Umpire Personalities Thread

[knich]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

A good start would be for SCEA to tell us what the tendencies are for each ump if they are in fact consistent with "their" strike zone from game-to-game. Why hide that info?

[Blzer]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

what do you mean?

He won't call pitches in the zone all the time at the bottom edge.

[N51_rob]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

syf, kinda hit on the idea I had for umps and the strike zone.


In the image posted below, let the black box represent the "official MLB" strike zone, it is the one you would see in the game, if you turned strike zone on, or what you would see after each pitch. The red box is the "umps" strike zone. It is coded to be what will "actually" be called balls and strikes most importantly FOR THE WHOLE GAME, us as users would not "see" it but as we pitched we could get a feel for what it would be. That in a nut shell is my dream for "variable umps". I apologize in advance for my simplistic drawing, I suppose when I'm done being lazy I could make it look better.

[N51_rob]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

syf, kinda hit on the idea I had for umps and the strike zone.


In the image posted below, let the black box represent the "official MLB" strike zone, it is the one you would see in the game, if you turned strike zone on, or what you would see after each pitch. The red box is the "umps" strike zone. It is coded to be what will "actually" be called balls and strikes most importantly FOR THE WHOLE GAME, us as users would not "see" it but as we pitched we could get a feel for what it would be. That in a nut shell is my dream for "variable umps". I apologize in advance for my simplistic drawing, I suppose when I'm done being lazy I could make it look better.

Okay, that was easier than I thought, here is an in-game screen shot of how it would work. Again, the red is the umps strike zone, you never "see" it, but it is running I guess invisibly and as you pitch you would start to notice that he was calling pitches inside (not over the plate) strikes and pitches on the outside (over the plate) balls. The strike zones for each up could be different. Giving high strikes vs low, outside vs inside etc. and the degree could be as minescule as an inch or as great as a foot, it is all on the umps. It would make variable umps actually variable.

[stealyerface]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

Excellent idea rob, but it does not even have to be that extreme. Understanding that even though the umpires call strikes and balls as they are trained, but also have some subjectivity with their calls as well, I envision the illustration you posted, but with this in mind:

I always saw the strikezone as the 1-9 boxes with 1 being in the top left corner, and 9 being the bottom right, as standing on the mound.

We had signals that would let the pitchers know where the coach wanted a certain hitter to be thrown to, as his "hot/cold" zones if you will.

So a "Hot 4-7" to a lefty meant you wanted to keep the ball off of the inside/down part of the dish to that guy.

What I think variable strike zones would be better portrayed as, would be 1-15 kind of box setting, and a particular umpire might see the regular 1-9 but give box 5 (up and in to a righty) or box 6 and 11 (ala Greg Madux's favorite boxes).

So the Variable Strikes would not totally preclude the actually strike zone, but would either squeeze the pitcher by turning off the boxes he does not call, or adding boxes to his personality.

So, in fact, the VZ might look like as simple as turning off 1, 6, and 11 and adding 5, 10, and 15 to the regular strike zone.

Or, make the pitcher really work to figure it out, and just turn box 15 on, giving the outside bottom corner for lefty hitters, and an under-the-hands killer down and in call against the righty batters.

And once that umpire starts the game, keep the boxes static for the game, as trending umpires try to do.

That does not mean Woody Keller ALWAYS gives the right-hash boxes. It would randomize before each game, and may, in fact, not even be on at all for that game.

THAT is variable strike zone bliss.

THAT would kick major butt.
~syf

[NelsonBis]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

A statement from Umpire Porter Callahan:

"I have noticed complaints about the standard of my and my esteemed colleagues (especially my good friend Earl Cooper). I would like to point out that myself and ALL my fellow Umpires act with 100% integrity and to the best of our considerable knowledge of the game, ALLWAYS giving an impartial and fair calling of games. More respect should be given to us and If these constant complaints continue we feel that we have only one course of action to take, this being unfortunatley withholding our services (ie industrial action in the form of a strike). The recent sad case of Umpire Clyde Washingtons receipt of death threats has proved unacceptable to our fine group of dedicated officials."

