Poll Time: What Do You Think About The ABS Challenge System?
There is a story in the Wall Street Journal called ‘In Defense of Umpires’ in which the author complains about the ABS Challenge System, which kind of surprised me. Of course, there are people who will complain about anything, but I’ve liked the challenge system. I’ve been surprised at how quick it is, I was […]
Apr 29, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Laz Diaz (63) gestures to the Pittsburgh Pirates dugout against the St. Louis Cardinals during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images There is a story in the Wall Street Journal called ‘ In Defense of Umpires ’ in which the author complains about the ABS Challenge System, which kind of surprised me.
Of course, there are people who will complain about anything, but I’ve liked the challenge system. I’ve been surprised at how quick it is, I was worried that it would be a long break in the action, but it fits in an at bat fairly seamlessly. It is a lot quicker than having the manager and pitching coach yelling at the umpire.
And, I think, it has made life better for umpires. As much as we think they should get every pitch right, that’s not possible. But they seem somewhat better at making calls this year and when they get one wrong it can be corrected.
No one is going to be perfect, but this allows baseball to fix the very imperfect calls. But the story in the WSJ starts with “There is nothing good that can’t be ruined by technology. ” I don’t know, my baseball fandom has improved with the ability to watch every game, not just one game a week.