Getting in the Zone
“Strike three!” Yelled the umpire as he stood signaling towards the Yankees dugout. Greg Bird grabbed the barrel of his bat in disgust as he started to walk back to his teammates. The pitch that had just struck him out was right below his knees, and he didn’t like the call one bit. The call that has been known as the 50/50 ball, fell fate to the strikeout once again claiming yet another victim.
These are the types of calls Rob Manfred is attempting to stop, while simultaneously speeding up gameplay. First reports of the proposal surfaced in early February, along with taking out the walking part of the intentional walk. The strike zone rule on the other hand, is a major change to the game and how it is taught to the younger generation. Major League Baseball players have some say in the matter, before it is passed, it must be passed by the Players’ Association prior to the implementation of the change.
As if the country wasn’t already polarized enough, the commissioner is testing the integrity of America’s pastime and splitting up households. The domino effect that could potentially be in play is a huge one. One that could change how prospects look at the sport, how coaches scout players, the way the game is called, and lastly how these prospects are taught to the play the game.
“Growing up, that’s all my dad taught me.”
Said Reid Kelly, an MBA student at New York State University at Oswego. Kelly, has played baseball for a total of 15 years and pitched all of them.
“I throw a cutter, a sinker, and a 12–6 curve. If the rule changes my pitches become less effective. Growing up all I heard was Pound the zone.” Said Kelly
“Throw it low. Try to get the ball to break to the lower third of the zone, it’ll keep the ball out of the stands and in the park. You know as a pitcher growing up, that concept is instilled in your head. If you leave it up in the zone it’s much easier for the batter to make solid contact.” Were the words he uttered lighting up with a smile.
There’s something about the game. Something about hitting a ball with a bat that leaves the crowd in awe. The sound of the contact when the ball and the bat collide, the pop of the ball hitting the glove, whatever it is people keep coming back for more.
“We have a lot of the same problems in collegiate ball as in professional baseball. I don’t think they really call it like they should according to the book. The changes they are making will most likely trickle down to the college level and quite frankly, I wouldn’t be opposed to the rule if it gives my guys a better chance at hitting the ball. Said head coach Scott Landers of the Oswego State baseball team.
The Lakers shattered the program record for the most single-season wins with a 35–11 record, and along the way, winning the school’s first NCAA regional game since 1984. Since that victory in ’84, the game had changed. The strike zone especially hasn’t been the most consistent of rules. In 1988, the league changed the definition of the strike zone. The “book” coach Landers referred to was the rule book and it now read:
“The Strike Zone is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the top of the knees. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.”
This just meant it was another spot the batter had to worry about covering when the ball came his way. It gave a better definition of the zone but it also changed the perception of a strike call. The ball thrown below the knees was exactly just that, a ball. Nine years later, the league changed it back and made the ball at the knee a strike once again for pitchers to take advantage.
“Well the league has changed and although this was good at the time, for baseball you have to think of the era it was in. People were taking steroids so that pitch at the knees wasn’t as much of a deal to hitters because they already had an advantage over the pitcher” Said Sam Watkins.
Watkins has followed baseball for years and covers the sport at the collegiate level at Oswego. After covering the game and broadcasting it for more than six years Watkins is not in favor of the rule changing back to the ways of 1988.
“People are being taught to pitch a certain way. The way I call games from a broadcasting prospective has changed. I’m hesitant to call a strike a strike and a ball a ball because it’s confusing what the league sees and the umpires interpret it as. If you keep flip-flopping back and forth these prospects that are coming out aren’t going to know how to play the game the right way. The thing about a rule is it needs consistency. It needs to be concrete so these players know what to expect at the next level” Watkins exclaimed.
The proposal by the Major League will change the strike zone by around 27 square inches and will raise the lower third of the zone by two inches. For most of the hitters in the league this would help tremendously when facing a guy like Jon Lester. The cutter that he throws comes down on the zone and makes it hard for hitters to get solid contact. This would result in the ball being popped up or even a ground ball and keeps the ball from the bleachers. Since the early 2000’s the crackdown on performance enhancing drugs has increased dramatically.
So now the question is, who would benefit more. Which side of the sport? The guy in the batter’s box that doesn’t to cover as much of the zone with his bat? Or the pitcher that just had two inches of the zone shaved off. It’s no doubt that the change would produce more plays or runs which is what the commissioner’s office wants, but who stands to benefit the most. Only after the players approve the rule can we find out if Manfred’s theory is true.
