Why do we have Pitchtrax?

[gingi79]

Anyone watching the TBS feed can see Umpires get the call wrong on pitches over 30% of the time. If you were wrong that often, you would considered a failure at your job. Not to mention the 8 calls in the Braves/Giants series alone that were either wrong or were so close, they could have gone the other way.

Why show the ineptitude of an outdated, biased human control on the game when instant replay shows how often they make the wrong call? I have said it for years, umpires and referees are the cause of the outcome of the majority of sporting events and by proving it with pitch trax, showing that they are wrong so often, only proves my point.

I think my time as a sports fan and collector has run it's course as I have become jaded and convinced that MLB, NHL, NBA and NFL games have become, in their own way, more scripted and predetermined than the WWE.

My signature below has my webshots, make an offer, my collecting days are over.

[Fnazxc0114]

If you bet on baseball or baskeball the first thing you should do is look who the umps or refs are for that game. Theres a reason for that.

[Sonny25]

I only caught the last 2-3 innings of the Braves/Giants game & was amazed out how many pitches the pitchtrack showed to be far outside only for the ump to call it a strike.

[slambam]

Call me crazy, but I don't think it's accurate. I haven't watched too much in the postseason, but there was one pitch in the Twins series that I thought was about knee high and outside, and pitchtrax had it belt high down the middle of the plate. It seems like most pitches are close, but a lot are way off.

[Manram]

Call me crazy, but I don't think it's accurate. I haven't watched too much in the postseason, but there was one pitch in the Twins series that I thought was about knee high and outside, and pitchtrax had it belt high down the middle of the plate. It seems like most pitches are close, but a lot are way off.

Totally agree. Pitches that are close ones on the corners, show to be way off the plate on pitchtrax

[Bravesfan]

The way the camera angle is during the game I would say that it is very difficult to determine a strike from a ball while watching it on the TV.
Like it or not the umpire has a much better view than you ever will.

[Klattsy]

We have a similar problem in Australia with the ball tracking software on the cricket games. When umpires refer calls to the 3rd umpire (our TV replay) the 3rd umpire IS NOT allowed to use "Hawkeye" to make any decisions.

I have been watching the TBS coverage here and I have to say that *I* think Pitchtrax isn't all that accurate...

Mark.

[David]

Bravesfan is correct. The outfield camera isn't directly on, as the pitcher would block it out. It is always at an angle.

[Jags Fan Dan]

Also, it seems to track where the ball is caught by the catcher, not where it was when it crossed the plate?

[rj_lucas]

Human fallibility is woven into baseball's history, from Fred Merkle to Jim Joyce.

Technology being what it is, it's probably possible to eliminate umpires from the field of play entirely and let pitch trackers and instant replay rule the day.

We'd get a more 'accurate', but less human game. Kudos to MLB for holding the line on this issue, which must get harder to do with every passing year.

History, by it's very nature, does not lend itself to sound bytes and instant analysis, which is why the electronic media is so quick to reject it.

The day that Fox Sports dictates the way the game is played, viewed, and judged is the day I turn away from the game for good.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com