QuesTec - Are you for it or not?

[Flock of Moosen]

The raging debate in Major League Baseball these days is the inclusion of this new QuesTec umpire system. It seems a lot of people, ball players and casual fans alike are adamantly against this device and think it has no place in baseball.

I, for one, like the idea. Many people say it takes away from the tradition of the game, but I say who cares. I am all for anything that makes sports better and more accurate. I would rather see a system that accurately can call balls and strikes based on each players strike zone than have inconsistent calls umpire to umpire.
One day one ump will allow strikes up to 6-12 in. on either side of the plate. The next day another ump will allow 6-12 in. high or low. Then the next day a 3rd ump may actually call the pitches the way they should and force the pitcher to be more accurate. To me that is not being consistent.

Now some pitchers are bitching and moaning about this system saying it will alter the outcome of games. How, by actually making the right call? I'm sorry, but your job is to pitch and nail strikes based on your ability, not by where the ump is calling them that day. Pitchers are probably scared now that they won't look as good on the mound anymore because according to the early QuesTec results, their pitches are not hitting the strike zone like the umps are saying they are.

Let's look at this another way as well. Some argue it takes away from the tradition by altering the game. I'm sorry, but just about every other sport besides baseball has altered the game. It's time for baseball to get out of the 19th century and evolve.

Let's look at a few sports.
Golf - The advancement on club technology is making for longer and more accurate drives than in the old days. That's not changing?
Tennis - The addition of the electronic eye to check for balls that are out and not noticable by the human eye because of the speed. That's not changing?
Basketball, Football, & Hockey - All added in Instant Replay because they realized the refs couldn't see everything. That has made for a lot of changes that went unoticed and would have changed the outcome of a game. That's not changing?
Hockey alone - Along with Instant Replay they have shortened the area behind the goals and have changed the crease and crease rules so many times I've lost count. That's not changing?

All my main argument is if all these sports have changed in one form or another, why can't baseball especially if it could be for the better.

Here is the link for the QuesTec system in case you are not familiar with it.
QuesTec

[McNabbShouldDie]

Im against it, Im against everything that makes us one step closer to being completely controlled by technology and robots.

[Flock of Moosen]

Originally posted by McNabbShouldDie
Im against it, Im against everything that makes us one step closer to being completely controlled by technology and robots.

Don't fight it McNabbShouldDie. The Matrix already has you.

[McNabbShouldDie]

Originally posted by Flock of Moosen
Don't fight it McNabbShouldDie. The Matrix already has you.

Matrix aint got nothing on me. I aint never seen none of them Matrix movies and never will. If you want to talk about a pro-technology show that "has me", its the Jetsons. I just cant get enough of them.

[60FeetUnderWater]

Originally posted by McNabbShouldDie
Im against it, Im against everything that makes us one step closer to being completely controlled by technology and robots.

but lookee you, using that new fangled home PC technology to log on and post on a messageboard. nice.

Flock - I say if you can establish that the system is operational and fail proof then why not use it?

however, that term, "failproof"...I dunno...is that even possible? I would hate for a faulty machine to inadvertantly cost a team a pennant or championship, ya know?

As good of a point you made, in none of the other sports do we rely on a machine by itself to make a judgement call.

[Sloats]

Originally posted by Flock of Moosen

Originally posted by McNabbShouldDie
Im against it, Im against everything that makes us one step closer to being completely controlled by technology and robots.

Don't fight it McNabbShouldDie. The Matrix already has you.

And when you finally escape the matrix, you will find that you are actually inside another matrix......

[Flock of Moosen]

Originally posted by fhore twentee
As good of a point you made, in none of the other sports do we rely on a machine by itself to make a judgement call.

That is very true. You definitely need the human aspect in the game, but the added technology could be used as a "backup" of sorts. Just like Instant Replay.

Maybe something like this. They use this QuesTec, but only as an Instant Replay of sorts. Then when players or managers argue balls and strikes, they could actually go to the system and see what it said.

Still from early indications, this machine is more accurate than any ump so that's where the debate lies.

[Keyser Soze]

im not quite sure how they are actually using the questec system at this time. are they simply using it to evaluate umps post-game or is it actually being used during games in some capacity?

[Sloats]

I'm all for putting a piece of plywood with a square cut out. Sure you would eliminate base stealing, but it would stop the players from whining about whether or not a pitch was a strike or not.

[Flock of Moosen]

Originally posted by Keyser Soze
im not quite sure how they are actually using the questec system at this time. are they simply using it to evaluate umps post-game or is it actually being used during games in some capacity?

I'm under the impression that it's just evaluating at this point. I may be wrong though because in the latest ESPN magazine there is an article on this and it states that Curt Shilling has thrown temper tantrums and destroyed the machine on numerous occasions. Why would one go that far if it's not determining the outcome of the game?

If I'm wrong on this subject and someone knows the full story of QuesTec, please let us know.