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Why MLB managers, executives think full ABS may be too far
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The MLB knew they could be heading down a slippery path once ABS challenges to balls and strikes took effect. Challenging out and foul calls added an element that umpires could miss with the naked eye on bang-bang plays, but taking away an umpire’s ability to call balls and strikes could lead to robot umpires. It’s something that managers and executives are thinking about , according to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark.
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“What I would miss,” Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, “is the umpire/manager, umpire/catcher, umpire/pitcher/batter relationship. I don’t think that needs to go away. I think you have umpires that are loaded with personality, and it’s good for the game.”
While some believe that there is no room for human error in sports anymore, which could be true for some, there is a classic feel that remains with baseball that would hurt the product if it went away. It can be frustrating when umpires get things terribly wrong, but the old-school baseball people would hate to see umpires who are just there to relay a message and not put their own spin on the strike zone.
“Imagine the absurdity of going to full ABS but forcing the home-plate umps to stand there all night behind the catcher, even though computers are calling every pitch. Might as well just give them a comfy deck chair to lounge in until there’s a play at the plate,” Stark stated.
The new balls-and-strikes ABS challenges do take away from umpire identities in some ways, but they still get to call the game if teams are reluctant to use two of their challenges.
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