Does baseball need even more technology for plays like Pete Alonso’s disputed fly ball?
BALTIMORE (AP) — Pete Alonso skipped sideways toward first base while his drive sailed toward the foul pole in left field. Then he tossed the bat aside, seemingly…
The Baltimore Orioles recently faced criticism after a disputed fly ball hit by Pete Alonso was ruled a foul ball. The incident occurred during the seventh inning of a game against the New York Yankees in Baltimore. Alonso, visibly upset, tossed his bat aside, believing he had hit a home run. However, subsequent review confirmed the call, resulting in a 5-3 loss for the Orioles.
This situation sparked calls for baseball to adopt additional technology to evaluate potential home runs near the foul pole. While the idea is gaining traction, it appears unlikely to be implemented soon. Bringing in new technology would require development, testing, and installation by Major League Baseball, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Unlike the Automated Ball/Strike system, using Hawk-Eye data above the foul pole would be inaccurate due to its reliance on initial flight data and estimations for the rest of the ball's trajectory, which do not account for variables such as wind. During the pregame, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz mentioned that the team communicated with Major League Baseball about the call, emphasizing the insufficient video evidence to overturn the on-field decision.
The camera angles failed to provide a clear view of where the ball intersected the pole and the wall in left field, the crucial factor to determine if it crossed the line for a home run.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
