Today we launched a new and improved 3D interface in Gameday that provides unprecedented and exclusive control over their view of the batter vs. pitcher matchup that is at the heart of the game. Click here to access Gameday for any of today's games.

Rather than seeing each pitch from a fixed viewpoint, you can use the controls in the 3D interface to zoom in or out, rotate around the action, or tilt up and down. There are a set of pre-defined positions (behind the pitcher, behind the batter or "high home") available if you choose to stick to those, or you can take over the controls at any time for a better look at the pitches from any point in the game:

* Use the multi-directional arrow button to rotate the camera around the field, or tilt it up or down;

* Use the white slide bar to zoom the view in or out;

* Click the View button to move between pre-selected positions, which auto-adjust based on the batter's side and/or pitcher's throwing hand;

* Mouseover the circle at the end of any pitch trail to highlight that specific pitch.

You can also use the new 3D interface to review any previous at-bat from throughout the game; just click the Pitch-by-Pitch button, then click the batter's or pitcher's name in the table to replay the pitches for the entire at-bat.

Plus, each pitch - fastball, slider, curve, changeup, etc. - is now identified in a different color scheme so you can quickly and easily see which pitchers stick to the heat and who mixes in the breaking stuff. Pitch location, velocity, movement, repertoire... every tool at the pitcher's disposal is represented here.

This new technology was developed in partnership Plug-In Media of Brighton, England, and we hope everyone will enjoy it as much as we are proud of it. We look forward to your feedback!

Thanks,

The Gameday team

Also, here are answers to two commonly asked questions about Gameday:

Q: What are the PFX and BRK values?

A: "Break" is the greatest distance between the trajectory of the pitch at any point between the release point and the front of home plate, and the straight line path from the release point and the front of home plate. "Pitch-f/x" is the distance between the location of the actual pitch thrown over the plate, and the calculated location of a ball thrown by the pitcher in the same way, with no spin. Or, in more common terms, this is the amount of "movement" the pitcher applies to the pitch. A faster, straighter pitch like a fastball will have a higher Pitch-f/x value than a slower, breaking ball like a curveball, which will have a higher Break value.

Q: How do you determine pitch types?

A: We compare specific properties of each pitch -- its speed at release and where it crosses the plate, velocity and acceleration in three dimensions, as well as angle and degree of break -- to those of previously defined "control" pitches, then evaluates the similarity of each property to that of each control pitch to determine an overall likelihood of the pitch type. The most likely pitch type is then selected.

Additional logic is applied to weight the results towards specific pitch types for each pitcher; for instance, this will limit the likelihood of a pitch being labeled as a split-finger fastball if the pitcher is not known to throw this pitch. However, certain pitch types are not completely restricted, in the event the pitcher later introduces that pitch to his repertoire.

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Thanks for everyone's feedback, we really do read everything even if we don't respond that often. We hope everyone enjoys the features we have added and changes we've made, many of which were in direct response to comments on this blog. Plus, we have some additional cool new stuff that we hope to release within the next few weeks.

Happy baseball!

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First and foremost, we upgraded the Flash engine that runs Gameday to provide much faster and smoother performance than ever before. You will need to upgrade to Flash 9.0.115 if you haven’t already done so (click here), but it’s a very quick update and definitely worth it!

Once you have Gameday up and running, you’ll see that we’ve overhauled the design and layout to make it easier to read and easier to use. Gone are the tiny fonts and black background that made Gameday  too hard to read, which have been replaced by larger, darker fonts against a lighter background. In other words, Gameday looks now like something you can actually read! Later on this season we will also be introducing Gameday mini, a tiny version of Gameday for the multi-taskers to dock on the side of the computer screen while you work.

There’s more to read this year, too, since we’ve integrated Gameday with our in-depth game Previews and Wrapup coverage, to provide one-stop shopping for each game from beginning to end, and beyond. Watch for video previews for each game and, before too long, post-game highlights in the wrapups.

Video isn’t just for before and after the game, either… as you all know, MLB.com is all about live baseball, so this season we’ll be providing exclusive in-game video highlights right in the Gameday window. Each game will feature about a dozen high-quality video highlights of top plays, each posted within minutes after the action occurs on the field.

But Gameday isn’t just about video, it’s always been about providing the fastest and most detailed information about what’s happening on the field. Last year we ramped up the Pitch-f/x technology to provide pitch speed, trajectory and location data for about half of the games played around the league. This year we’ll be providing that data for all games played in each MLB ballpark, starting with this Sunday night’s game in Washington.

