As a guy that played baseball on all levels in the ‘70s and ‘80s from the age of 7 ‘til 27, I never thought I would see the day where robots would be calling balls and strikes. But fast forward to 2025 and that’s where baseball is headed as this year’s MLB All-Star Game showed.
This new technology for calling balls and strikes has been in the works for quite a while, but I feel it has no place in professional baseball! Call me a purist, or just an old fogie, but there are certain parts of the game of baseball where the human element is so important. Calling balls and strikes is one of those areas that does not need a technological update.
I like the fact that a human is making those calls and appreciate how each umpire is different on how they call the game. Pitchers and hitters have always had to adjust their perception of the strike zone depending on who is behind the plate. IT’S A PART OF THE GAME OF BASEBALL THAT MAKES IT INTRIGUING!
The human element of umpires calling balls and strikes, as well as safe or out, is what makes baseball so pure. I’m OKwith instant replay on whether a guy is safe or out or if a ball is fair or foul, but when it comes to calling balls and strikes, let the human umpires do their jobs.
Remember this, for all you hitters, prepare to strike out a lot more than you have previously! That’s right, the robotic strike zone is not forgiving at all. If the baseball just touches the outer edge of the rectangular square, it’s a strike.
Those inside or outside pitches, that used to go in the hitter’s favor by usually being called a ball, will no longer be such. Pitchers and hitters are already paranoid on how certain umpires call the game, and now with technology calling balls and strikes, there will be more challenges by both on questionable calls with regards to balls and strikes.
This is similar to how technology and forward-facing sonar is affecting professional bass fishing. Anglers no longer spend their days trying to figure out where the fish are. All they must do now is drop the trolling motor and turn on their forward-facing and look for fish on a screen.
Professional bass fishing has lost the integrity of the sport. Locating fish has always been the number one skill anglers had to develop. They do this with time on the water while understanding bass behavior based on the time of year, weather, and what they are feeding on.
But now with the flip of a switch, anglers can look at a screen in real time and see the exact location of where bass are set up. All the guess work and fishing skills have been eliminated. While seeing fish on a screen does not always equate to catching fish, locating the fish is 80 percent of being successful as an angler.
I’m not trying to be “Debbie Downer,” I just think there are certain elements with all sports where we need the human interaction. Technological advancements are great and can really simplify all our lives, but we must proceed with caution.
As a fan, this new technology sounds boring to me and if it’s implemented, it will discourage me from watching Major League Baseball. Next thing you know we’ll have robots as designated hitters with the ability to hit every kind of pitch man can throw while never striking out.
If you need proof of how technology can ruin a sport, look no further than professional bass fishing as its TV viewership has fallen off considerably due to new technology and forward-facing sonar. Fans have made it known they do not want to sit in their living rooms and watch as anglers stare at a 14 or 16-inch screen and catch bass.
Hopefully Major League Baseball will re-evaluate the thought of using this new technology.
‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to use your sunscreen and wear good UV protective clothing during these hot summer days.