The umps on variable are dreadful

[HimynameisMattyK]

I've thrown pitches that caught a pretty good part of the plate and the umpire will consistently call it a ball. I Know it's supposed to bring realism to the game but it's a little ridiculous when the pitch is blatantly a strike and the ump is pretty much squeezing you. Has anyone else noticed this?

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[Dolenz]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

I've thrown pitches that caught a pretty good part of the plate and the umpire will consistently call it a ball. I Know it's supposed to bring realism to the game but it's a little ridiculous when the pitch is blatantly a strike and the ump is pretty much squeezing you. Has anyone else noticed this?

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As a batter I have been both burned and saved by the variable umps. It evens out. Now, the check swing appeals I feel like they just flip a coin on.

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Noticed it? It's intentional and pretty much perfect. Turn it off if it bugs you.

[Madden's Jowels]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Turn it off?



It's extremely realistic to get squeezed by an ump it happens all the time in real life lol. Or the inverse where the strike zone suddenly goes down to the shins or up to the numbers

[ShaBoomer]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

I can't remember the exact number (it was in one of the preview videos), but there are X number of "different" umpires, each with their own unique strike zone.

So any "missed" calls should be consistent with a particular umpire, but not consistent across all of them. Please note that I said "should". Who knows what's really going on.

But what really bothers me is variable calls during pitcher warm ups. Since each pitch thrown affects confidence, a bad call during a warm up can have an affect (no matter how small). It seems unrealistic to even have a strike zone and a called ball or strike on a warm up pitch anyway, since the umpire isn't even standing behind the plate.

[jdeszcz]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

I've thrown pitches that caught a pretty good part of the plate and the umpire will consistently call it a ball. I Know it's supposed to bring realism to the game but it's a little ridiculous when the pitch is blatantly a strike and the ump is pretty much squeezing you. Has anyone else noticed this?

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I've noticed it from day one and I actually like it. I only had the opportunity to play the 2K series in the past and once I got the pitching down pretty good it was fairly easy to paint the edges of the zone and dominate. I like the variability and while I feel like I've gotten screwed on some pitches I do know that there have been quite a few where I got calls out of the zone that I shouldn't have.

What does suck though is variable umpires coupled with meter pitching. It seems to me that the meter mechanic is broken to some extent as I will execute a perfect pitch with the meter, but the pitch ends up wildly away from where it was intended. I realize energy & confidence play a part in pitching, but those variables affect the way the meter works....lack of energy and confidence means a fast meter that is tougher to execute...but if I execute on the meter, specifically stopping it precisely on the yellow/white line (so that it flashes) my pitch should be delivered specifically to where I intended it. When it doesn't, but instead drifts to to the black, or to the knees or letters, thus on the edge of the zone and the ump calls a ball, well that just sucks.

[ShaBoomer]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

I've noticed it from day one and I actually like it. I only had the opportunity to play the 2K series in the past and once I got the pitching down pretty good it was fairly easy to paint the edges of the zone and dominate. I like the variability and while I feel like I've gotten screwed on some pitches I do know that there have been quite a few where I got calls out of the zone that I shouldn't have.

What does suck though is variable umpires coupled with meter pitching. It seems to me that the meter mechanic is broken to some extent as I will execute a perfect pitch with the meter, but the pitch ends up wildly away from where it was intended. I realize energy & confidence play a part in pitching, but those variables affect the way the meter works....lack of energy and confidence means a fast meter that is tougher to execute...but if I execute on the meter, specifically stopping it precisely on the yellow/white line (so that it flashes) my pitch should be delivered specifically to where I intended it. When it doesn't, but instead drifts to to the black, or to the knees or letters, thus on the edge of the zone and the ump calls a ball, well that just sucks.

Your pitcher's BB/9 stat, as well as the control stat for each individual pitch he throws, affects the end location of any pitches thrown regardless of how accurate you are with the meter.

[bigwill33]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Noticed it? It's intentional and pretty much perfect. Turn it off if it bugs you.

Would love to turn it off! Except I have tried all of the settings for many years and none of them call the strike zone properly. They all make blatant mistakes, no matter which setting you select. Very frustrating. I hate seeing a pitch catch none of the black and be totally in the strike zone and get called a ball.

