logo
MLB All-Star Game is leveling up its intrigue by unveiling automated strike zone

MLB All-Star Game is leveling up its intrigue by unveiling automated strike zone

Major League Baseball tends to come up short on planning ahead. While the Oakland A's franchise caught fire, the higher-ups just sat back and watched it burn. As ballgames crept toward midnight, it took years to institute the simple rules that changed everything.
Now, all of a sudden, we will have an automatic strike zone in the game next season. That's what we're told, anyway, and the lead-up is about as informative as the trailer for 'Alien.' You don't have the slightest idea what's coming.
It won't be robots in umpires' clothing, in case you've been away. Tuesday's All-Star Game will feature the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), a clever way of retaining the umpires but allowing pitchers, hitters and catchers to challenge — and ideally reverse — a bad call.
Teams are allowed two challenges per game, but if they are correct, they're allowed to keep it. Managers have no say in the matter. The challenge must come quickly, and the digital response will be immediate. Video boards will allow fans to view the result at the same time as the teams.
It really does sound quite reasonable, but why keep it under wraps? Just when everyone looked forward to ABS throughout this year's spring training, only 13 ballparks had the technology installed and many players got only a fleeting glimpse. Now it emerges from secrecy, in the All-Star Game, apparently destined for full-time use in 2026.
A great number of players have experienced ABS, which has been used extensively in the minor leagues, but that's a far cry from digital responses deciding a Giants-Dodgers game in September — or the seventh game of a World Series riding on somebody's challenge.
As we prepare to learn on the fly, a few things to keep in mind:
• A lot of All-Stars get only one or two at-bats in the game, and it's a pretty big deal, with families and friends glued to the action. If they're called out on strikes by a terrible call in the third inning, they're bound to challenge. When the games start for real, it will be imperative to back off all such notions until the late innings, when games are in the balance.
(Quick note on better times: Willie Mays came to the plate at least four times in 15 different All-Star Games. When the National League rallied for two runs in the 10th inning to win the 1961 game at Candlestick Park, the key figures in that rally were Mays, Henry Aaron, Frank Robinson and Roberto Clemente.)
• Fun to think about, especially for those who deeply resent incompetent umpiring: A hitter draws a walk on four straight challenges — strikes reviewed as balls — because the blown calls were just that obvious.
• Catchers are understandably upset about losing the art of 'framing' — turning errant pitches into strikes with a flick of the glove — but they can frame to their hearts' content if the opposing team is out of challenges.
• Still, the whole idea behind the new wave of catching — dropping to one knee, instead of the traditional squat — is to make it easier to 'frame' pitches near the dirt. That's about to become a lost art. At the very least, with a runner on third in a crucial situation, catchers will get off that knee so they'll have a better chance to block a bouncing wild pitch with the body (instead of reaching out like an infielder for an improbable backhand stab).
• In a farewell to nuance, umpires won't have the authority to offer a slightly wider strike zone to masters of control (think Greg Maddux or Tarik Skubal), or tightening it for pitchers whose lack of control becomes an annoyance.
