@Copper said in I, for one, welcome out new robot umpires:
What used to be a 2.5 hour game is now a 3.5 hour game, with timeout for reviews it will become a 4.5 hour game.
250+ pitches to review every game
The double play at second will never be the same
Foreign substances under the pitcher's belt reviewed
No more framing pitches, this is a big deal
What if Russian hackers get into the software?
Sports betting shops will be hacking into systems
Will an umpire just stand there handing new balls to the catcher and reading the newspaper in between pitches?
Uh, the box has the call before the umpire can raise his hand. Catchers can still frame pitches, that's mostly for the batter, not the ump. A pro game (3.5 hours) is a bit longer than a college game (about 3 hours), because the pros don't have a pitch clock...The college pitch clock is 12 seconds. The pros have been experimenting with a 20 second pitch clock in the minors. That pitch clock has shortened the game by 26 minutes.
The MLB rules committee voted last fall to institute a 15 second (nobody on base) pitch clock, coupled with a 20 second (base runner(s)) clock.
I doubt hackers will hack the box. And the umpire will still have plenty to do.
