Carnie's Comments
You know, they had a robot umpire on the animated TV series The Jetsons back in the early 60s when George Jetson was playing a company "spaceball" game.
Here we are in 2024, over 60 years later, and Major League Baseball is considering testing robot umpires as part of a challenge system in spring training next year.
They've been experimenting with the system in the minor leagues, however there has been some controversy over the shape and size of the strike zone.
It won't happen overnight but I can see a day when human umpires are no longer needed. Everything will be automated from strikes and balls to foul-tips and foul balls. They'll have cameras and computer chips everywhere and every play, every game will be officiated to perfection.
I have so many questions like, what will happen if there's a bench-clearing brawl? Will we have robots to intervene? What if a player or manager disagrees with a call? Who will they argue with? Will they pick up a phone and call somebody from the dugout? Will managers go face-to-face with a robot and kick dirt on it? Will they be fined and suspended if they make physical contact?
The late, great Yogi Berra said it many years ago, "The future ain't what it used to be."