In addition to expanding this technology to include all games, this season MLB.com will be the first provider ever to offer real-time pitch identification (fastball, curveball, even knuckleballs!) for every pitch thrown in every game. We’ve worked closely with several MLB clubs to develop this feature and believe it will provide an entirely new way to enjoy the game and appreciate the incredible ability of Major League pitchers.

Finally, later this season we’ll introduce a fully functional 3D pitch environment with a new set of features that will present the pitch data like you’ve never seen before. You’ll have the ability to select the camera angle, zoom in and out, pan across the field, and isolate different pitches in a light-weight, easy to use interface.

All of these changes were carefully planned to incorporate as much user feedback and requests as possible. Thanks to everyone who has posted on this blog, with both positive and negative comments… we’ve read everything and taken many suggestions into account as we built what we think will be the best Gameday yet.

Bookmark: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday

Keep the feedback coming, and let’s play ball!

Thanks,
The MLB.com Gameday Team

Update from the Chat team -- it is anticipated that Chat will be released sometime before Postseason this year. The Gameday team has seen it working in our test environment. We hope our fans will like it as much as we do when it launches. Stay tune.

We've completely retired the old chat engine for a number of reasons: it was unreliable, could only support a very limited number of concurrent users, was very limited in features and was not integrated with other products.

In its place, we will be rolling out a completely revamped chat service by the All-Star break. However, it will not be a Gameday-only chat; instead, it will be better integrated with MLB.TV, the Fantasy Open and other products, with the goal of creating a more complete and immersive user experience.

We know that chat has been a very popular feature of Gameday so we are working hard to restore it and appreciate everyone's patience while we build out this new version.

Thanks,

The MLB.com Gameday team

Most importantly, last Thursday we rolled out a new version of the application that is significantly less resource-intensive for your computers, and that drastically increases the speed and performance of the 3D pitch view. In fact, by our measurements the application is even faster now in the 3D viewing mode than last year's version was in 2D! If you've been hesitant to use the 3D mode due to the strain on your computer, please try it again and let us know if you don't think it's noticeably faster.

In addition, we've made several other additions, enhancements and changes to make Gameday more informative and easier to use:

·         Added batter's boxes and baselines in 3D view for better context and a more realistic depiction of the field; look for these features in the 2D view in coming weeks;

·         Added pitch mouseovers in 3D view to provide more data about the pitch;

·         Redesigned the Game Summary to make it easier to read and navigate;

·         The Box Score "snaps" to the table of the batting team and highlights the row for the current batter (as does the Lineup tab);

·         Added start times to the Scoreboard, plus an indicator when starting lineups are posted for each game;

·         The Scoreboard for each game flashes whenever either team scores, so you can keep track of events around the league;

·         Added more clicks to the Player Cards under the headshots for the current pitcher and batter, plus from the on deck and in-the-hole hitter names.

Finally, we've launched the Pitch-f/x program in Oakland so that detailed pitch data is now available for all A's home games for the rest of the season. We are continuing to ramp up the hardware and software to operate this program in all ballparks across the league so watch for more as the season progresses.

Thanks again for your interest in Gameday and for your patience while we ironed out some of the rough edges from the start of the season. We remain committed to making Gameday the fastest, most detailed and most informative way to follow any live sport online, and we'll keep working towards that goal.

Enjoy the games!

-- The MLB.com Gameday team

Below is a list of some of the main questions and comments posted on the blog since Opening Day. Yes, we have been listening, and we will do our best to address as many of the concerns expressed here as we can. We hope that everyone who took the time to post comments will also read through the FAQ to learn more about the changes we've made, what we're working on now and what our plans are in the future.

Although some of the comments suggest otherwise, we didn't make these changes without considering you, the fans... in fact, feedback on this blog (feedback, feedback and more feedback) during the 2006 postseason was extremely favorable towards the debut of the Pitch-f/x data, so our goal was to incorporate this new data into the main Gameday interface and provide the best of both worlds in one place: the most detailed and exclusive data possible along with all of the other Gameday features that everyone has come to enjoy.

All of the changes we made to Gameday this year were thoroughly and carefully planned by a group of passionate baseball fans who are committed to making this application the fastest, most detailed and most informative way to follow any live sport online. That has been our commitment since we first launched Gameday in 2001 and hasn't changed.

Thanks again for your feedback on Gameday '07, keep the comments coming!

-- The MLB.com Gameday team

Q: Why did you get rid of the "classic" version of Gameday?

A: Actually, it's still there: the out-of-town scoreboard and current game information are still in the top header; the field view options and complete game play-by-play are still in the left column; the pitcher vs. batter matchup is detailed in the center column; the box score is still in the right column. The changes we made to Gameday this year were almost entirely to accommodate the detailed pitch speed, trajectory and location data -- the "Pitch-f/x data" -- that is exclusive to MLB.com. The pitcher vs. batter matchup is at the heart of the game of baseball and we felt that making changes to add more detail on this matchup would ultimately result in a more informative and entertaining product.

