Products You May Like
We all forget things. But when your job suggests you’re a professional baseball umpire, it’s best to remember the count. That wasn’t the case in last night’s Brewers-Marlins game.
In Saturday night’s Brewers-Marlins affair, fans received their best argument for robot umpires yet. This is NOT due to a call outside the strike zone, or a missed decision at first base. No, in a way it’s far worse.
While home plate umpire Bill Welke and his crew took plenty of time to get the count right (four minutes, to be exact), the issue is why this was needed in the first place. Baseball is a slow enough game as is — so much so, in fact, that they’ve been struggling to reach younger fans.
Surely taking four minutes to discuss something that ought to be an automatic technicality isn’t helping matters.
Brewers-Marlins best case for robot umps yet
When I say robot umpires, I don’t mean the Terminator. An electronic strike zone of sorts would make a huge difference, and wouldn’t force human umpires out on the streets, either. It would merely be another tool for the betterment of the game of baseball, something MLB should always be pursuing.
Of course, the umpires’ union will have something to say about this — as they should. But an electronic strike zone would lead to far less criticism of umpires in their personal lives, and overall a better on-field product.
It’s a win-win. For now, try not to fall asleep in-game, folks.