Trailer - Umpire Tmac Mic'd Up During Pro Game

Coming up this offseason, Close Call Sports, in partnership with Batboy Productions, will follow Tmac on the field, as he wears a microphone while umpiring professional baseball. Join us as we Play Ball from an Umpire's Perspective.

This "Game in the Life of an Umpire" feature includes several key elements during a baseball game, including pre-game preparation, the on-field plate meeting at home, plays in the field, and discussions and conversations with players, coaches, and other umpires.

Video as follows:

Playing the Times' 'You Be the Ump' Strike Zone Game

After the New York Times released an online "You Be the Ump" strike zone game, we decided to test our RoboUmp skills at this simulation of what virtual home plate umpires see...in a matter of speaking.

Lindsay discusses certain aspects of the simulation's accuracy (or lack thereof) regarding the umpire's point of view and absence of a catcher, as well as technical topics such as the width of a baseball or officiating mechanics such as working the slot.

Video as follows:

2022 No-Hitter 4, Tripp Gibson (1; HOU Combined)

HP Umpire Tripp Gibson called the Houston #Astros' combined no-hitter vs the #Phillies in Philadelphia in Game 4 of the 2022 #WorldSeries, joined by 1B Umpire Lance Barksdale, 2B Umpire Alan Porter, 3B Umpire James Hoye, LF Umpire Pat Hoberg, and RF Umpire and Crew Chief Dan Iassogna.

Gibson officiated Cristian Javier, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly's combined no-hitter with a net accuracy of 96.0%.

This is Tripp Gibson's first career MLB no-hitter and the first postseason no-hitter since October 6, 2010, when HP Umpire John Hirschbeck called Roy Halladay's no-hitter.

This is the first Major League no-hitter since June 25, 2022 (Alex Tosi; Houston Combined).

The UEFL f/x look:

Balls: 83 called balls outside strike zone / 5 called balls within strike zone = 83/88 = 94.3% accuracy.

Strikes: 36 called strikes within strike zone / 0 called strike outside strike zone = 36/36 = 100% accuracy.

Total Raw Accuracy Score: 119/124 = 96.0% accuracy (+3 PHI [Favored Philadelphia by 3 pitches]).

Video as follows:

Pat Hoberg Calls Perfect Game in World Series Gm 2

Home Plate Umpire Pat Hoberg called a perfect game during Houston's victory over Philadelphia in Game 2 of the 2022 #WorldSeries between the Phillies and Astros. He saw 129 callable pitches—which includes balls and called strikes but excludes all swings—and officiated all of them correctly.

The reason Fox Sports' FoxTrax on-screen TV graphic zone may have differed from Hoberg's pitch calling is a tale as old as PitchCast, StatCast, Pitch f/x, and QuesTec, combined. Television visualizations still have trouble with vertical strike zones (computers have problems drawing these zones too), while PitchCast sacrifices accuracy for expediency, leading to errors in broadcast TV depictions.

The UEFL f/x look:

Balls: 89 called balls outside strike zone / 0 called balls within strike zone = 89/89 = 100% accuracy.

Strikes: 40 called strikes within strike zone / 0 called strikes outside strike zone = 40/40 = 100% accuracy.

Total Raw Accuracy Score: 129/129 = 100% accuracy (+0 Nu [Neutral Skew, favored neither team]).

Video as follows: