Speak Out: This week's sports letters from our readers

Use technology to fix umpires’ strike zone

For the past few games, Fox Sports Wisconsin has kept the FoxTrax strike zone on the screen for every pitch of Milwaukee Brewers games.

It is painfully obvious that no umpire can call balls and strikes correctly. By my count, umpires average 52 mistakes per game. Pitches that are completely inside the rectangle strike zone get called balls and pitches that are way outside the rectangle get called strikes.

When the catcher sets up way inside, sometimes you can’t even see the umpire because he’s behind the batter. How can he call the game from there? 

It is astounding how many batters get called out on pitches that are nowhere near that rectangle. That is just plain unacceptable and it’s embarrassing. We have the technology to get it right, and it is time for Major League Baseball to utilize it.

Al Vick

Menomonee Falls

Swinging with two strikes is a lost art

It is difficult to pick the worst problem among many in today’s game of baseball, but I am sure it is that almost nobody knows how to hit with a two-strike count.

Because of this, strikeouts are excessive, balls are not put into play, pitch counts soar and the games drag on and on. Does nobody teach kids how to choke up and shorten their swing with two strikes anymore? This is Baseball 101.

Ask any high school coach how frustrating it is. Kids won’t take this to heart because all they see are major-leaguers swinging for the fences regardless of the count.

If you want to see a MLB player who does it right, watch Joey Votto (it hurts a little to say that). Or closer to home, watch Hernan Perez. Orlando Arcia or Keon Broxton. Jonathan Villar should pay attention.

Speaking of Perez, he may not be the Brewers most outstanding player, but he is their most valuable. Ask Craig Counsell privately; I bet he’d agree.

Mark Stauffer

Lisbon

Many strikeouts, lack of timely hits for Brewers

With football season just around the corner, it is time for us fans to start practicing our criticism of the coaching staffs. Since the Brewers have not been playing great ball lately, we can start with them.

In a recent game, Brewers manager Craig Counsell refused to call consecutive bunts in the ninth inning of a close game. Manny Pina, who is not a speed merchant, hit into a double play on the first pitch instead of bunting which might have moved the runners to second and third. This wiped out a rally leaving the go ahead run at third with two outs instead of having runners on second and third with one out.

Counsell then compounded matters by pulling starter Jimmy Nelson and letting Jacob Barnes pitch the ninth which resulted in a walk-off home run. Why can’t a pitcher who seems to be in control be allowed to finish with a complete game even though his pitch count may be high whatever that is?

I am sure a lot of pitchers would object to being pulled in that situation, but I guess analytics rule these days by forcing a manager to comply with the “numbers.”

Speaking of numbers how many times have the Brewers stuck out, especially with runners in scoring position? The team is near the top of the NL in strikeouts, and their average for getting hits with runners in scoring position is near the bottom of the league.

They can’t get a bat on the ball. What are hitting coach Darnell Coles and his assistant Jason Lane doing to rectify this? Most of the players’ batting averages are on the decline with the exception of Orlando Arcia’s.

Maybe the Brewers need to change their approach to hitting with more contact and less going for the fences. It also could be that they’re just not that good and are still a year or two away from contention.

Phil Vitrano

Lake Geneva

Letters (no more than 200 words) can be sent by email to: jeff.maillet@jrn.com. Include phone number and city of residence.