Yankees’ Aaron Boone doesn’t hide his thoughts on ‘weird’ robot umpires experiment
NY Post
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Just over a week into the automated ball-strike system (ABS) experiment, Aaron Boone is not a fan.
The earliest Major League Baseball would use the ABS challenge system — giving teams two challenges per game to review a ball or strike call — in the regular season is next year, but teams are giving it a trial run this spring during Grapefruit and Cactus League play.
So far, Boone could very much live without it.
“Overall, taking a step back, big picture, I don’t love it,” Boone said Sunday before an 11-1 loss to the Braves at CoolToday Park.
Boone acknowledged he has liked the “theater of it,” as the review gets played on the scoreboard to show whether the pitch actually clipped the strike zone or not.
But he believes that the system at least partly devalues catcher framing — a Yankees strength — and is worried about it potentially creating division among players about who should get to use the challenges.
DETROIT — Cade Cunningham broke out of a slump by scoring nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and the Detroit Pistons pulled away to beat the Brooklyn Nets 115-94 on Saturday night.
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Warren wears No. 44 because of an old Jet.
Of course this is not 2018, this deadline does not represent a sea change in philosophy resembling that one. But, just as seven years ago, the hierarchy — different general managers, same CEO — is not homing in at making a run at eighth place at the expense of acquiring future assets in exchange for expiring contracts.
TAMPA — It was all but certain even before Giancarlo Stanton left camp last Monday to tend to a personal matter, but now it is official: The Yankees DH will begin the season on the injured list.
Chris Kreider missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury Friday, when the Rangers lost to the Maple Leafs 3-2 in their fourth game back from the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
MEMPHIS — Mitchell Robinson’s long-awaited return was about as promising as the Knicks could’ve envisioned.
The time to string wins together is now, but the Rangers haven’t been able to do that since mid-November.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Jets might have been talking to Garrett Wilson’s next running mate before getting rid of his last two.
Things went downhill for Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards in a 111-102 loss to the Lakers on Thursday night.