Max Scherzer blasts MLBs ball-strike challenge system: Can we just be judged by humans?
Replay technology has been part of Major League Baseball for over 15 years ago now, but the league’s ball-strike challenge experiment is a step too far for one future Hall of Famer.Max Scherzer, making his Blue Jays spring training debut, was on the wrong side of MLB’s automated ball-strike challenge system (ABS) twice on Tuesday afternoon.
To the three-time Cy Young winner, the game has possibly veered too far into using technology to assist umpires make their calls.Under the ABS rules in spring training, which has been tested in Triple-A, a pitcher, catcher or batter can challenge a pitch, and within seconds, teams will find out if they are correct or not.“Can we just play baseball?” Scherzer said to The Athletic.“We’re humans.
Can we just be judged by humans? Do we really need to disrupt the game? I think humans are defined by humans.”Scherzer was first on the losing end of a call during the third batter of the matchup against the Cardinals when Lars Nootbaar challenged a 1-1 pitch that was initially ruled a strike, but then ruled to be 2.3 inches outside when the St.Louis center fielder alertly tapped his helmet to question the call.One inning later, Scherzer appeared to get duped by his own catcher Alejandro Kirk’s framing when a 1-0 pitch was ruled low to JJ Wetherholt.
Scherzer challenged the call but it was upheld upon review.Funny enough though, Scherzer still recorded punchouts in each at-bat.It wasn’t the first time 40-year-old got to experience the ABS system firsthand after he witnessed it during his own Triple-A rehab start while pitching with the Rangers last year.
That time, he was on the winning side of a strikeout.“We’re going so far down the wormhole,” Scherzer added Tuesday.“So we’re going to basically be even,” he continued So are we actually going to improve the game? Are the umpires really that bad? I don’t think so.”On the opposite side of the spectrum — and country — in the Cactus League, home plate...