Strike Zones (June 23, 2003)
Mike's baseball rant deals with the chronology of the strike zone, ball and strirke counts, and pitcher limits. Very interesting stuff.
--posted by TangoTiger at 01:55 PM EDT
Posted 7:00 p.m.,
June 23, 2003
(#1) -
David Smyth
I understand the concept that the umps are supposed to call the rulebook strike zone. But it's also true that the rulebook strike zone is supposed to delineate what is a "hittable" pitch with a "normal" swing. The problem is that the normal stance and swing has changed through evolution, to the point that batters can hit the pitch which is a bit outside, but cannot hit the pitch which is a bit high. I believe that the umps changed the way they called strikes as a response to the reality on the field. In many areas of life, there are rules which are still on the books, but which have become antiquated and no longer apply, and therefore ignored, with the understanding and blessing of everyone involved.
This has nothing to do with problems of umpire consistency or umpire ego. Those things can be problems no matter what strike zone is being called.
Why don't they just consider making the plate a bit wider, and lowering the definition of the high strike? Then the umps could both call the rulebook strike zone, and the "actual" strike zone/