2022-23 Season

[FredJacket]

I just can’t see us going 3-0 against any of our ACC brethren at this point due to 1) it’s just hard to sweep a conference series and 2) haven’t seen the consistency necessary to sweep a conference series. Maybe that will change as/if we continue to improve, but it’s hard to picture. If we are going to do it however, this seems like a good weekend

That said, we did it twice last year ….. unexpectedly against VT in the first series of the year and not so unexpectedly (maybe) at Pitt in the last series of the year

Now with the DH on Saturday I have to agree. Unless we get an outstanding start from one of our starters (like 7-8 IP), our solid bullpen can only pitch one game for us this weekend. This means the best I now hope for is 2-1....

Ye of little Faith.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Ye of little Faith.

 

[78pike]

Thusfar Notre Dame has not been overwhelming at the plate. It will be interesting to see who does a better job of overcoming their weakness....Notre Dame's hitting or our starting pitching (for two games anyway). If Brown continues his trend he should have a great start today. I hope we can go into Saturday with a Friday win and then start Finley in the first game Saturday and hopefully wrap up the series before the 2nd game which hopefully deflates them and leads us to a three game sweep. That is my dream scenario for the weekend. We'll see what reality brings us though.

 

[FredJacket]

This is great!!

 

[MWBATL]

As a total aside..I was scanning box scores this morning, and looked at the details for the Hawaii-UConn game. "Box scores" these days isn't the right term, most of these websites offer all kinds of details about the game. Well, I just happened to look at the weather...which in every other 'box score' was simply stated fact showing temperature and if there was any rain. For this game on Honolulu, the official description of the weather was, and I quote "yup, this'll do". (It was 75 degrees and sunny for the 6:30 PM start time.)

 

[CuseJacket]

Woww

 

[GTRambler]

I’m astounded at this ump

He was later suspended for his actions.

file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/99/09/C0D5287A-B3F4-4CAA-800D-7A277B1172E5/IMG_1260.heic

 

[GTRambler]

Link:

Southland Conference umpire suspended indefinitely for retaliating against player with outrageously bad call

A game between Mississippi Valley State and New Orleans ended with the mother of all ump shows.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Woww

How about going electronic for D1 conferences on ball / strike calls? Would greatly increase consistency of calls during games and from game to game. Would hurt some pitchers whose pitches break so much they are out of the strike zone when they cross the plate.

 

[gtrower]

Our next 5 games are against opponents who are a combined 39-5-1. RPI about to climb.

 

[slugboy]

Woww

Looks like he had a flight to catch or reservations for something good.

 

[78pike]

How about going electronic for D1 conferences on ball / strike calls? Would greatly increase consistency of calls during games and from game to game. Would hurt some pitchers whose pitches break so much they are out of the strike zone when they cross the plate.

I'm all for that idea. Every batter would know the strike zone immediately and not have to figure it out as the game goes along based on the way that particular umpire is calling the game. I disagree about what you said about the pitchers with the great breaking balls. I think an electronic zone would help eliminate the calls where the ump makes his call based on where the catcher receives the ball thus helping those sweeping breaking balls. I think it would also help the taller players like Dispigna who get screwed with balls below the zone that would be strikes on most players but are actually below the knees on someone of his height. That assumes the strike zone is adjusted for to account for players' heights. Do they do that? I'm not sure.

 

[FredJacket]

I'm all for that idea. Every batter would know the strike zone immediately and not have to figure it out as the game goes along based on the way that particular umpire is calling the game. I disagree about what you said about the pitchers with the great breaking balls. I think an electronic zone would help eliminate the calls where the ump makes his call based on where the catcher receives the ball thus helping those sweeping breaking balls. I think it would also help the taller players like Dispigna who get screwed with balls below the zone that would be strikes on most players but are actually below the knees on someone of his height. That assumes the strike zone is adjusted for to account for players' heights. Do they do that? I'm not sure.

This is how Low-A implemented the ABS.

To use the new automated ball-strike (ABS) system, hitters’ strike zones will be programmed into the ABS system based on their height. The top of the zone will be 56% of the player’s height and the bottom of the strike zone will be set at 28% of the player’s height.

