Are you a baseball fan?
Are you a baseball fan? Have you been watching the World Series between the Phillies and the Astros?
Along with the drama on the field, have you been paying any attention to the umpires? Do you think they have been doing a good job during the Series? Or do you think they have blown a lot of calls? As Major League Baseball considers the adoption of an automated strike zone system as soon as 2024, this could be one of the last World Series with umpires calling balls and strikes. Do you think getting rid of umpires is a good idea? Or will something be lost if we replace human umps?
To help you decide, now it’s your turn behind the plate: Are you more accurate than a major league umpire? How will you do against a machine in making split-second, but often game-changing, calls? Students, try your hand at the Times’s “You Be the Ump” simulator and read the accompanying text. Then tell us:
Would you make a good ump or referee? Why or why not? What qualities would make you an excellent one? Your fairness? Even temper? Eagle eyes?
Would you want to be one — professionally or recreationally? What do you think are the joys and drawbacks of being an ump?
How did you do on the Times simulator? What did you learn about the job of a baseball ump — or yourself — from the experience? Is it tougher to be a baseball ump than you thought?
The Times simulator notes: “It’s easy to be an armchair ump when you can see the outline of the strike zone on TV. Umpires don’t have that benefit, but they are still quite accurate, calling pitches correctly 93.8 percent of the time in the 2022 season, according to Ump Scorecards.” Does that number surprise you? Do you think umps get a bad rap from fans and players?
What’s your reaction to news that M.L.B. is considering the use of an automated strike zone system as soon as 2024? Do you think making that change would positively affect the sport? Are machines better than humans when it comes to umping? Or will something be lost if there are no longer any human umps? Should all sports consider adopting robot umps and refs?
If you were the commissioner of baseball, would you move to an automated strike zone? Or would you leave the calling of balls and strikes to the judgment of human umpires?
Along with the drama on the field, have you been paying any attention to the umpires? Do you think they have been doing a good job during the Series? Or do you think they have blown a lot of calls? As Major League Baseball considers the adoption of an automated strike zone system as soon as 2024, this could be one of the last World Series with umpires calling balls and strikes. Do you think getting rid of umpires is a good idea? Or will something be lost if we replace human umps?
To help you decide, now it’s your turn behind the plate: Are you more accurate than a major league umpire? How will you do against a machine in making split-second, but often game-changing, calls? Students, try your hand at the Times’s “You Be the Ump” simulator and read the accompanying text. Then tell us:
Would you make a good ump or referee? Why or why not? What qualities would make you an excellent one? Your fairness? Even temper? Eagle eyes?
Would you want to be one — professionally or recreationally? What do you think are the joys and drawbacks of being an ump?
How did you do on the Times simulator? What did you learn about the job of a baseball ump — or yourself — from the experience? Is it tougher to be a baseball ump than you thought?
The Times simulator notes: “It’s easy to be an armchair ump when you can see the outline of the strike zone on TV. Umpires don’t have that benefit, but they are still quite accurate, calling pitches correctly 93.8 percent of the time in the 2022 season, according to Ump Scorecards.” Does that number surprise you? Do you think umps get a bad rap from fans and players?
What’s your reaction to news that M.L.B. is considering the use of an automated strike zone system as soon as 2024? Do you think making that change would positively affect the sport? Are machines better than humans when it comes to umping? Or will something be lost if there are no longer any human umps? Should all sports consider adopting robot umps and refs?
If you were the commissioner of baseball, would you move to an automated strike zone? Or would you leave the calling of balls and strikes to the judgment of human umpires?
