Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Monday 23 deceMber 2019

Chad Le Clos competes in the men's 200-meter freestyle during
an International Swimming League event Friday, Dec. 20, 2019,
in Las Vegas.
Intl. Swimming

League expanding In this July 10, 2019, file photo, a radar device hangs from the roof behind home plate at Peoples-

to Tokyo, Toronto Bank Park during the third inning of the Atlantic League All-Star minor league baseball game in
York, Pa.
Associated Press

By BETH HARRIS filled event featuring finals AP Exclusive: Computer plate
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The only over two hours.
International Swimming "It was a great show for
League is expanding for its everybody," said Di Nino, umps allowed in new labor deal
second season next year. who was open to the pos-
The pro league that fea- sibility of returning to Vegas
tured over 100 Olympians for the finale. "Next year is By BEN WALKER and RON- dar. tem for calls on the inside
will add teams in Tokyo going to be even better. ALD BLUM The Atlantic League experi- and outside corners but
and Toronto, bringing the Of course, we're looking AP Baseball Writers mented with the computer said it struggled with break-
number of clubs to 10. Five to improve and look at our NEW YORK (AP) — Com- system during the second ing balls low or high around
will comprise the Europe- mistakes." puter plate umpires could half of its season, and the the strike zone.
Asia group with the other Retired four-time Olympic be called up to the major Arizona Fall League of top "This idea has been around
five in the U.S. gold medalist Kosuke Kitaji- leagues at some point dur- prospects used it for a few for a long time and it's the
The season will begin in ma will represent the Tokyo ing the next five seasons. dozen games this year at first time it's been brought
September, a month after entry, which has yet to be Umpires agreed to coop- Salt River Fields. to life in a comprehen-
the Tokyo Olympics end, named. erate with Major League MLB has discussed install- sive way," Morgan Sword,
and run until April 2021. "I'm very happy to be giv- Baseball in the develop- ing the system at the Class MLB's senior vice president
There will be breaks in De- en this big opportunity for ment and testing of an au- A Florida State League for of economics and opera-
cember and March for swimming," Kitajima, who tomated ball-strike system 2020. If that test goes well, tions, said on the night the
other events on the world attended the finale, said as part of a five-year labor the computer umps could Atlantic League experi-
swimming calendar. through a translator. "When contract announced Sat- be used at Triple-A in 2021 ment started.
A total of 27 matches — a I was first approached urday, two people familiar as bugs are dealt with prior Humans still will be need-
minimum of 10 per club — about this opportunity I was with the deal told The As- to a big league callup. ed to determine checked
will be held, including regu- very happy, but I was think- sociated Press. The Major "It would change the game swings and to make sure
lar season, playoffs and the ing why didn't you come to League Baseball Umpires for the good. It would con- TrackMan doesn't call
grand finale. me in the beginning. I hope Association also agreed tinue the effort to eliminate a strike on a pitch that
"If we want to be a league, a lot of Japanese swimmers to cooperate and assist if human deficiency," Hall of bounces and goes through
we have to act like a will be able to participate." Commissioner Rob Man- Famer Mike Schmidt wrote the strike zone.
league," said ISL managing Daiya Seto was the only fred decides to utilize the in a story for The Associated "I think it's a little naive to
director Andrea Di Nino, Japanese swimmer who system at the major league Press in October. "We have think that simply letting
who promised an increase competed in the ISL's first level. The people spoke on replay everywhere else in computers generate strike
in prize money and the sal- season, and he only swam condition of anonymity be- the game. Like it or not, re- or ball," Houston manager
ary cap for each team. the finale for winning Ener- cause those details of the play gets the call right." AJ Hinch said during the
The ISL held six meets in its gy Standard. He set a world deal, which is subject to It is not clear whether the World Series. "It's incredibly
first season and staged its short-course record in the ratification by both sides, Major League Baseball naive to think that there's
grand finale in Las Vegas, 400-meter individual med- had not been announced. Players Association would not going to be pitfalls in
where the expansion was ley on Friday, which was The independent Atlan- need to approve comput- that scenario, as well."
announced Saturday. Eu- streamed live in Japan. tic League became the erized ball and strikes. Humans will make safe/out
rope-based Energy Stan- "Japan is one of the world's first American professional "We are aware the umpires calls — subject to video re-
dard won the champion- leading swimming nations league to let a computer and MLB are in negotia- view back in the New York
ship and its 28 members with a large fan base, so call balls and strikes at its tions over a new CBA," said control room, a system that
split $100,000. we expect to see a very All-Star Game on July 10. players' union head Tony started on home run calls in
The 3,800-seat Mandalay competitive team be de- Plate umpire Brian deBrau- Clark, a former All-Star first 2008 and extended in 2014
Bay Events Center wasn't veloped there and many were wore an earpiece baseman. "MLB will have to many umpire decisions.
filled either day, although fans excited to learn of connected to an iPhone in their negotiation with them, There were 1,356 video re-
there were noticeably our plans," ISL founder Kon- his pocket and relayed the and they will need to dis- views during the 2019 regu-
more people on Saturday stantin Grigorishin said in a call upon receiving it from cuss with us." lar season, taking an aver-
for the music and spotlight- statement.q a TrackMan computer sys- Several AFL prospects age of 1 minute, 16 sec-
tem that uses Doppler ra- praised the TrackMan sys- onds. q