• Handy tip for hitters certain that 'strike three' was a ball: No need to fly into a rage and get yourself ejected by an overly sensitive ump. Simply tap your helmet: the designated request for a challenge. You just might get lucky.
Looking elsewhere
• When the Giants drafted outfielder Dakota Jordan out of Mississippi State last year, scouting reports likened his tools to Bo Jackson's: power, speed, explosiveness and a sense he could do just about anything. Assigned to begin his pro career with the Class A San Jose Giants, Jordan was hitting .303 heading into the weekend with 100 hits, nine homers, 67 RBIs and 27 stolen bases (caught just four times) in 78 games, including a 453-foot grand slam. Definitely a prospect worth following.
• Snapshot from the career of pitcher Bobby Jenks, who tragically died of cancer at 44 this month: Breaking in with the White Sox in 2005, he found himself closing ballgames down the stretch and right through a World Series title. As the final two outs went down in Houston, Jenks got two great plays from his shortstop: diving headlong into the stands to catch a foul ball, then charging a slow hopper over the mound to make a bullet throw. That man was Juan Uribe, known around here as the Giants' third baseman on the 2010 champs.
• Something to remember through the endless procession of batters hit on the hand: It's not always the pitcher's fault. Self-preservation is a foreign language to hitters who stand close to the plate, then dive into a pitch that might be only inches off the strike zone. 'I don't think they're even concerned about it,' Texas manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. 'There's no fear. And I mean, fully committing and going right into the pitch. Some guys just have a hard time turning out of the way.'
• It's always fun to hear national writers compare big-league ballparks, with Oracle always ranked among the best. Except there's no longer a debate, not if you've seen those astonishingly gorgeous drone shots on the Giants' telecasts. The Bay, the marina, the Golden Gate Bridge, the stadium itself from angles you've never seen before — no other park comes close.
• With the WNBA All-Star Game coming up on July 19, people wondered how Caitlin Clark would get along with coach Cheryl Reeve (assigned to Clark's team), who helped keep her off the U.S. Olympic team and always seems ready for a catty dismissal. They mused about Clark selecting Angel Reese as the players' draft went down, perhaps to thaw a simmering but lively rivalry.
No chance. Clark suggested the teams trade coaches, which was nice for opposing captain Napheese Collier (coached by Reeve on the Minnesota Lynx) and for Clark's warm relationship with Sandy Brondello. And as the draft went down, Clark clearly wanted no part of Reese.
Quite likely, the feeling was mutual. But Reese has gone out of her way to discount the 'I hate Caitlin' chatter. She seems just a bit resentful of Clark's runaway popularity.
A couple of NBA comparisons come to mind: Moses Malone, like Reese, was the world's greatest rebounder. Grinding out the dirty work, he didn't get nearly the attention of his Philadelphia 76ers teammate, Julius Erving, who staged mind-blowing shows with his dunks and drives in the early '80s. And when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson broke into the NBA, 'we hated each other at the beginning,' Magic said, 'because we wanted to beat the other guy so badly. Eventually, as everyone knows, we became very close friends.'
Maybe I'm naïve, but in time, I can see Clark and Reese sharing some smiles and laughter. That would be just as compelling as a feud.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shohei Ohtani homers in fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record
Shohei Ohtani homers in fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record

