Major League Baseball has been willing to change a few things in recent years, such as a pitcher's clock, to improve the game. It now needs to fix the K-Zone, which is the graphic box first created by ESPN in 2001 that is superimposed on the TV screen to indicate the strike zone.
In general, I like the idea of the graphic. ESPN was on to something.
But the problem is that it's in the wrong location, which drives me nuts, sort of like watching the Cardinals drop three of four at Wrigley.
Every game I watch I ask my son or my wife or, if alone, I ask myself: Why is the top of the digital box no higher than the belt of the batter — and most times a bit lower — when the strike zone by MLB definition should be several inches higher?
This is my reoccurring frustration during a game.
- A pitcher throws the ball over the plate; it is a couple inches above the belt.
- I and legions of viewers can see on the screen that the pitch appears high — inches above the top of the digital box.
- Umpire calls it a strike.
- Announcers point out — only if the call went against the home team — that the pitch was actually high because it was above the box.
Then my rant: No! The umpire was right! What's wrong is that the digital box you (or somebody) placed on my screen is in the wrong spot!
To me, it would be like someone creating a digital graphic line to extend the foul poles vertically — but the graphic doesn't accurately reflect where the real foul poles are.
“Midpoint between top of the shoulders and belt”
Here is the MLB definition of the strike zone:
To be called a strike, the ball must pass over home plate, which is 17 inches wide and 17 inches deep, although it is not a square.
In addition, to be called a strike a baseball must pass between the “hollow of the knees,” which means the back of the knees where they bend, and the “midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the belt.”
These dimensions are determined when the batter is in a stance preparing to strike a pitched ball.
In other words, they're not determined when the batter steps upright into the batter's box.
The digital strike zone consistently does not portray the strike zone as described in Major League Baseball rules.
Yet, I never hear an explanation for that. Am I missing something?
Can just one baseball announcer take a break from speculating about where Shohei Ohtani might play next year and how much money he'll make to explain to me why the digital box that purportedly helps me enjoy the game often frustrates me instead?
Take a look yourself, freeze the broadcast
I've studied the tape. You can, too. The other night I was watching the Cardinals beat the Marlins and I froze the TV screen and took several looks.
Even when batters are crouched and ready to swing, the top of the box is no higher than their belts.
The idea behind the digital strike zone box came from ESPN, a leader in innovation in sports broadcasting.
In February 2001, ESPN contracted with Sportvision to build a system for analyzing baseball pitches for balls and strikes in real time during broadcasts.
It's a great idea — if it's accurate. Maybe it once was accurate.
An April 28, 2015 Sports Business Journal story explained how the digital box is created.
“The measurement subsystem detects the pitch’s flight, measures the stance of the batter, and calculates if the end result is a ball or a strike.
“The ball’s flight data is sent to computers running a unique algorithm from three separate cameras around each Major League ballpark. These sensor cameras are typically located down each foul line and above home plate.
“The operator at the stadium uses a computer connected to an outfield camera to establish the top and bottom of the strike zone based on the height and stance of the batter at the plate.”
I can't say I understand all of that explanation — other than it involves cameras, computers and at least one good algorithm.
But what I do know is that the top of the digital zone is consistently about 6 or 7 inches too low.
I have no idea why.
This is Pokin Around column No. 120.