Q: Can I still use the "classic" version of Gameday?

A: Games from 2006 and earlier are still available in the version of Gameday that was current when they were played. However, all games in 2007 and beyond will be provided solely in the 2007 version of Gameday.

Q: Why is Gameday using up so much of my CPU?

A: This is a major concern for us and we are taking steps to make Gameday less resource-intensive on your computers. The first step is the addition of an "Options" button in the upper right hand corner of the window, which allows you to enable or disable the 3D pitch illustrations and other animated features in the interface. Selecting the "2D" and/or "Less" options will significantly reduce the processing power required by Gameday. In addition, the 2D view is now the default for all games where we do not have the Pitch-f/x data available, so we won't be using excessive processing power for features that don't exist. Going forward we'll continue to examine and fine-tune the entire application to make it as lean as possible.

Q: Why is the Gameday window so big?

A: Gameday is the same size as last year in terms of height, almost to the pixel. While it is indeed wider, this change was made to accommodate the exclusive new pitch data we've added this year. Still, the new Gameday window size still fits completely on the screen of any 1024x768 monitor, as do all pages on MLB.com.

Q: Why is the Pitch-f/x data only shown for some games but not others?

A: The Pitch-f/x technology is currently up and running in eight ballparks -- Atlanta, Chicago (White Sox), Los Angeles (Angels and Dodgers), San Diego, Seattle, Texas and Toronto -- so this new data is currently only available for games played in those ballparks. However, the system will be operational in all 30 ballparks by the end of the season, so expect to see the Pitch-f/x data for more and more games as the season progresses.

Q: What is the PFX value?

A: The "Pitch-f/x" value is currently defined as the measurement of the distance between the location of the actual pitch thrown over the plate, and the calculated location of a ball thrown by the pitcher in the same way, with no spin; this is the value we provided in Enhanced Gameday last season as "Break". The new Break value, which we feel is more appropriate for the common understanding of the term, is defined as the measurement of the greatest distance between the trajectory of the pitch at any point between the release point and the front of home plate, and the straight line path from the release point and the front of home plate. By this definition, a Barry Zito curveball will have a much greater Break value than a Brad Penny fastball.

(By the way, the "camera control" in the 3D batter area allows you to view each pitch from any of six different viewpoints, so you can see the trajectory and location of each pitch from multiple angles.)

Q. Where are the results of the previous at-bats?

A: Although we haven't restored the mouseover to the current batter's headshot, we've added labeling to the display of the previous at-bats under the picture. In addition, you can find the results of previous at-bats for any batter by selecting any at-bat from the Game Summary table in the lower left corner, under the field graphic. This will refresh the headshots to display the pitcher and batter for the selected at-bat, and the results of all at-bats for the selected batter will be displayed underneath the picture.

Q: Why is the boxscore so small? Why is ad so big?

A: The box score is the same size as ever, includes the same depth of data and is updated just as quickly as ever before. However, the ad size provided here is what is preferred by the sponsors, whose support for Gameday allows us to make this feature available for free. Although more of the box score is obscured this year by the ad, you can quickly and easily switch to the batting table for the visiting or home team, or the pitching table, by clicking on one of the three local links directly under the linescore.

Q: Where are chat rooms?

A: We are completely rebuilding the chat rooms to provide a better and more useful user experience. We know the chat rooms are a popular feature and will make them available again as soon as possible!

Q: Where is the key that defines the different pitch types?

A: We'll be restoring this key -- green for balls, red for strikes and blue for hit into play -- in the very near future.

Q: What other enhancements and improvements are coming?

A: We're committed to constantly improving and enhancing Gameday, and here are a few things in the works for the coming weeks:

* Batter's boxes and foul lines will be added to the 3D pitcher/batter area to provide a more realistic depiction of the field and better context;

* A redesigned Game Summary in the lower left corner will make that game information easier to navigate and more useful;

* In-game video highlights are available now and will be provided even more frequently as the season progresses;

* The "alerts" ticker will be restored soon, and will ultimately include a feature you can use to get alerts that will help you follow your fantasy or favorite players in other games;

* Eventually, real-time pitch types -- fastball, curveball, slider, etc. -- will be available for games where the Pitch-f/x system is operational.

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We finally launched brand-new Gameday 2007 last week with the debut of Mexican League Games. Despite the last minute rush, we dare say it was much more smooth sailing than we anticipated. This past Thursday March 29, Gameday moved on to Spring Training. There are still a few wrinkles to iron out, but for those of you who want a sneak-peek of the new Gameday before the season opener, be on the lookout for Gameday icons appearing on the Homepage and Scoreboard page in the next few days. We may even have 3D pitch data available for the Freeway Series Games (LA Angels vs LA Dodgers).

