![]() ![]() One fan, in particular, loved the nuance of having to prepare for the unpredictability of an umpire’s strike zone. Meanwhile, others rued the fact that the human element in the game – an umpire’s subjectivity, more or less, will go missing with the introduction of the robot umps. Thus, plenty of fans expressed their outrage on Twitter, saying that these kinds of changes “ruin” the sport. And for a sport long defined by its stringent traditions, change definitely won’t be the easiest thing to embrace. Simply put, this is a change that puts baseball in uncharted territory. Officials will then deploy this system in two different ways. The balls and strikes in half of AAA games will be determined by an electronic strike zone, and the other half will be determined by a system similar to one used in professional tennis. An electronic strike zone will be implemented, and The Automatic Balls and Strikes system will be introduced. Per Buster Olney of ESPN, all parks in Triple-A, the highest minor-league affiliate level of MLB teams, will have robot umpires. And perhaps, in the future, human umpires could even find themselves outmoded following the latest revolutionary change baseball is embracing. For next season, the MLB is introducing a pitch clock in an attempt to speed up the game. The introduction of instant replay in the 2010s was just the start of the game’s embrace of technology. A sport long dominated by tradition, convention, and unwritten rules, baseball is embracing major changes entering the 2023 season – changes from which there may be no looking back from. And it's going to bring the fans into the experience.Our robot overlords are here. "What I think it's going to do is add that technology where it's not getting in the way of the game. "They've been a customer for many years utilizing our meetings, our rooms our phone technology and then deeper integrations as we know over the past few years, the way in which people have leveraged video has really evolved," said Janine Pelosi, Zoom's chief marketing officer. For much of 2021 and '22, Zoom replaced in-person media availabilities for players and managers. Zoom, launched in 2011, was increasingly used by MLB teams during the pandemic. We're still I think doing a lot of experimentation and open to really anything as we try things out at the minor league level." For ABS, I think it's too early to say that we're settled on one particular process and technology in the long-run. "We're absolutely going to try things out and see what sticks. "That whole ecosystem is open for innovation and experimentation," Marinak said. ![]() It's too early to determine whether Zoom can be incorporated into robot plate umpires, the automated ball-strike system being tested throughout Triple-A this season. Zoom also will be used by MLB during the first day of the amateur draft in Seattle on July 9. Marinak said the new technology could become available for postseason telecasts, and ballpark videoboards will have access to the Zoom views on the telecasts - which will have the company's branding. "You'll be able to see who's in the chair, who might be with that person, what plays they're looking at, and be able to pair a visual interaction with the traditional audio interaction that they have discussing the call in the field," MLB Chief Operations and Strategy Officer Chris Marinak said.Ī limited number of broadcasts will have access to the Zoom videos being seen by the umps: Apple TV+ and MLB Network Showcase telecasts. The replay umpire still gets the final call. They will be connected to the Zoom contact center and the replay operations center so they can see what replay is being viewed. On-field umps this year will have 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets brought out to them by a technician. Last year, umps switched to a wireless belt pack and MLB for the first time allowed then to announce replays and decisions over ballpark public address systems. The umps walked over to the side of the field through 2013 to listen on a headset, then from 2014-21 an attendant brought out a headset to the field for them. Until now, the on-field crew chief listened to the replay umpire in New York with audio only, joined by the umpire who made the initial call if different from the crew chief. There were 1,434 video reviews last season that included 1,261 team challenges with 50.2% leading to overturned calls. MLB first adopted instant replay in September 2008 for home boundary calls and expanded it to a wide variety of decisions for the 2014 season. allowing on-field umpires to watch the replay operations center evaluating contested calls. Major League Baseball struck a deal with Zoom Video Communications Inc. NEW YORK - Umpires will have a new view this season: on Zoom.
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