# Often proposed solutions to make baseball more "exciting" that could unintentionally backfire **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 24, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495 "2018-07-24T05:22:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/41 "2018-08-13T16:14:25Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > There’s no reason why in 2018 balls and strikes can’t be called electronically. Simply place sensors at each corner of the home plate; then place sensors on the batters knees and on their jerseys between their belly button and sternum. Finally, place a sensor in the ball and VIOLA---- some dorkazoid in front of a computer indicates a strike or ball. You’re inventing technology that already exists and they don’t even need those sensors. It’s done with radars and cameras. It’s called STatcast - it replaced a system called Pitchf/x a few years ago - and it’s ludicrously accurate. It is not absolutely perfect, but it makes the greatest ump who ever lived look like Stevie Wonder. No human could be as accurate. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/42 "2018-08-13T17:37:55Z")
I suppose the umpire could wear something akin to Google Glass so only he could see the Statcast call. This would be aesthetically pleasing as there would be no visible changes to the game and an umpires physical presence would still be needed regardless. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/43 "2018-08-13T18:54:57Z")
Well, you need a home plate ump anyway. Checked swings have no physical definition, and there are a variety of other calls that have to be made at home plate for which there is no current technical solution. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/44 "2018-08-13T18:56:23Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > You’re inventing technology that already exists and they don’t even need those sensors. It’s done with radars and cameras. It’s called STatcast - it replaced a system called Pitchf/x a few years ago - and it’s ludicrously accurate. It is not absolutely perfect, but it makes the greatest ump who ever lived look like Stevie Wonder. No human could be as accurate. And you know that they’re accurate how? ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/45 "2018-08-13T18:58:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Replace the pitcher with a modified howitzer. Replace the pitcher with an _ **un** _modified howitzer. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/46 "2018-08-13T19:06:11Z")
Count me among those who don’t see the need to speed the game up. The no-pitch intentional walk is ridiculous. Putting a batter on second base at the start of extra innings (they’re actually doing this in the Minors now) is doubly so. And clocks of any kind have no place in the game of baseball. I’d also like to tell any batter who complains about hitting into the shift: “Learn to hit the other way.” Get off my lawn. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/47 "2018-08-13T20:01:02Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > And you know that they’re accurate how? Metrology is a science. They are quite open about the accuracy of the system, how it works, and where it has problems, and it’s a competitive market. Measuring things in sports with computers is old stuff. It’s not some remarkable technical feat. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/48 "2018-08-15T13:26:41Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > It is very plausible, but on top of that we have pitch location data for every pitch now. What game was it? Who was playing? What date? > > This is a testable hypothesis. It was Blue Jays at Mariners, Aug. 3. The section I was sitting seemed to have only Jays fans, mostly who drove down from Vancouver. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/49 "2018-08-15T15:42:24Z")
I looked up the August 3 Seattle-Toronto game but unfortunately it appears MLB doesn’t keep the Statcast for past games. (You can see it live, though.) 12 strikeouts in a game is actually pretty low. The average is about 18. Zero walks is odd, but the strike percentage in the game was incredibly high, about 75%. I’ve never heard anything bad about that day’s home plate ump, Mike Muchlinski, and if anything he is slightly inclined to be a hitters’ ump. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495/50 "2018-08-15T21:06:02Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > It was Blue Jays at Mariners, Aug. 3. The section I was sitting seemed to have only Jays fans, mostly who drove down from Vancouver. I work a short distance away from Safeco Field. Every time Toronto visits there’s a flood of people on the streets wearing Jays jerseys. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-proposed-solutions-to-make-baseball-more-exciting-that-could-unintentionally-backfire/818495.md?page=2)