MLB Strike Zone Box Graphic

[Billy Z]

As a former baseball player, I am aggravated by the strike zone box graphic that is so prevalent these days on MLB broadcasts. For me, it interferes with the action of the batter hitting the ball, and makes things a bit confusing. To me, it is for the folks who have not participated in the game of baseball and need help figuring out what the strike zone parameters are. Now I like the shot tracker for the game of golf because it's impossible to follow the ball otherwise, but I don't need to see a box superimposed somewhere in the target area, where a golfer should hit the ball,  while a golfer tees off. What are your thoughts?

Edited April 1, 2021 by Billy Z
typo

[iacas]

Do you dislike the first down line, too?

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 4/1/2021 at 6:47 PM, Billy Z said:

As a former baseball player, I am aggravated by the strike zone box graphic that is so prevalent these days on MLB broadcasts. For me, it interferes with the action of the batter hitting the ball, and makes things a bit confusing. To me, it is for the folks who have not participated in the game of baseball and need help figuring out what the strike zone parameters are. Now I like the shot tracker for the game of golf because it's impossible to follow the ball otherwise, but I don't need to see a box superimposed somewhere in the target area, where a golfer should hit the ball,  while a golfer tees off. What are your thoughts?

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Hey Billy, 

For me it really doesn't matter. I will say this, when they first did the first down line on the football screen I used to think it was weird. I was always like "Who's watching football and doesn't understand how far they need to go to get a first down?" But, I guess it was really popular and people liked it, because you never see a game now without it. So, after a while though it just kind of disappeared to my eye. I no longer even notice it.

I will say that sometimes they get a little crazy with smearing stuff all over the screen. The first down line in yellow. The line-to-make for a field-goal in blue. The line of scrimmage in red. The red zone colored in. At times its a bit much. My guess is if this thing works out, it will just be part of the broadcast and you'll no longer notice it. 

It does kind of remind me of the line from Jurassic Park "You spent so much time trying to figure out if you COULD do it; You never stopped to think if you SHOULD do it." 

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:00 PM, iacas said:

Do you dislike the first down line, too?

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Years ago, I used to think that line drawn on their was totally unnecessary. I wouldn't say I didn't like it. I just didn't understand why we needed it. Of course, with age comes wisdom. A lot of folks either needed it or at least liked it so now its always there. These days I don't even notice it. 

[Darkfrog]

I don't watch enough baseball to care one way or the other because unfortunately, it seems like most MLB day-to-day broadcasting is on various cable networks, and I only get over the air TV. 

In general though, I find graphics/software generated features like first down line, shot tracer, etc. useful to the viewer.

I remember when Fox added the puck tracer to hockey in the late 90s or early 00s and that is one I didn't like, but since I played hockey, I was pretty good at following the puck without it.

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:10 PM, Darkfrog said:

I remember when Fox added the puck tracer to hockey in the late 90s or early 00s and that is one I didn't like, but since I played hockey, I was pretty good at following the puck without it.

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I remember that. It made the hockey game look like a video game. 

[Elmer]

  On 4/1/2021 at 6:47 PM, Billy Z said:

As a former baseball player, I am aggravated by the strike zone box graphic that is so prevalent these days on MLB broadcasts. For me, it interferes with the action of the batter hitting the ball, and makes things a bit confusing. To me, it is for the folks who have not participated in the game of baseball and need help figuring out what the strike zone parameters are. Now I like the shot tracker for the game of golf because it's impossible to follow the ball otherwise, but I don't need to see a box superimposed somewhere in the target area, where a golfer should hit the ball,  while a golfer tees off. What are your thoughts?

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  On 4/1/2021 at 7:00 PM, iacas said:

Do you dislike the first down line, too?

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I am a fan of all of it. It makes it easier to get young kids to understand the game. It think the Strike Zone also helps show where strikes and balls should be. I still leave the call in the umps hands. However many, many times I bark at the TV becase the pitch was called incorrectly, only upon further review, I am wrong.

I like the 1st down line!
I wish they used the shot tracker on every golf shot. I have found my kids find it interesting. Without it, golf on TV is boring. 

These days kids have everything else under the sun to do instead of watching baseball or golf on TV. Any fun tech to make it more watchable is fine by me!

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:18 PM, Elmer said:

These days kids have everything else under the sun to do instead of watching baseball or golf on TV. Any fun tech to make it more watchable is fine by me!

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This is a very good point. I didn't think of it, but I wish I did.

I would add that it would be nice if play-off / World Series baseball started before 10PM out here in the Eastern Time Zone. My son will be 11 this year and has never seen a World Series Game or a Play-off baseball game for that matter. 

I recently surveyed the kids in our neighborhood (about a dozen of them) and not a single one of them had ever watched a World Series Game. I'm no marketing genius, but the fact that kids aren't watching the best of the best your product has to offer can't be good for the future of the sport? Can it? 

[boogielicious]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:10 PM, Darkfrog said:

I don't watch enough baseball to care one way or the other because unfortunately, it seems like most MLB day-to-day broadcasting is on various cable networks, and I only get over the air TV. 

