"What happens if there is a strikeout (or a walk) in a major moment and everyone is all hyped and excited, but then we have to wait for an ABS review, and it totally changes the mood? I definitely want to see the calls corrected in the big moments, so it's not like I'm complaining about ABS. I just wonder about how those really big exciting strikeout/walk moments might change."
"I think the reverse is probably the worse version (i.e., you think you just got a game-ending strikeout, and suddenly it changes), but I don't know. I just kinda don't love the way that plays out, in my gut. I'm not beefing about it enough to want it to be anything different, but I also don't want to see teams always saving their challenges for the end of the game."
The automated balls and strikes (ABS) challenge system corrects umpire errors effectively, but introduces a potential drawback: review delays during crucial moments may deflate the excitement of game-ending plays. When a strikeout or walk occurs in a high-pressure situation, the subsequent ABS review can feel anticlimactic compared to the explosive conclusion that would result from a correctly called strike. The concern extends to both scenarios—a called strikeout that gets overturned and a missed call that gets corrected. Teams may strategically save challenges for late-game moments, potentially leading to frequent reviews of game-deciding plays. While the accuracy improvement is valued, the emotional and pacing implications of ABS reviews during pivotal moments remain uncertain.
#automated-balls-and-strikes #game-ending-moments #challenge-system #baseball-pacing #emotional-impact
Read at Bleacher Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]