Here we are, sitting firmly in 2025, and from here, we can already hear the hooting and hollering from 2026. And here is why...
Robbie the Robot is coming to major league baseball. They are going to have robot umpires checking over the balls and strikes starting next year. But it's not like the umps will be replaced by a laser eye. For now, there will be a challenge system, in which batters, pitchers, and catchers can ask the umpire if he* is, in fact, vision-challenged, and ask the robot to check that last called strike.
The nitty-gritty: each team gets two challenges to start. To challenge a call, a player will signal his disapproval by tapping his cap or helmet, triggering a review. If the player is right, his team retains the challenge; if the call stands, they lose one of their challenges. Each team will get a new challenge in each extra inning if they don't have one remaining.
The baseball bigshots tried a fully automated balls-and-strikes in the minor leagues, but fan feedback indicated that people would rather holler at a human than at a computer, so they went this way.
If only Earl Weaver were still around to kick dirt on the robot....
* for now!
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