NEW YORK — For at least two years, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has made it clear that if some form of automated strike zone was offered to the majors, he would prefer it to be a challenge system – used a handful of times per game – rather than one system used on every pitch. On Thursday, he said others seemed to be coming around to that view, but much remained up in the air regarding the actual implementation of the automatic ball-strike system, or ABS for short, in the majors.
One problem is knowing what shape of strike zone the system would be programmed to recognize. Manfred has said in the past that the strike zone set by umpires seemed rounder than one might expect.
“The shape of the strike zone, we haven’t started those conversations (with the players), because we haven’t decided what we think about it yet,” Manfred said. “It’s hard to have these conversations until you know what you think.”
Rob Manfred: “There is a growing consensus, based largely on what we hear from players, that the form of challenge should be the form of ABS, if and when we introduce it into the major leagues, at least as a starting point.” He’s had this opinion for a while, more are coming
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Overall, Manfred said the league has gathered a lot of information from players.
“The two biggest learnings: You know, initially we thought everyone would be all for the idea: ‘If you can get it right every time, that’s a great idea,'” he said. declared. “One thing we learned in these meetings is that players believe there could be other effects on the game that would be negative if they used it to its fullest.
“The second is that those who have played with it have a strong preference for the challenge system rather than the ABS calling on every throw and that has certainly changed our thinking about the direction we might take it.”
Receivers could be hit the hardest.
“These are the unintended consequences of ABS,” Manfred said. “The one that is often singled out, but not the only one, is framing. I think the players feel that a receiver framing is, if you’ll allow me to use the word, the “art” of the game.
“And if, in fact, coaching is no longer important, the type of players who would fill that position might be different than they are today. And one could imagine a world where, instead of a coaching receiver, who focuses on defense, the receiver position becomes a more offensive player. I mean, it changes people’s careers. These are real and legitimate concerns that we need to think about before we jump off the bridge.
In April, pitcher Max Scherzer called for increased regulation for umpires. Manfred defended the current system in place on Thursday.
“Honestly, I think there is a lack of understanding among the players on exactly how we deal with referees. Some of it – a lot of it – is our fault because we don’t like to, for example, publicize: “We sent Rob Manfred to Arizona in the winter for remedial ball-striking practice.” » You can imagine the implications this would have on the ground.
“But there is actually a very detailed evaluation system. They are evaluated twice a year, mid-season and at the end of the season. There are monetary ramifications to those assessments in terms of what they get in terms of playoff assignments, which is a big chunk of — a significant increase in what they earn. And there are, in fact, mandatory corrective activities that are imposed on referees more frequently than one might think.
“That said, I think referee management is… a physically demanding job. This goes beyond assessment, training and discipline. This also involves thinking about their career path, how long should they stay there? And that involves things like your retirement program. I mean, there are a lot of things about management that I think not everyone fully appreciates.
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(Photo: Cooper Neill / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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