Umpire calls a challenge that Brett Baty never requested
•Yahoo Sports
Brett Baty lost an ABS challenge he didn't want. He never tapped his helmet. He never asked for a challenge.
The umpires gave him one anyway.
Turns out there is still plenty of room for the human element even with Major League Baseball ’s Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System. Now, it is all in the interpretation. Just ask Brett Baty.
The New York Mets infielder slightly raised his right hand in the sixth inning on Tuesday night at Citi Field. He never touched his helmet, though it looked like he was going to touch the bill, not tap it. It didn’t matter.
Homeplate umpire Junior Valentine saw the arm go up and immediately signaled for a challenge. Baty argued, but Valentine didn’t budge. The strike stood, the Mets were out of challenges.