What if Baseball was Scored Like the Olympics…

The winter Olympics. I like one event. Curling. What can I say…

What never fails is from 6:00am to 11:59pm each broadcast day all I see is Figure Skating and X games stuff. Not for me. The curling events that I enjoy so much usually end up on ESPN the Ocho at 3:00am. I like curling as it is a scored event. Rules, regulations.. nothing subjective. Your stone is either closer to the middle or it’s not. Many Olympic events are “judged.”

Could you imagine if baseball was scored with judges rather than by the current rules?

Base hits would be given an associated stat value considering strength, technique, distance. The old adage, “They’re all line drives in the scorebook,” would no longer apply.

Runners could be ordered back to a previous base for improper baserunning.

Home runs would only score as many runs as the batter’s performance would allow. Line drive vs. Fly ball, Power alley vs. Pull side vs. Opposite field. Just clears the wall vs. Smashes through Ed’s Corvette windshield in the upper parking lot.

Pitchers could attain extra points for improved mechanics and form. Did he dip his elbow? Extra points for a sidearm toss. Swinging strike or Looking? Those backwards K’s could be counted twice.

Celebrations would come into consideration as a new stat category. Dance’s would be timed and judged on content, theme, music and execution.

Final scores would be assessed by a panel of judges.

Using judges to score contests make it subjective and when it comes to an event where countries compete against each other it becomes political, opening the door for unjust bias. I just don’t enjoy it.

Now I understand that umpires and referees can make mistakes. You could make the case that balls and strikes are subjective to an umpire but in that case the rules are concrete. It’s less about personal opinion and more about capability of that specific umpire.

Is it April yet?

OinK