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Alex Cora: Red Sox ‘have to take the emotional part of it out of the equation’ with ABS system
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- Alex Cora: Red Sox ‘have to take the emotional part of it out of the equation’ with ABS system
HOUSTON — Red Sox ’ Ceddanne Rafaela challenged a strike call on the first pitch of his at-bat Tuesday, in the third inning with one out and nobody on base, against the Astros .
He lost.
That is not the place to use the ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) system. The Red Sox have already lost a few challenges like that one early in games in low-leverage spots.
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Boston ran out of their ABS challenges during the third inning Saturday in Cincinnati when Roman Anthony tried to overturn a strike call with the count 3-1 . It came after catcher Carlos Narváez unsuccessfully tried to get a ball overturned to a strike for starter Sonny Gray during the second inning.
Anthony said after Saturday’s game that he wasted the second challenge.
“The situation, 3-1, didn’t call for it,” Anthony said. “Stupid on my end and won’t happen again.”
Manager Alex Cora was asked before Wednesday’s game if he had spoken with Rafaela about approach.
Cora said the Red Sox staff has been talking with its players about awareness since spring training.
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“We have our system, we know the rules, but at the end, what happens in between the lines, sometimes emotions take over,” Cora said. “And we have to take the emotional part of it out of the equation. Like the other day with Narvi (Narváez). He wanted that strikeout. He knows that Ranger (Suárez) is kinda finding it but struggling. And that’s, ‘Let me get this one.’ And that’s why he did it.”
Narváez has won just one of his four challenges from behind the plate so far.
Overall, the Red Sox have challenged 11 calls and have been successful on five for a 45% success rate. The hitters have won three out of six challenges.
The MLB average is a 55% success rate (58% with catchers and pitchers, 52% with batters).
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“It’s a process. It’s a new system,“ Cora said. ”Some of them have been part of it in the minor leagues. Others have been detached from the system for three years or two years. They haven’t seen it, and there’s emotions involved. That’s the reality of it. So we have to kind of like slow it down. Sometimes it’s even like, play it without thinking that there’s a system until later in the game. Just play it straightforward.
“But at the same time, as a hitter, you know there’s a system there, and you believe that pitch is a ball,” Cora added. “It’s your at-bat. You’re like, ‘forget that. This is a ball.’ Sometimes you’re gonna be right. Sometimes you’re gonna be wrong.”
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