MLB

Changing the Strike Zone Would be Idiotic Move by MLB

Fresh Videos

By

MLB Umpire

Getty Images

Add yet another item to the list of things new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred wants to change in the game of baseball. He hasn’t stopped at attempting to institute a pitch clock to speed up games (by mere minutes per game), which would completely ruin the allure of America’s pastime for baseball purists.

Now, MLB is reportedly considering shrinking the strike zone starting in 2016. This comes on the heels of baseball’s worst overall offensive season since the Reagan administration. One reason given for the potential change is that pitchers are being given more room in the bottom of the zone lately.

Making this change would be completely idiotic because the strike zone hasn’t been changed in almost two decades. There’s a reason for that. The currently established zone works and the amount of the bottom of the zone being given to pitchers is just a sliver. Baseball needs to realize that pitchers are merely getting better at their jobs.

Since pitchers are realizing they’re going to get strike calls low in the zone, they’ve learned to spot pitches there routinely. Obviously, these pitches are harder to hit, but hitters just have to attack pitches when they get them up in the zone.

Moving the strike zone would also put pitchers at a distinct disadvantage. They’ve learned what the established strike zone is and if they have to adjust to that on the fly, they’re not going to be as accurate with their pitches. Not only that, but they will have to put the ball up in the zone, which will give hitters a much better chance of doing damage.

Additionally, it would be extremely hard to implement a new strike zone, especially with veteran umpires. Like any other professional, umpires’ eyes have been trained to spot exact locations to call balls and strikes. They aren’t perfect, but they’re pretty darn close. Changing the strike zone would just make ball-strike calls more inconsistent as they adjust to the new zone, which will do nothing but anger coaches, players and fans.

As usual, rather than keep the integrity of the game, MLB seems to be set on tailoring the rules to favor offense in order to draw more people in and sell more merchandise. It makes sense and the league is a business, but it’s a shame the league feels the need to mess with something as basic as the strike zone in order to get offenses back to their steroid-era levels.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on