ABS has been a terrible system in my eyes. The strike zone has shrunk 100% of the time but despite well over 250 pitches per game, a team can only get 2 challenges incorrect. Even when an umpire misses a call, players usually don't challenge out of fear of losing challenges and because the situation isn't important enough. So pitchers are throwing more balls and the system isn't encompassing enough to compensate. They have the technology to just automate balls and strikes. Calls should be correct 100% of the time, not just if players are able to challenge.
“We know how to get it right instantaneously, every time, and we choose not to because we believe fans come for the drama of seeing if an umpire will call the game correctly, and we don’t want to rob them of that feeling of randomness and suspicion of manipulation.”
It’s dumb it’s not just the default as yall point out. 2 is really dumb and not enough. That said 5 would probably be just fine if they don’t want to do every single pitch.
Yep, my fear with using the ABS for challenges has been that it introduces a new skill, challenging pitches, without fixing most of the problems of bad calls. The challenge system reverses about 2 calls a game on average or maybe about 15% of the misses in an average game (rough estimates). Maybe I will be wrong, but I worry the good framers are also going to be good at challenging. This could cause the teams getting screwed by a good framer on the other team to be even worse as they could end up losing some of the few mistakes in their favor. I hate that tricking the umpire is a skill that helps some teams win. I hate that MLB is creating a new skill that only partially diminishes that skill.
That's not why they are using the challenge system. It's a transition process and they want to make sure it all operates smoothly. This is a multi-billion dollar business and it's always going to move slowly when making major changes. The challenge system will likely be replaced in a couple of years.
When balls and strikes become fully automated, I am curious where catchers will set up. Would they even need to squat? Set up way outside to bait batters?
Astros got enough dudes they are trying to fix. It’d be like going out and trying to get a side piece right when your wife gets the cops called on you.
Imai may need to stay down on the farm, until he figures out American baseball ... and The American Way of Life. There is no need for the Astros to have another struggling pitcher in their starting rotation.
I kind of wish they’d just tell him “we are paying you $50M to play for our team. You are going to take the full 30 day rehab window and not only ramp back up, but you’re going to also get used to being in a 5 man rotation. If you can’t perform, you have the option to retire or renegotiate to void your contract, which we will happily oblige.”
Not that it's really (ever?) enforced, but the catcher would still be required to set up with both feet in the catcher's box - rule 5.02(a)
Emo fans suck too. As discussed elsewhere, Japanese players often face an adjustment period. He could be a bust, or he could figure it out (next season). Playing down in the minor leagues for a while seems like a good move.
He would tell the Astros he's happy to go out there and get blown up every 5 days and collect his $60MM for the next 3 years, if that's what they want.
No fielder shall take a position in the batter’s line of vision, and with deliberate unsportsmanlike intent, act in a manner to distract the batter. - rule 6.04(c)
