Yankees' Aaron Boone, Red Sox's Alex Cora share fears about ABS challenge system after spring tests
After one spring with the ABS challenge system (automatic balls and strikes), both New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora have some fears for if/when it gets implemented in games that matter.
The ABS system allows two challenges by the batter or pitcher/catcher per game. If they're successful, they retain those two challenges. This forces them to be very selective. Teams were able to try the technology during spring games.
Alex Cora can already see a potential World Series-losing challenge. Via The Athletic, the Red Sox boss said:
“My first thought was, like: Bases loaded … 3-2 count … ninth inning in the World Series … tie game. Yeah! Strike three! (A smile. A shake of the head.) No! Ball four! That’s where my mind went. And I was, like: Oh, shoot!”
Aaron Boone, someone who's had his fair share of incidents with umpires after bad calls, is also fearful, and he experienced it firsthand. He saw a challenge flip an out to a walk and the very next batter tied the game with a home run.
He said:
“Strike three, pitcher walking off the mound. Oh. Challenge. Overturned. So it’s like, you’ve got a pitcher getting out of an inning. Makes a pitch. Walking off. Boom. Oh, no. Next pitch, home run."
That was an MLB spring game that Boone was still upset the following day about, so he's not expected to like the system if it makes its way into and changes regular season or even playoff games.
Aaron Boone compliments umpires amid ABS arrival
Aaron Boone has been ejected more times than most of his managerial peers, and it almost always has to do with perceived bad ball and strike calls. That said, he actually thinks the umpires are doing well enough that the ABS system might not be needed.
Via The Athletic, he said:
“I just don’t like it, honestly. I feel like the umpires are getting so good — and look, I know I’m the poster child, sometimes, for arguing — but literally, sometimes I’m arguing when they’re missing by, like, (a fraction of an inch). But I feel like more and more, these umpires are really good."
The American League manager continued:
"And just the frivolous challenge — like the 1-1 pitch in the second inning. It’s stop … ball … challenge … 2-and-1 … no wait, 1-and-2. I just don’t like it.”
Boone would only endure these stoppages a couple of times a game, but he's concerned with how his team would respond to the change in situation. They might get in their head that it's 0-2 and they can make a certain pitch, but the 1-1 reversal totally changes that.