Posts Tagged: baseball
Good news baseball fans! T-Mobile confirms it will offer free Season Passes to MLB TV through 2028
It’s good news for baseball fans (at least those that subscribe to T-Mobile) today with the announcement that the Magenta carrier has signed a new, long-term deal with Major League Baseball which, among other things, will continue the offer of free MLB TV subscriptions via the T-Mobile Tuesdays app. “T-Mobile and MLB are embarking on […]
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Major League Baseball wants to deploy strike zone robo-umpires in 2024
Major League Baseball will "likely" introduce an Automated Strike Zone System starting in 2024, commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN. The so-called robot umpires may call all balls and strikes then relay the information to a plate umpire, or be part of a replay review system that allows managers to challenge calls. "We have an automated strike zone system that works," Manfred said.
The comments come in the wake of fan outrage over umpire's missed calls in recent games, including a brutal low strike error during a Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins tilt. "Enough is enough. Give me robo umps already," tweeted Grand Rapids ABC sports director Jamal Spencer.
Enough is enough. Give me robo umps already https://t.co/Zsc8yBI9F4
— Jamal Spencer (@JamalSpencerTV) May 31, 2022
MLB has been experimenting with robo umps in minor league Atlantic Triple-A league since 2019. It uses a doppler radar system developed by TrackMan, best known for its golf speed measurement devices. The system works thusly, according to CBS: "Pitch gets thrown, TrackMan tracks and identifies the pitch's location, phone tells umpire whether it's a ball or strike, umpire physically makes the call behind the plate."
In fairness to umpires, calling balls and strikes with 100 MPH fastballs and hard-breaking curveballs caught outside the zone is no easy feat. But that's exactly why fans, pundits and the league itself thinks that machines should take the job, leaving the plate umpire to judge tags and other more subjective plays. Mechanical systems also made Atlantic league games mercifully shorter by a full nine minutes, according to MLB data.
Under baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, the league has the right to change rules unilaterally, provided it gives the union a season's notice. Manfred already said that such a system wouldn't be brought in next year, as the new competition committee won't have its first meeting until 2023. Once it does meet, though, the committee is very likely to approve the changes since it's dominated by ownership, according to ESPN.
Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders start April 8th
Apple’s first Friday Night Baseball doubleheader will stream on April 8th. Announced at its recent “Peek Performance” event, the program will see Apple stream two exclusive MLB games every Friday through the end of the regular season. The first doubleheader will feature the New York Mets taking on the Washington Nationals in DC at 7PM ET, with a match between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels to follow at 9:30PM ET. You can see the full schedule on Apple’s website. The company will share the second half of the slate at a later date.
The games will be available to watch for free for the time being. All you need is an internet connection and access to the Apple TV app. An Apple device isn’t necessary. You can download the software on smart TVs from manufacturers like Samsung, LG and Vizio, as well as consoles from Sony and Microsoft. You also don’t have to worry about local blackouts. All 24 games Apple announced today will be available to TV+ users in the eight countries and territories where the company has secured the rights for Friday Night Baseball. Here’s the complete list: the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the UK.
A weird quirk with Bixby prevents installing a baseball card app on the Galaxy S8
Samsung’s Bixby virtual assistant wasn’t exactly met with open arms, and throughout reviews we’ve noted some general weirdness with the app. Every time I use a Galaxy S8 device I always accidentally hit the Bixby button, too, so it’s pretty obvious it needed more time in the oven before officially being released. But going beyond […]
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New MotusPro tracking lab could change the way baseball players train
MotusGlobal, famous for saving pitcher’s arms with the mThrow, today announced a full body tracking system for baseball players called the MotusPro. Sensors fitted to a shirt, gloves, and shoes track millions of data points per movement for analysis.
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