OMAHA (KMTV) — The Storm Chasers are officially using an Automated Ball-Strike system at Werner Park.
It’s new to AAA baseball this year, and players and coaches say so far it’s adding a new element to the game.
“I mean you can’t complain about balls and strikes anymore, which is not as fun either,” catcher Logan Porter said. “I like to argue sometimes.”
“I think it’s been running really well,” bench coach David Nowortya said. “I think our players have really adapted to it. It’s one of these things where the game’s changing and we’re gonna have to adapt with it.”
Porter said he isn’t always a fan of it behind the plate.
“The art of catching is kind of like manipulating the umpire in a way,” he said. “And having the ABS you can’t really manipulate a computer.”
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays this season, the games will use the ABS system for every ball and strike call.
Using cameras behind home plate, the call is relayed to the umpire, who then delivers it on the field.
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the league uses an ABS Challenge.
Umpires will call the game, and ABS will be used to challenge those calls.
Each team begins a game with three challenges.
Only the batter, catcher or pitcher can use them, and they must do it within two seconds of an umpire’s call.
They cannot have any encouragement from the bench to make the challenge.
If they win the appeal, the team keeps the challenge.
‘That’s one where you kind of have to pick and choose what you challenge and you start to learn who really knows the zone and who kind of has their own zone” Norwortya said.
“It’s even more difficult at the plate when you don’t want to be selfish, and you really feel like it’s a ball but you only get three,” outfielder Brewer Hicklen said. “And if you lose one then you only have two. So you really have to be thinking about the team when you make a challenge, think about the situation, think about what’s going on in a game, part of the game, and that’s really the big challenge that comes with it.”
Porter admitted he likes the challenge aspect of the automated system.
“You still have the art of catching,” he said, “but then you also only get three challenges a game. So you have to be very sure. Which… I got docked last week for challenging and losing the challenge which I took some heat for, but it’s ok.”
The players said if they challenge a call and lose it, they have to put five dollars in a bucket.
Porter said he paid his dues for missing some during the series against Nashville the week of April 24.