Explaining How The Low-A Southeast League Will Set Its Automated Strike Zone

Automated balls and strikes are coming to the Low-A Southeast League, and it will benefit players not to embellish their heights in 2021.

www.baseballamerica.com

 

[bensaysitathome]

I'm all for that idea. Every batter would know the strike zone immediately and not have to figure it out as the game goes along based on the way that particular umpire is calling the game. I disagree about what you said about the pitchers with the great breaking balls. I think an electronic zone would help eliminate the calls where the ump makes his call based on where the catcher receives the ball thus helping those sweeping breaking balls. I think it would also help the taller players like Dispigna who get screwed with balls below the zone that would be strikes on most players but are actually below the knees on someone of his height. That assumes the strike zone is adjusted for to account for players' heights. Do they do that? I'm not sure.

Personally, I would not be in favor of automatic balls/strikes. I think a catcher framing a pitch, a pitcher working the zone, and a batter testing the waters in those first couple at bats are all part of the weird traditional quirks of this sport.

I liken it to extra time in soccer. Sure you could have someone keeping track of stoppages and giving an exact amount of time, to the second, that a match is extended after each half. But it's kind of just part of the idiosyncracies of the sport.

 

[78pike]

Personally, I would not be in favor of automatic balls/strikes. I think a catcher framing a pitch, a pitcher working the zone, and a batter testing the waters in those first couple at bats are all part of the weird traditional quirks of this sport.

I liken it to extra time in soccer. Sure you could have someone keeping track of stoppages and giving an exact amount of time, to the second, that a match is extended after each half. But it's kind of just part of the idiosyncracies of the sport.

I have to disagree. Baseball is filled with traditions but the moving strike zone from one ump to another is just ridiculous. Some umps call anything above the belt a ball. Others give the pitcher 4 inches off the plate. Then you have some that are generous with the strike zone at the beginning of the game and then tighten it the last couple of innings. Finally, the recent trend of batters being so close to the plate and wearing all sorts of armor has led to them getting hit and taking first base on pitches that are actually strikes! I would hope that an electronic strike zone could detect when that happens and eliminate it by calling pitches that are in the strike zone as strikes whether the batter gets hit or not. Football uses the instant replay to correct poor calls by the refs (most of the time anyway). No reason why baseball can't use technology to improve the game as well. Tennis even uses it. Finally, anytime you have to use soccer to justify a point automatically disqualifies it as being valid.

 

[bensaysitathome]

I have to disagree. Baseball is filled with traditions but the moving strike zone from one ump to another is just ridiculous. Some umps call anything above the belt a ball. Others give the pitcher 4 inches off the plate. Then you have some that are generous with the strike zone at the beginning of the game and then tighten it the last couple of innings. Finally, the recent trend of batters being so close to the plate and wearing all sorts of armor has led to them getting hit and taking first base on pitches that are actually strikes! I would hope that an electronic strike zone could detect when that happens and eliminate it by calling pitches that are in the strike zone as strikes whether the batter gets hit or not. Football uses the instant replay to correct poor calls by the refs (most of the time anyway). No reason why baseball can't use technology to improve the game as well. Tennis even uses it. Finally, anytime you have to use soccer to justify a point automatically disqualifies it as being valid.

I'll agree with you on a HBP with a thrown strike. If it's in the zone, it should be a strike regardless of whether or not it struck the batter.

 

[gtbeak]

Count me as one who is very strongly against the electronic strike zone. The technology at the MLB parks is not there yet, and we expect college ballparks to be able to implement this?

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Count me as one who is very strongly against the electronic strike zone. The technology at the MLB parks is not there yet, and we expect college ballparks to be able to implement this?

I started this discussion partly as a troll and partly due to the shifting strike zone within a game we see

Plus the "framing" done makes balls which are out of the zone crossing the plate be called strikes since they would have been in the zone if they didn't move so much in the last six feet. At least that's what it looks like on TV.

As to not being in MLB, the technology is being used in some minor leagues I think. College is essentially a minor league with more stable rosters and better living conditions.

But I agree with the tradition part to not go electronic and IIWII . Bottom line, I only lean towards electronic pitch calling.

 

[GTRambler]

Computerized electronic calling of balls and strikes?

Never.

Baseball is the greatest game. The home plate umpire is an important and essential human element of the game.

 

[FredJacket]

As a guy who still has a problem the the DH, the notion of a machine calling balls & strikes is a little crazy.

On the other hand, I do not believe it will change (much) how the game flows from a [watching] fan's perspective. Fan's won't really notice much change. Pitchers still need "command" of their pitches... which is more than just throwing strikes.