As the official noted of major leagues, Ron Jernick has worked on the World Series, the All-Star Game and the World Baseball Classic.During the campaign that is about to begin, he will work at home.
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Baseball is back but, due to the coronavirus pandemic, official scorers will remotely perform their task of determining for example whether a move was hit or failed. Perhaps no one will be further away than Jernick, whose presence has been emblematic in the Miami Marlins press box since 1999. It resides three hours from the Melbourne metropolitan area.Major League Baseball is limiting the number of people who can enter the parks, including the press box, and decided that official scorers could make their decisions without having to watch the match at the stadium.” There are many roles that have historically played in the park but that we now have to analyze. The decision on the official scorer was difficult,” said Chris Marinak, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president for strategy, technology and innovation. “When we looked at the position and technology available to them, we felt they could do all the work they have from home.” Some in baseball are skeptical. However, they say they understand that health and safety should be prioritized. Annotaters will have access to an unprecedented number of video shots. They will have the same infrastructure that will be used to review the decisions of the umpires. When you want to look at a move again, you can choose the angle you prefer, zoom in and repeat it as many times as you see fit. But they won’t have the opportunity to go to the clubhouse after the game, or talk to the players or managers for feedback. Cleveland Indian manager Terry Francona said the moves seem slower when an observer is away from the action and should make a judgement on it. So, he doesn’t love the idea of scorers working from home.” This is probably unfair to the official scorer, and something that could end up affecting the players,” Francona warned. “It’s hard enough to be an official scorer when you’re sitting upstairs. When you’re lower, you actually see how fast the ball moves or the jumps it gives or the effect it takes. You have a much better version of what’s really going on.” I know that whenever you see something in slow motion over and over again, it seems like a mistake. But you have to remember, the player doesn’t have the ability to slow down the ball.” Dave Roberts, the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreed.” I think it’s important the speed of the game, in real time and with your own eyes,” he said. You might be interested in:
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