data supports that conclusion..

". . .But data shows that umpires have been increasingly calling strikes on so many pitches below the knees that, if umpires enforce the redefined strike zone, it would effectively raise the zone by an estimated 2 inches."

In September last year HBO’s Real Sports looked at umpire accuracy. They brought in consulting Yale mathematician Toby Moskowitz who according to the post, looked at four years of pitch f/x data.

"His conclusion . . .is that umpires get a surprisingly high percentage of calls on the edge of the strike zone (two to three inches, to be exact) wrong, resulting in tens of thousands of missed calls (in a season). Additionally, there is a notable difference in calls favoring home players versus visiting players."

The umpires immediately went into “It’s a strike if I say it’s a strike” mode as voiced by retired ump Jerry Crawford.

"“I don’t care what the guy from Yale’s looked at, to be honest with you,” Crawford told Frankel. “It’s not even feasible. He’s absolutely incorrect.” Crawford went on to claim that there are games during which umpires don’t miss any calls. What might be more troubling is what Crawford says many umpires do with the PITCHf/x information they receive after the game."

I can guess what they do with the data, I hope it’s printed on flushable paper.  A post from last summer on Talking Nats compared Pitch F/X data with actual umpire calls. From their numbers I calculated an average of 33% of pitches called strikes were actually balls and hitters swung at balls 43% of the time.

There’s no way of easily finding out which swings were caused by lack of strike zone recognition but I’m absolutely sure a great many were cause by a a prior bad call by an umpire.

Umpires interpret the rules to fit their ideas – change the zone – impunity because we see them do the same thing year after year. They do what they do because they can and MLB has decided it’s easier to move the official strike zone up two inches and hope umpires move up as well than to find ways get the calls right.

That aside, MLB’s recent words and actions confuse me.  Even if the change does do as they’ve suggested and create more balls in play, are we talking about making the game shorter or adding more action?