One of many changes that have already occurred in baseball has been the use of microphones on the field by MLB umpires.
So far, the change appears to be a favorable one for baseball and fans seem to be supporting it.
In a game against the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers this weekend, that new rule came in handy.
MLB insider Jared Carrabis tweeted a video of Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez sliding into home plate and ultimately being tagged by Rangers catcher Mitch Garver, though the replay showed that the tag didn’t come until after Hernandez had touched the plate with his foot.
Hernandez was initially called out, but the call was overturned, and it didn’t take long for the umpires to figure it out.
Listen to this crowd reaction at the 46-second mark. WILD. pic.twitter.com/TSKw3uhu9M
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) April 9, 2022
The Benefits
Again. this appears to be a welcomed change for baseball.
Now that microphones are being used by umpires across the league, there’s more of a sense of clarity when situations such as these arise.
Fans can better understand what is happening and it also takes up less time than to have somebody come in and give them headphones to hear what the ruling is.
Perhaps this could help speed the game up, something commissioner Rob Manfred has been desperately trying to do ever since he stepped into the role, but hasn’t been able to accomplish just yet.
The crowd immediately knew that Hernandez was safe too, which probably helped matters in this situation.
But this is something that could help move things along in baseball.
Challenges take up a lot of time, but with this new technology, that problem may turn out to be a thing of the past.