[Geronimo22]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

A statement from Umpire Porter Callahan:

"I have noticed complaints about the standard of my and my esteemed colleagues (especially my good friend Earl Cooper). I would like to point out that myself and ALL my fellow Umpires act with 100% integrity and to the best of our considerable knowledge of the game, ALLWAYS giving an impartial and fair calling of games. More respect should be given to us and If these constant complaints continue we feel that we have only one course of action to take, this being unfortunatley withholding our services (ie industrial action in the form of a strike). The recent sad case of Umpire Clyde Washingtons receipt of death threats has proved unacceptable to our fine group of dedicated officials."

LOL that's funny because I will openly admit that I want Clyde Washington dead!

Tom Reyburn

• Extremely inconsistent on the outside of the strike zone to lefties
• Calls strikes on the outside to righties
• Calls high strikes to both lefties and righties
• Squeezes pitchers on the bottom of the zone

I got the same results from Reyburn except the high strikes were fairly inconsistent.

[cgm110]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

Did anyone else notice that "returning" umpires now have different faces? I think Wally Hughes is the old Charlie Sawyer and the previous "Wally Hughes" face is now Woody Keller?

[Bobhead]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

I think part of the reason these tendencies don't seem to be noticed/consistent is that they are incredibly cryptic. I mean look at this stuff. "Gives leeway to pitchers on the bottom of the strike zone to righties?" But not to lefties? Is that on Tuesdays also or only on Wednesdays? What if the batters last name ends in "w?"

Seriously, I really don't think real-life umpires are that complex. I think it is, and should be, as simple as what Rob explained, except maybe with less symmetry and congruence. Umpire A should call strikes for pitches that are high just above the strike zone, umpire B should call balls for pitches that are normally considered high strikes, umpire C should call strikes that are just inside the zone, and so on.

My point is that future games need to have more straightforward tendencies. There's no need for all this situational stuff.

[Spring Rubber]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

I agree with where Bobhead is coming from. Perhaps this should be expressed using images rather than words. Perhaps text notes are okay when something needs to be explained further. Should there be one image for each umpire, or should each umpire have separate images for righties or lefties?

[stealyerface]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

It is not situational. Nor would I want that.

The idea would be when the game fires up, Umpire XXXX behind the dish that day gives the low strike.

All game long

Maybe the next time he is the umpire, he sees the inside pitches differently.

That's all.

Right now, there are "14 Different Personalities" behind the plate.

No there isn't, and their supposed personalities do not reflect any semblance of a zone, a region, or even a shred of consistency from inning one to inning nine.

That is what we are hoping for.

~syf

[sink4ever]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

I'm wondering if a certain lack of consistency is programmed in to reflect real life umps. Seriously, go to Brooks Baseball and look up some of the strikezones from recent games. Sometimes you'll see very strong patterns, sometimes you'll see a lot of inconsistency. I'd like to see more distinct patterns in the game, but if we're striving for realism there should be a bit of inconsistency.

[nomo17k]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

I'm wondering if a certain lack of consistency is programmed in to reflect real life umps. Seriously, go to Brooks Baseball and look up some of the strikezones from recent games. Sometimes you'll see very strong patterns, sometimes you'll see a lot of inconsistency. I'd like to see more distinct patterns in the game, but if we're striving for realism there should be a bit of inconsistency.

Basically we are asking for both. Some umpires should have consistent zones systematically offset in some direction(s), others are "consistently inconsistent", etc. I find the current set of umpires tend toward the latter a bit too often. I want to see more of the former.

[Geronimo22]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

CB Hernandez

• Likes to call outside strikes to LH batters

CB Hernandez

• Tight on outside to lefties
• Gives strikes to outside on righties
• Often pressing on the low strike on lefties and righties

I think you should combine both these reports Blzer - Minus that he is tight to lefties. Seems like CB Hernadez just has a wide strikezone away from both lefties and righties. Tell me what you think?

[bwiggy33]

Re: Umpire Personalities Thread

A good start would be for SCEA to tell us what the tendencies are for each ump if they are in fact consistent with "their" strike zone from game-to-game. Why hide that info?

Why hide it? Isn't that the beauty about playing the game? Finding what the umpires strike zone is for that game. Thats my opinion on it. Every game the SP pitches early in the game to see what the strike zone is. They feel their way around the first inning or two. That's what I want in The Show. Every ump should have a specific personality of what he calls a ball and strike. Right now it's just too inconsistent. Finding that strike zone is what makes pitching so much fun.