In general though, I find graphics/software generated features like first down line, shot tracer, etc. useful to the viewer.

I remember when Fox added the puck tracer to hockey in the late 90s or early 00s and that is one I didn't like, but since I played hockey, I was pretty good at following the puck without it.

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  On 4/1/2021 at 7:12 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

I remember that. It made the hockey game look like a video game. 

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When I was a kid, on a 12” Black and White TV, you had to go by the players movements to guess where the puck was. The exception was when Bobby Orr had the puck. He was so fluid, poetry in motion.

As to the topic, I don’t mind the strike zone. It really highlights how bad the umps are behind the plate. We’ve known this forever. A strike should be a strike and not what they’re feeling at the time. 

And yes I played baseball.

[Billy Z]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:00 PM, iacas said:

Do you dislike the first down line, too?

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Simply, a poor analogy.

[boogielicious]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:48 PM, Billy Z said:

Simply, a poor analogy.

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Not really. They both denote a line than is part of the game.

[Double Mocha Man]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:47 PM, boogielicious said:

As to the topic, I don’t mind the strike zone. It really highlights how bad the umps are behind the plate. We’ve known this forever. A strike should be a strike and not what they’re feeling at the time. 

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The strike-calling robots are coming...

[boogielicious]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:59 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

The strike-calling robots are coming...

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Strike!

[Billy Z]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:51 PM, boogielicious said:

Not really. They both denote a line than is part of the game.

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Yes, really. In football, the first down line does not interfere with play, it's simply a line. There are lines up and down the football field that have always been there doing the same thing. In other words, it's nothing new, except the color. When a quarterback throws a pass, the ball doesn't have to pass through it any differently than any other line on the field. It does not interfere at all. In baseball, the ball has to pass through the box into the catcher's mitt, which interferes with the flow of the ball. It makes it more difficult to see the bat contact the ball, something a baseball player instantly notices. Should we bring back puck tracer in hockey? What a farce that was! Should we superimpose a box in the sky for pga events to show where a golfer should hit the ball? Sort of a strikezone in the sky? Maybe we should just play virtual baseball and golf, and be done with it. Maybe one would have had to be a baseball player to really understand?

[Double Mocha Man]

I've already listened to my once-yearly playing of "Centerfield" and have been posting too much intentionally delaying the first-of-the-year mowing of my front lawn.  Maybe I should make some lunch before pondering the height of my grass.  Perhaps I should chalk a batter's box and put in a pitcher's mound.  I'm still stalling...

[boogielicious]

  On 4/1/2021 at 8:02 PM, Billy Z said:

Yes, really. In football, the first down line does not interfere with play, it's simply a line. There are lines up and down the football field that have always been there doing the same thing. In other words, it's nothing new, except the color. When a quarterback throws a pass, the ball doesn't have to pass through it any differently than any other line on the field. It does not interfere at all. In baseball, the ball has to pass through the box into the catcher's mitt, which interferes with the flow of the ball. It makes it more difficult to see the bat contact the ball, something a baseball player instantly notices. Should we bring back puck tracer in hockey? What a farce that was! Should we superimpose a box in the sky for pga events to show where a golfer should hit the ball? Sort of a strikezone in the sky? Maybe we should just play virtual baseball and golf, and be done with it. Maybe one would have had to be a baseball player to really understand?

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Disagree. The strike zone doesn’t interfere with how I see the pitch or catch. It just frames the zone. Same with the down line. It indicates where the ball has to pass for a first down. The football passes through it the same way. It doesn’t bother me or change my enjoyment of the game at all.

As for golf, we have shot tracer and the announcers occasionally draw where the player should be hitting on our screen or show the slope of the green. It doesn’t bother me at all.

I’ve played baseball and fast pitch softball. I’ve watch tons of baseball all my life. I think I’m qualified to know what I like and don’t like.

[ChetlovesMer]

  On 4/1/2021 at 8:02 PM, Billy Z said:

In baseball, the ball has to pass through the box into the catcher's mitt, which interferes with the flow of the ball. It makes it more difficult to see the bat contact the ball, something a baseball player instantly notices. 

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Do you think it will make you stop watching baseball? 

If the answer is no, then it's the right thing for baseball to do. 

Baseball already gets the hard core baseball fans to watch. This isn't for them. 
This is for everyone else. Let's face it, baseball TV numbers are an embarrassment. The pre-game show for Thursday Night Football gets higher ratings than a World Series Game. Baseball has to do new stuff to attract new fans. This is just the first step of what's likely to be many coming down the road. 

[iacas]

  On 4/1/2021 at 7:48 PM, Billy Z said:

Simply, a poor analogy.

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You can't keep calling everything that you dislike or disagree with a "poor analogy" buddy.

  On 4/1/2021 at 8:02 PM, Billy Z said:

Yes, really. In football, the first down line does not interfere with play, it's simply a line.

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So is this:

I even like the little dot it shows where the ball crosses the strike zone.

[billchao]

I can see the contact with the bat better today in HD with the box in the way than I could on a 21” CRT TV.