Whether I am home or on the road traveling for work, time permitting, I always enjoy a night/day out at a baseball game. I have attended baseball games at just about every level of competition from T-Ball to the Major Leagues. And one of the many commonalities of these baseball games from T-Ball to the Major Leagues is the presence of the umpire. Whether it is a Mom or Dad helping out from the stands or a professional umpire with 30 years under his/her belt at Fenway Park, umpires are as much a part of baseball tradition as the greatest players, coaches, managers, teams, and stadiums. And until further notice, umpires are also human beings. And human beings are not perfect. In short, umpires like every other human being make mistakes.

In select minor league baseball games this summer, depending on which level of competition you are viewing, you may notice a system in place to help correct an umpire’s mistake behind home plate. It’s called the ABS System, which I believe spells out Automated Balls and Strikes system. Essentially, it is an instant replay review of a previous pitch to see if the umpire called a ball or strike accurately. I was recently at a Norfolk Tides game, where they have this ABS System in place. Here is how it works in real time…

Let’s use the Norfolk Tides’ Connor Norby for this example. Great player, has already been called up once to the Baltimore Orioles. Even hit a home run while up at the big club, bright future as a professional baseball player. A fantastic hitter with a fantastic eye at the plate for balls and strikes. If you are a AAA player of Norby’s abilities, you can pretty much tell a ball from a strike with a very high level of accuracy. The same can be said for just about any catcher behind the plate at any given AAA ballgame. They know the strike zone very well and can tell with a high sense of accuracy whether a pitched ball was a ball or a strike. Ok, so here is how the ABS system is engaged into the flow of the game…

Norby is at the plate, he digs in, the pitcher winds and throws to his catcher, Norby takes the pitch (doesn’t swing). The umpire calls a ball, but the catcher thinks otherwise. He knows that pitch was executed perfectly and in his opinion, that pitch was a strike. Maybe it was a sinking fastball or a splitter with incredible top to bottom movement that perhaps fooled the umpire? So, he calls for the umpire to review the previous pitch by tapping on his helmet/head a few times – the signal for an ABS system review. The umpire stands up from his crouch, turns to the crowd, and announces that “the previous pitch is under review.”

At Harbor Park, the Norfolk Tides home ballpark, there is a giant big screen video scoreboard in right field. During the ABS challenge, the player’s profile picture is replaced by a message stating “the previous pitch has been challenged” and a replica of the strike zone, pitchers mound, batter’s box comes onto the screen. I have to say it is a pretty cool graphic. Then, the entire stadium, the two dugouts, the hot dog vendors, the little kids with ice creams, the adults with their Mike’s Lemonades all stare at the big screen in right for the video of the previous pitch to commence. The ball travels through the air with a little jet stream thingie behind it and lands…

Right there in the strike zone, bottom right corner. And there it is. The catcher was right, the umpire was wrong. The call is corrected. The umpire stands in front of the crowd and declares (something like) “the previous pitch call of a ball has been reversed. The pitch is a strike.” The crowd, in this case the call went against a Tides player, boos and moans. Norby’s count is adjusted and play will resume with the previous pitch now corrected by the ABS system. And then the umpire resumes his place behind home plate for the next pitch. Norby digs in, the pitcher gets the sign, he winds up and throws another pitch towards Norby and home plate. And so on…

So, what do you think? Is this a good system, a good check and balance on the umpires? A way to improve the quality of the game by making sure each and every call behind the plate is 100% accurate? Do you think it takes anything away from the flow of the game? After all, the review process takes only a minute or two to complete, then you are back into regular game action. Do you think it is humbling for the home plate umpire to stand in front of a packed house and essentially say, “whoops, my bad, that was a strike. Really sorry folks.” Is the ABS System good for the game? And if so, when will we see it in the Major Leagues? The Major Leagues, where players lose their freaking minds when they are called out on strikes. Managers, coaches get thrown out for challenging balls and strikes. So, how will that change the game of baseball? No more hilarious tirades by players and managers? Bummer!!!

Personally, I like the ABS System in the minor leagues. Minor league games tend to be less business like, more fan friendly, less over the top stressful to attend than Major League games. Am I alone in that sentiment, I don’t think so. You can pause a minor league game for a minute or two for a system like the ABS system. A Major League game – the stakes are so much higher with the salaries and the sponsorship monies and the overall stress of each and every game. I’m not entirely sure it would go over as well as it does in the minor league ball parks. But, that’s just my opinion. What do you think?