In the seventh inning of a recent game between the Red Sox and the Braves, Atlanta’s Peter Moylan fired a two-strike fastball to Kevin Youkilis. Although the home plate umpire called it a ball, Braves fans could’ve been forgiven for thinking the pitch nipped the outside corner. Viewers in Boston, however, knew the ump made the right call.
This difference of opinion wasn’t the result of home-team favoritism. Rather, it stemmed from differences in the local television broadcasts. The Red Sox telecast on NESN is one of only three in Major League Baseball that places its main camera directly behind the pitcher in straightaway center field. The other 27 clubs, including the Braves, put the camera off-center, about 10 to 15 degrees toward left field. That offset angle means the vast majority of baseball fans get a skewed sense of the pitcher-hitter confrontation, the matchup at the very heart of baseball. For fans of the Braves and most other teams, judging balls and strikes is a matter of guesswork.
I never really thought about the difference, since NESN is what is usually on at my house.
Pretty cool though. Love NESN's perspective.
It was over 15 years ago, but I promise that I saw a stadium move the camera right above the pitcher from the outfield for the perfect angle. It changed the viewing experience by 1000% (This was before the Internet and I didn't care enough to find out why.) But it was great.