Automated balls and strikes not just a gimmick
I made sure to pack a number of things on my visit to baseball history Tuesday, including sunscreen, plenty of bottled water and an open mind. All of it came in handy. The scene at San Rafael’s Albert Park was going to be steamy, radical and futuristic, and when it was over — after every ball and strike had been called by a computer — it didn’t seem so terribly disturbing.
As the San Rafael Pacifics and Vallejo Admirals went about their business in a Pacific Association independent league game, a few hundred fans and media witnessed the first computerized umpiring in professional baseball history. Credit Eric Byrnes, serving as both driving force and entertainer, for making it a delightful evening.