Random Observation / Question: Do Baggy Baseball Pants Influence the Strike Zone?

August 6, 2009 By 5 Comments

mlb strike zone - jermaine dyeLast weekend I was lucky enough to catch a baseball game everyday.  Watching the White Sox vs. Yankees series was entertaining, there is not doubt about it.  Sitting in front of the TV I was able to revisit something that has been on my mind:  

Has the advent of the baggy pants (pajamas) in baseball caused the strike zone to change?

My perspective on this is that once the players started to wear loose fitting pants the umpire was no longer able to see exactly where their knee began.  While it is comfortable for them, they are putting themselves behind the eight ball from the umpire’s perspective.

One player that I noticed tried it both ways was Jermaine Dye earlier in the season.  While he only wore the pants in the traditional fashion for a couple of games, to me it was obvious that his strike zone was different.  It would be nice to sit down and discuss this with him.  I wonder if he saw the same thing that I did while I was sitting on my couch?

It is obvious that taller players with long legs are at the biggest disadvantages.  I also think that it has to have some impact on their ability to run.  Just look at Manny Ramirez’s pants.  How can he run in those things?

I guess the bottom line for me is that if you take away the umpires’ point of reference, then don’t complain.  I really wish the players all would go old school and wear their pants in the traditional sense.  Just for arguments sake it would be interesting to see if the strike zone were to go back to the official rule definition of the strike zone.

* – Jermaine Dye photo credit: Getty Images via Daylife

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Filed Under: Featured Column, MLB Tagged With: baseball, Chicago White Sox, jermaine dye, manny ramirez, MLB
  • David in Toledo

    Allegedly Manny Ramirez was hit by a pitch in LA the other night. Except that the pitch seemed, in replay, to brush (maybe) his baggy uniform and was caught (no problem) by the Milwaukee catcher.

    The retaliation pitch by Guillermo Mota bounced off Prince Fielder (no doubt about it).

  • bigyaz

    @David in Toledo,

    Can’t tell from your post, but I assume you know that even a brush of the uniform is still a HBP.

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  • http://www.avgguysports.com Bill K

    Thanks for the comments. I would say yes, the baggy pants influence the strike zone. I think that it almost similar to what the NHL had to do with the goalies a few years back. No big baggy uniforms and over sized equipment.

    bigyaz – you hit on a second point to all this. With baggy uniforms comes more surface area to hit.

  • Ray

    Maybe it does. I hadn't thought about it. You see, I can't get over the fact that the pants today's MLB players wear go all the way to their shoes…disgusting!!! Its such a distration, I can't even watch baseball anymore. I would say I'm looking forward to football season starting, but I'm grossed-out by the multi-colored robot running shoes that have become popular recently. And the fact that both the NCAA champion (Alabama) and the NFL champion (New Orleans) wear these types of cletes, means that more and more teams will start wearing them as well…yuck!!!