This season we have incorporated many of the changes suggested in the comments received so far from last year's Postseason Games. This includes: merging of "Classic" mode and "Enhanced" mode together so you don't have to switch between modes to see core game information; adding pitch number in the 3D area; improving and expanding the user interface of Game Archive; improving visibility of scoreboard design; expanding camera angle options; and modifying the break calculation to better represent baseball fan's definition of breaks (more on this later). You may also notice a new statistics captured -- the pFX number. In the next few months we will be providing more information about these new statistics as well as tidbits about Gameday you might enjoy.

While we try to make the application as robust as possible, there are always inevitable bugs here and there. If you are experiencing problems with Gameday 2007, feel free to report it in the comments section.

The new version of chat features an upgraded user interface and a more scalable platform driving the backend of the system.  We hope the chat feature provides you with a more integrated community experience to further increase your enjoyment of Gameday.

Please share your comments on any improvements you'd like to see in chat for 2007.  Thank you.

Below is a brief Q&A that we hope will address many of the questions and comments raised during the course of yesterday's game. Enhanced Gameday is underway for today's Athletics at Twins game, and we will be offering this feature for additional selected games throughout the postseason, so look for continued improvements as we work to make this the most informative and fan-friendly application possible. Thanks again for your feedback!

Q: What happened to my old Gameday?
A: Enhanced Gameday is not a replacement for Classic Gameday, but instead is a complement to it. Our goal is to provide new and informative information about the batter vs. pitcher matchup, which has never before been available before in real time. However, we did not want to disrupt the current display so we added Enhanced Gameday as a new window and provided the ability to quickly toggle back and forth between the two. The two views will be more seamlessly integrated in future versions.

Q: Where is the runners-on-base indicator?
A: This was added during the game in response to your feedback.

Q: Where are the box score, lineup tab, field graphic and play-by-play?
A: These features are still available in Classic Gameday, which can be accessed by clicking the Gameday icon in the upper left corner of the screen.

Q: Where does this data come from?
A: A series of high-speed cameras are installed in the ballpark, which record dozens of images of each pitch in real time. From those images we are able to determine the speed, trajectory and location of the pitch at any point along its path from the pitcher towards home plate. That pitch data is merged with the stats data entered by our scorekeepers in the ballpark and then presented in Enhanced Gameday.

Q: Why are the pitch locations different in Enhanced Gameday vs. Classic Gameday?
A: The pitch locations in Classic Gameday are entered by our scorers in the ballpark, but are not exact; they are the best human attempt to approximate the location of the pitch. The high-speed camera system in Enhanced Gameday makes it far more accurate than the locations previously available in Classic Gameday.

Q: Why show two speed values for each pitch?
A: The first value represents the speed of the pitch as it leaves the pitcher's hand, and the second shows the speed of the pitch as it crosses the front of the plate. Wind resistance, spin and gravity cause the ball to decelerate starting the instant the ball leaves the pitcher's hand, so any single speed value doesn't tell the entire story about the pitch.

The following color scale describes the variation in pitch trajectory colors based on the average pitch speed:

Q: Why is break provided as on value instead of one each for horizontal and vertical?
A: We consulted with players, front-office staff, broadcasters and physicists before settling on one number to represent the overall break of the pitch. A pitch does not move in separate horizontal and vertical planes, but rather follows a smooth curve as it goes from the pitcher to home plate, so the single break value takes this overall movement into account. Look for further explanation of "break", and possibly more data, in the near future.

Q: Why not display pitch type (fastball, curve, etc.)?
A: This is a feature we expect to add during the 2007 season.

Q: Will I be able to view the pitch data presented in other ways (by pitcher, average speed, etc.)?
A: We will continue to expand the presentation of the pitch data during the 2007 season, based largely on user feedback of how the data would be most useful.

Q: Can I mouse over the pitch graphic for more information?
A: This is a feature we hope to add during the postseason but if not it will be included during the 2007 season.

Q: Why use the 3/4 view instead of straight-on?
A: Using a straight-on view would limit our ability to display the trajectory of the pitch, so we slightly rotated the view to provide the best possible perspective. (The standard camera angle when watching on TV is also slightly offset from center.) Currently you can choose between a 3/4 view from behind the pitcher or behind the pitcher, and future versions of Enhanced Gameday will allow you to customize the angle and vantage point from which the pitch is displayed.

Q: Why are the strike zone and previous pitch lines so dim against the black background?
A: We will adjust the color scheme in the near future to make these features more prominent