Yahoo

time12 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Shohei Ohtani homers in fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani homered for the fifth consecutive game on Wednesday, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 441 feet to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. This is the seventh time in Dodgers history that a player has homered in five consecutive games. Ohtani joins Max Muncy, Joc Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Shawn Green and Roy Campanella in that club. Ohtani, a three-time MVP, is batting .276 with 70 RBIs. He's also pitched well in six games and is scheduled to throw four innings on Monday in Cincinnati as he is getting close in his buildup as a starter, coming back from his second right UCL repair surgery. With an off day on Thursday, Ohtani's next chance to see if he can homer in six consecutive games will be against the Red Sox in Boston. ___ AP MLB:

Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa on Trusting Tyreek Hill: 'It's a Work in Progress'
Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa on Trusting Tyreek Hill: 'It's a Work in Progress'

Fox Sports

time13 minutes ago

  • Fox Sports

Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa on Trusting Tyreek Hill: 'It's a Work in Progress'

Tyreek Hill's work to regain the trust of his Miami Dolphins teammates remains ongoing after the All-Pro wide receiver took himself out of the 2024 regular-season finale and indicated he wanted to play elsewhere. After the Dolphins wrapped up the first day of training camp, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said moving on from Hill's comments hasn't been a quick process. "I would say we're still continuing to do that," Tagovailoa said of rebuilding his relationship with Hill. "But it's not just with me, it's with a lot of the guys. I'm not the only one that heard that. You guys aren't the only people that heard that. A lot of people that follow football, that follow the Miami Dolphins ... everyone has seen that." After a loss to the New York Jets that marked the first time in his career that he had not made the playoffs, Hill told reporters afterward that he was "opening the door" to play for another team. Hill has since walked back those comments and publicly apologized to Tagovailoa and his teammates for the outburst, which he has said was a result of frustrations with a disappointing season. "When you say something like that, you don't just come back from that with a 'Hey, my bad,'" Tagovailoa said Wednesday. "No, you've got to work that relationship up. You've got to build everything up again. It's still a work in progress, not just for me, but for everybody." Hill said Tuesday that the situation caused him to take an inward look and hold himself accountable, adding that he's matured this offseason and plans to be a better leader moving forward. "You can see thus far, the three months that the team has been working at it, that it's a surprise to no one in the building that he's saying that publicly," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. "He's come to work every day with vigor and determination. First and foremost, the only way you can dictate the terms in life is you have to take a realistic evaluation of what's going on. ... Humble, accountable, deliberate, intentional daily focus — that's what we're looking for, and I'm excited for him to get another opportunity to stack another day today." Dolphins made sure Fitzpatrick wanted return to Miami before trade All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick began his second stint with the Dolphins on Wednesday after being dealt to Miami from Pittsburgh in a trade that sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the Steelers. Fitzpatrick was drafted 11th overall by the Dolphins in 2018 but only played for them one full season before requesting a trade in 2019. At the time, he wasn't happy with his role under then-head coach Brian Flores. McDaniel indicated Wednesday that the Dolphins made sure Fitzpatrick was OK with returning to Miami before the move was made. Fitzpatrick participated in Wednesday's practice but has not spoken to reporters since the June 30 trade. "As you enter into negotiations of any sort of trade, you try to identify first and foremost that the player you're receiving wants to play football for you," McDaniel said. "I'm elated to add Minkah to the team because it's an opportunity to have a player that I've been coaching off of and plays the position the way that we here want to play the position. … It's a real good fit based on his skillset." Two players injured on first day of camp Second-year offensive lineman Bayron Matos suffered an undisclosed injury in the final minutes of practice and was flown via helicopter to a hospital. He was in stable condition, the team said. The Dolphins did not release information on the injury. Veteran cornerback Artie Burns, who signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in March, suffered an apparent leg injury after appearing to make contact with another player early in practice. Burns left on crutches. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa Tyreek Hill recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

Tyrese Haliburton praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after NBA Finals: 'MVP for a reason'
Tyrese Haliburton praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after NBA Finals: 'MVP for a reason'

USA Today

time13 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Tyrese Haliburton praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after NBA Finals: 'MVP for a reason'

Despite having every reason to be upset with how the 2025 NBA Finals played out, Tyrese Haliburton has stuck with his glass-half-full perspective on life. The Oklahoma City Thunder won a decisive Game 7 over the Indiana Pacers to capture their first championship. But Haliburton's torn Achilles hovered over the legacy-defining game. Once he went down, the Thunder jogged their way to an NBA championship. Nobody on the Pacers could make up for what the All-Star brings both as a scorer and playmaker. Alas, Haliburton's absence rubbed some folks the wrong way. They view it as a cheap title for the Thunder. Of course you're going to win a game where TJ McConnell was relied upon to create buckets. That said, it comes with the territory of sports. There was always a risk involved as Haliburton played through a calf strain. Appearing on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show," Haliburton had no sour grapes about the Thunder's championship. He went out of his way to compliment Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He's fresh off one of the greatest individual seasons ever highlighted by an MVP, Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP trophies. "Shai is the MVP for a reason. I think that he gets paint touches at an elite level. Does a great job of getting to his spots, can score at all three levels," Haliburton said. "The season he put together is one of the greatest seasons in NBA history." Haliburton has always been complimentary towards Gilgeous-Alexander. He called him the MVP before he won the trophy. What made it more daring for him to say that was that Nikola Jokic was still in a two-man race. He almost led one of the biggest upsets ever but fell just short. A championship counts all the same for the Thunder. They received some injury luck, sure. But so did every other NBA champion in league history. What happened to Haliburton is unfortunate and altered the Pacers' long-term future, but it would've been unreasonable to expect him to sit out with a championship within grasp.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store