I am one of the few people that believe the real MLB should do away with having the home plate umpires call the balls and strikes. Let the technology handle it and have the umpire still be there to read the recordings and make the other calls at the plate.

[markprior22]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

I am one of the few people that believe the real MLB should do away with having the home plate umpires call the balls and strikes. Let the technology handle it and have the umpire still be there to read the recordings and make the other calls at the plate.

I'm with ya buddy. We have the technology to do it...let's not keep the status quo because it's always been that way. The worst statement I hear from opponents of this is "Human error should be part of the game." Yes, human error made by the players playing the game. We had to have human error from officials in the past because we had no options. Let's move on and let the players decide the outcomes as much as possible.

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Would love to turn it off! Except I have tried all of the settings for many years and none of them call the strike zone properly. They all make blatant mistakes, no matter which setting you select. Very frustrating. I hate seeing a pitch catch none of the black and be totally in the strike zone and get called a ball.

Man I've got the MLB package and thus watch a TON of games, umps do that ish ALL THE TIME. When it happens in game, it just adds an extra layer, "man, now the ump is pinching me" is just another "situation" in the sense of "the first rule of baseball is know the situation."

I am one of the few people that believe the real MLB should do away with having the home plate umpires call the balls and strikes. Let the technology handle it and have the umpire still be there to read the recordings and make the other calls at the plate.

I can't say I disagree. Are you saying that when you turn this off they still make mistakes? Because that's exactly the opposite of what the description says it does. That's BS. If you turn it off they should call the game perfectly.

[NDAlum]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

I pitched my entire life and love it. Part of the game to me

I don't understand the complaints as you can turn it off


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[jdeszcz]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Your pitcher's BB/9 stat, as well as the control stat for each individual pitch he throws, affects the end location of any pitches thrown regardless of how accurate you are with the meter.

Ah, really? I didn't realize that.

Then what's the point of the meter? The meter moves a a different rate for each pitcher and depending on confidence, game scenarios, etc. My thoughts were that the control stat for each individual pitch was really how good he threw that pitch...like a guy with a highly rated fastball threw upper 90s, or a highly rated curve ball threw one with significant break.

Either way, in my eyes, which I guess I was wrong, regardless of anything if I stop the pitch meter on the line that would dictate my control...how far I let the meter run on the way up would dictate velocity and/or movement.

[dalger21]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Some tend to be Eric Gregg while others then to be Ed Rapuano (older crowd will know the two. )

[ShaBoomer]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Would love to turn it off! Except I have tried all of the settings for many years and none of them call the strike zone properly. They all make blatant mistakes, no matter which setting you select. Very frustrating. I hate seeing a pitch catch none of the black and be totally in the strike zone and get called a ball.

I am one of the few people that believe the real MLB should do away with having the home plate umpires call the balls and strikes. Let the technology handle it and have the umpire still be there to read the recordings and make the other calls at the plate.

What technology? The "pitch trackers" the tv networks use are even more inaccurate than an umpire.

Interpreting the strike zone is an art form, for the umpire, the catcher, and the batter. Everybody has their own little tricks to influence the call, from framing a bad pitch to bending at the knees to illustrate a "low" pitch.

What the game needs is umpire accountability. No more of this "be a good umpire or you won't get to go to the postseason". If an umpire makes a blatantly bad call, they should be fined. If you have too many fines or bad calls on your record, you're fired or sent down to umpire minor league games.

[ShaBoomer]

Re: The umps on variable are dreadful

Ah, really? I didn't realize that.

Then what's the point of the meter? The meter moves a a different rate for each pitcher and depending on confidence, game scenarios, etc. My thoughts were that the control stat for each individual pitch was really how good he threw that pitch...like a guy with a highly rated fastball threw upper 90s, or a highly rated curve ball threw one with significant break.

Either way, in my eyes, which I guess I was wrong, regardless of anything if I stop the pitch meter on the line that would dictate my control...how far I let the meter run on the way up would dictate velocity and/or movement.

Although I agree with you, it just doesn't seem to be the way it works. I use pure analog, which can be hard depending on an individual pitcher's wind up (just like meter, it changes the timing of delivery), and it's frustrating when I'm hitting my spots on the analog meter but not with the actual pitch.

But, that's baseball. If I hit all of my pitches and never struggled, the games wouldn't be fun anymore.