MLB’s “robot umpire” debuts in Yankees-Giants season opener
New York’s José Caballero thought for sure the pitch from Logan Webb had missed the strike zone, so he challenged the human umpire’s call – and made major league history in the process.
Caballero lost the first challenge taken to Major League Baseball’s so-called robot umpire, unsuccessfully appealing a strike by the San Francisco Giants right-hander in Wednesday night’s season opener that the Yankees won, 7-0.
Caballero didn’t hesitate. “Nope, I wanted to go for it,” he said.
Webb started the fourth inning with a 90.7 mph sinker on the upper, inner corner that was called a strike by Bill Miller, a major league umpire since 1997. Caballero tapped his helmet, and the 12 Hawk-Eye cameras of the Automated Ball-Strike System upheld Miller’s decision in a graphic shown on the Oracle Park scoreboard.
“I thought it was a little higher that what it showed,” Caballero said.
“I think it’s really good, keep everyone accountable,” he added. “It gives us a chance to really see how good (we are) with the zone or not. I wish it was the other way around, I’m trying to get the overturn call but this time I didn’t.”
New York was ahead 5-0 at the time. Caballero drove in the first run with an RBI single in a five-run second inning against Webb, who recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the fourth.