1. + How Home Plate Umpires Effect MLB Baseball Antonia Ferguson December 2, 2009

2. + Are umpires the most accurate way to call balls and strikes? On average umpires are 90% accurate in calling balls and strikes. This means that on average 30 pitches are called incorrectly during a game. Umpires have been found to consistently call a strike zone that is not defined by the MLB rulebook. An electronic strike zone is 99.99% accurate. This system is already installed in all MLB stadiums, and is currently used to track the accuracy of the home plate umpire.

3. + Umpire Background 17, four man crews Rotation Home, third, second, first, back to home Assigned randomly to a series Series is 3 consecutive games with the same two teams All umpires should have similar statistics

4. + Strike Zone “The Strike Zone is defined as 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 hollow beneath the kneecap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.”

5. + Example in the difference of the strike zone

6. + Why is a consistent strike zone important? Batter and Pitcher rely on it Coaches are forced to make different decisions based on who is behind the plate Game outcomes have the potential to be different.

7. + Graph of Balls and Strikes: Width

8. + Graph of Balls and Strikes: Height

9. + Example of an MLB Umpire Strike Zone

10. + More Accurate Strike Zone

11. Top 15 Most Strikeout-Friendly Umpires UmpireGamesR/GBB/GK/G Jeff Kellogg2010.26.815.3 Bruce Drekman1911.26.915.1 John Hirschbeck178.55.514.9 Brian Gorman198514.4 Jim Reynolds188.87.914.2 Mike Everitt1911.27.714.1 Charlie Reliford188.44.914.1 Mike Winters198.46.614.1 Tony Randazzo199.46.913.9 Gary Darling209.76.213.8 Doug Eddings218.45.113.8 Marvin Hudson179.16.413.8 Ted Barrett2110.45.913.6 Laz Diaz188.85.813.6 Brian Runge1910.26.913.5

12. The 15 Strictest Umpires UmpireGamesR/GBB/GK/G Lance Barksdale1510.76.510.7 Tim Welke2010.86.811.1 Gerry Davis1911.57.611.3 Tim McClelland2110.17.411.4 Ed Montague1911.37.311.4 Rob Drake1511.37.211.5 Gary Cederstrom1811.26.811.6 Jerry Meals209.66.211.7 Wally Bell2010.55.411.8 C.B. Bucknor2010.2612.1 Eric Cooper189.65.712.1 Mark Wegner189.26.912.1 Bruce Froemming198.97.712.2 Jerry Layne1911.16.912.2 Ed Rapuano208.86.512.3

13. + What does this mean? Coaches pitch pitchers based on the home plate umpire Low BBPG and high KPG pitch a strike out pitcher High BBPG and low KPG pitch a ground ball pitcher Andy Pettitte 10/2 K/BB with Laz Diaz (15 friendliest) behind the plate Two starts later had ¾ K/BB with Jerry Layne (15 strictest) umpping 32 starters stats were examined on games umpped by John Hirschbeck Studying Hirschbeck IPERA WHIP(Wins+Hi t)/ Innings pitched K/9K/BB All SP in Hirschbeck games only197.24.11.396.62.23 Same SP, season total2637.251.465.831.83

14. + Why there should be a electronic strike zone

15. + Conclusion Umpires are inaccurate No instant replay for balls and strikes Call cannot be overturned Solutions Electronic strike zone Redefine the strike zone

16. + Questions?

17. + Works Cited Beyond the Boxscore http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/7/3/937376/why-it- matters-umpires-computers Hardball Times http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/that-was-a-strike/ Sports Illustrated http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/fantasy/07/21/sixty.feet/1.html Zimbio http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/QibolqmSAFg/Los+Angeles+Dodg ers+v+St+Louis+Cardinals+Game/c2MffaMeF3Z/Albert+Pujols