ROB MANFRED'S NEW CHANGE TO THE GAME - WHEN WILL HE STOP?

Oh boy....baseball purists are going to HATE this. Diehard baseball fans are never going to forget Rob Manfred and his mission to change baseball. He's already made some changes coming this season, but he's not done yet. Yes, friends....more is coming.

We all know about the pitch clocks, the bigger bases and eliminating the shift this season but there's more coming in 2024. Hold on to your hats folks, Blue behind the plate may be going bye-bye sooner than you think. We talked about this last summer when we wrote RUMOR: ROBOTS ARE COMING TO A MLB STADUM NEAR YOU and all Triple-A teams across the country are going to test the Automatic Balls and Strike System (aka ABS). Half of these ballparks every call will be made by an electronic strike zone and in the other half a ABS challenge system will be in place.

Interesting. It's hard for me to imagine the game transitioning to more Artificial Intelligence technology. It's just not something I ever pictured coming into the game, but as Manfred continues to look at attracting younger fans and shortening the game length I understand why we are talking about this.

I get it, but I am not sure that I am sold on the idea. My opinion clearly doesn't matter but when Buck Showalter talks, people listen and he likes the idea, read more HERE. I wouldn't say I HATE the idea but I am definitely not in the "It's about time. I can't wait!" mindset either. 

So I guess I have to wonder if retired umpire Dale Scott had the right idea when he said "I tell people the strike zone is three-dimensional. It changes with every at-bat, sometimes with every pitch. A human being will use judgment and common sense and understands how the game is played. And that’s not something you can program."

Is Dale right? Are we trying to turn baseball into a programmable video game? I think change is inevitable in all parts of life but I also love the human element of the game. Without the human element, I couldn't complain and state the obvious like....Angel Hernandez is one of the worst umpires to ever call a game.

If we take away a human element and replace it with ABS are we inevitably taking away the human interest of the game? Would our children and grandchildren even watch it? Sounds like robots will be in our stadiums and living room televisions whether we like it or not.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj