The changes keep on coming in Major League Baseball, especially when it comes to umpires.
In addition to a possibility of increasing the strike zone, MLB may give umpires microphones to explain replays to fans.
According to the Associated Press, officials and the league are exploring the idea of having the crew chief wear a microphone in order to “explain calls on the field in regards to replay reviews.”
“Under one possible scenario, they would start at the All-Star Game on July 11 in Miami, tweak the process over the season’s second half and then go forward with the experiment in the playoffs,” the AP report says.
Getting a little more explanation may not necessarily be a bad thing. This could not only answer the questions of fans and analysts, but viewers can have a better understanding of the game altogether.
The negative side could be the time constraints. If Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to continue on the “pace of play” path, this will not support his vision and will certainly eat up the 45 seconds of time (and then some) the intentional walk rule has cleared. And having the first “tryout” for this microphone at an All-Star Game, may not give us the most beneficial results.
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