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SPORTS Friday 12 July 2019

‘Robot umpires’

Continued from Page 17 Nieuwenhuis doesn’t like
the idea of giving umps
It didn’t appear deBrau- veto power.
were had any delay re- “If the umpire still has dis-
ceiving the calls at first, but cretion, it defeats the pur-
players noticed a big differ- pose,” said Nieuwenhuis,
ence. who batted .221 with 31
“One time I already had homers in 978 at-bats with
caught the ball back from the Mets, Angels and Brew-
the catcher and he sig- ers.
naled strike,” said pitch- About 45 minutes before
er Daryl Thompson, who first pitch, the public ad-
didn’t realize the technol- dress announcer directed
ogy was being used until fans to look up at the black
after he disagreed with a screen hanging off the face
call. of the upper level behind
Infielder L.J. Mazzilli said a the plate and joked they
few times hitters who struck could blame the computer
out lingered an extra sec- for any disagreements over
ond or so in the batter’s calls. “This is an exciting
box waiting on a called night for MLB, the Atlantic Home plate umpire Brian deBrauwere, left, wears an earpiece as Liberty Division’s Tyler Ladendorf,
right, of the High Point Rockers, swings at a pitch from Freedom Division’s Mitch Atkins, of the York
third strike. League, baseball gener- Revolution, during the first inning of the Atlantic League All-Star minor league baseball game,
“The future is crazy, but it’s ally,” said Morgan Sword, Wednesday, July 10, 2019, in York, Pa.
cool to see the direction MLB’s senior vice president Associated Press
of baseball,” said Mazzilli of economics and opera- Rick White said it’s going to help umpires be more ac- plate umpire has a lot more
a son of former big league tions. “This idea has been be implemented league- curate and we’re commit- to do than call balls and
player and manager Lee around for a long time and wide over the next few ted to that. We think the strikes and he’s going to
Mazzilli. it’s the first time it’s been weeks. Atlantic League is being a be asked to do all of that.
The umpires have the ability brought to life in a compre- “After that, we’re relatively pioneer for all of the sport.” We’re in touch with our um-
to override the computer, hensive way.” confident that it’s going Sword said MLB hasn’t re- pires’ union and this is the
which considers a pitch a The experiment with radar- to spread through orga- ceived much pushback first step of the process.”
strike when the ball bounc- tracking technology to call nized baseball,” White said. from umpires. DeBrauwere had no issue
es and then crosses the balls and strikes was origi- “We’re very excited about “One of our focuses is not with it. “This is just another
zone. TrackMan also does nally expected to begin at what this portends not only to replace the umpire,” plate job and I just get a lit-
not evaluate checked the start of the season but for our league but for the Sword said. “In fact, we’re tle help on this one so I feel
swings. experienced some delays. future of baseball. What trying empower the umpire very relaxed going into this
Former big leaguer Kirk Atlantic League President we know is technology can with technology. The home one,” he said.q

Jim Bouton, ex-Yankees pitcher

and ‘Ball Four’ author, dies

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. tives across baseball ostra- Astros, his fastball replaced
(AP) — Jim Bouton, the cized him for exposing their by a knuckleball as he tried
former New York Yankees secrets. He wasn’t invited to prolong his career.
pitcher who shocked and to the Yankees’ Old-Timers’ Bouton was a television
angered the conservative Day until 1998. Throwing so sportscaster in New York
baseball world with the hard that his cap often flew City with WABC and WCBS,
tell-all book “Ball Four,” has off his head, Bouton was wrote other books, ap-
died. He was 80. 21-8 with six shutouts in 1963 peared in the 1973 movie
Bouton’s family said he — his second season in the “The Long Goodbye” and
died Wednesday at the majors and his only year starred in a 1976 CBS sit-
Great Barrington home as an All-Star — and went com based on “Ball Four”
he shared with wife Paula 18-13 with four more shut- that lasted only five epi-
Kurman. He fought a brain outs in 1964. The Yankees sodes. He and a former
disease linked to demen- lost the World Series both teammate developed Big
tia and was in hospice years, with Bouton losing League Chew, a bubble
care. Bouton also had two his lone start in 1963 in New gum alternative to tobac-
strokes in 2012. Published in York’s loss to the Los Ange- co.
1970, “Ball Four” detailed les Dodgers and winning Born in Newark, New Jer-
Yankees great Mickey twice the following year in sey, Bouton was raised in
Mantle’s carousing and the Yankees’ loss to the St. New Jersey and the Chi-
the use of stimulants in the Louis Cardinals. cago area. He pitched at
major leagues. Bouton’s Bouton injured his right arm Western Michigan Univer-
revealing look at baseball in 1965, going 4-15 that sea- sity before signing with the
off the field made for eye- son, and saw limited action Yankees in 1958. He made
opening and entertain- the next three seasons with it to the majors in 1962, go-
ing reading, but he paid a New York. He worked on ing 7-7, but didn’t appear In this Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 file photo, Former New York
big price for the best-seller “Ball Four” in 1969, a season in the Yankees’ World Se- Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton signs copies of the Associated
when former teammates spent with the expansion ries victory over the San Press book “New York Yankees 365,” in New York.
and players and execu- Seattle Pilots and Houston Francisco Giants.q Associated Press