# I call BS on Fox's pitch speed tracker

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bs-on-foxs-pitch-speed-tracker/514217>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 18, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bs-on-foxs-pitch-speed-tracker/514217 "2009-10-18T14:37:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bs-on-foxs-pitch-speed-tracker/514217/21 "2009-10-28T21:55:02Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> The strike zone is defined in Rule 2.0 as “that area over home plate…”

Well, I’ll be. Ignorance fought 🙂

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**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bs-on-foxs-pitch-speed-tracker/514217/22 "2009-10-28T22:01:03Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> The strike zone is defined in Rule 2.0 as “that area over home plate…”

…which means that it resembles a barn turned on its side (with the floor facing the pitcher).

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bs-on-foxs-pitch-speed-tracker/514217/23 "2009-10-29T13:03:30Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> And if it’s on the front or back doesn’t make much difference - if you can throw a ball from the mound that is going to swing back around and clip off the end of the point and not touch any other part of the plate, you’re some sort of freak of nature.

Of course, this is referring to a left-right or right-left movement. You could certainly clip off the tail end of the plate at the top of the zone for a strike (though I doubt an ump would call it a strike, as it’s moving far too fast for that sort of precision).

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bs-on-foxs-pitch-speed-tracker/514217/24 "2009-10-29T17:26:07Z")

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> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> A good curveball has most of its break right in front of the batter and through the zone.

First of all, support this with some cold, hard evidence.

Second of all, even if there was an accelleration of curve as the ball slows (very possible), it is unlikely that that would do more than, say, double the amount of movement as the ball crosses the plate from the calculations given. .8" is not significant, either, and certainly isn’t what was envisioned.

Much more likely would be the possibility of a strike occuring where the ball was too high at the start of the zone, and dropped down into the zone on the way past the batter. Won’t happen on a fast pitch, and is very unlikely even on a slider, but an off-speed pitch could do it, especially if thrown as an over-the-top curve (rotation along the line of motion). Someone might want to calculate the delta-y of a parabola during the period of time over the plate under those circumstances.

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