NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Cash isn’t worried that manager ejections will become a relic of baseball’s past just because robot umpires have arrived to settle some debates.
“You only get two challenges, right? That can come up in the first inning,” the Tampa Bay Rays manager said.
Advertisement
Manager tantrums at umpires have long delighted fans: the Yankees’ Billy Martin kicking and throwing dirt on Dale Scott in 1988, Cincinnati’s Lou Piniella heaving first base into right field in anger at Dutch Rennert in 1990 and the Orioles’ Earl Weaver going face to face with Bill Haller in 1980, each profanely calling the other a liar.
But Major League Baseball has given managers less to gripe about in the past two decades. Video reviews began for home run calls in August 2008 and were widely expanded to many decisions for the 2014 season. The Automated Ball-Strike System starts this year to allow challenges to human strike zone calls, dubbed robot umpires.
“Manager ejections have been down for a while now because of the replay system,” said Hall of Famer Jim Leyland, a three-time Manager of the Year tossed 73 times over 22 seasons. “I really like the ABS. I think it’s going to be great for the game.”
Last year, 61.5% of ejections among players, managers and coaches (99 of 161) were related to ball/strike calls, according to MLB, up slightly from 60.3% (114 of 189) in 2024. The figure included what MLB counted as inappropriate comments and conduct, and throwing equipment in protest.
Advertisement
“I’m in favor of anything that allows our technology to play in this game,” Cash said. “We have so much of it. Why not use it?”
Each team gets two challenges per game, and a club keeps its challenge if successful. A team out of challenges gets an additional one in each extra inning.
“You’re going to take out the argument of balls and strikes initially,” Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “I think the challenge is going to be after the challenges go away, how managers are and what they do? But I do think that there is going to be probably less general complaining about balls and strikes in the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/even-robot-umpires-mlb-managers-170350881.html
Author : RONALD BLUM
Publish date : 2026-03-24 17:03:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
