gehringer_2

I don't think there is any kind of decision to do so, but they are getting more immediate feedback and my guess is that is having an effect on those umpires who used to be more liberal calling strikes to the outside - where I think the 'worst' strikes called out of the zone have usually been.

I guess we can debate if there is a cost in defensive precision for moving guys around a lot, I think there is at least some, or we could just bemoan the fact that the tigers have some guys who are not great defenders no matter where or how many places they play.

Zach Short signed for his defensive reliability......

wrong ball one to challenge.

should have challenged ball one......

Nice comeback for Hurter there.

if they get through the bottom of the 9th they better score two in the 10th as the Royals have the top of the order, which means Witt, on tap.

Wasted lead off double. 🤮

walk - wasted challenge, not close. McGonigle didn't look good swinging at pitches in the RH batters box!

OK scratch that...🤷‍♂️

Vierling needs some better BaBIP luck - starting right here.

Who said teams should bunt more? Idiots!

reverse hex!

and we get McK and Short to lead off with only 3 outs left.

Hinch wants to manage like he has competent pitchers in the BP, but sadly not the case.

Finnegan has thrown every pitch so far into the middle third of the plate.

Tigers's BaBIP'd that inning.

Riley should have challenged, that was a ball.

Short takes a walk on a long AB

Because this is Trump's idea of 'beautification' Most of the rest of us prefer this (same place, Long Beach CA)

I'm pretty much dropping from watching the games to listening on the radio or gameday while doing something else. If one turns out to be good it's on the DVR. I assume the Tigers get ratings credit for DVR recording so they are still getting my reduced-supporting support.

My guess is that if ABS if producing the increase in walks, they will come back down - at least part of the way, because pitchers with poor command exposed by ABS will either adjust or be replaced by guys that have better command but maybe give up a little more contact. Either way, whether via walks or contact, there are going to be more guys on base, which should lead to some increase in run scoring. The other effect I would speculate about is the top of zone change. Now every player has a fixed top to his strike zone which is going to be the same no matter who the umpire. That gives the player the chance to learn his zone to greater accuracy than before ABS. That has to be a second aid to hitters on top of not having to cope as much with the outside breaking ball that fools both players and umps and so often gets called a strike.

My kids are millennials, neither has ever done social media. One is a gamer and has a long-standing online connection to a stable community (not unlike this one I suppose).

the key is you have to enjoy watching a baseball game in an of itself, not only as a piece of a standings race or WS quest. Ernie did. This also goes to the root of why some people say they don’t care if the team is bad for 10 yrs if they can win 1 WS per decade and others don’t care so much about championships but don’t want to watch a bad baseball team yr to yr. Baseball is both a team competition and a pastime.

doubly true if ABS increases average scoring.