Hit or error? MLB official scorers work remotely thru virus
Because of the coronavirus, official scorers will not be in attendance for games
MIAMI – As an official scorer for Major League Baseball, Ron Jernick has worked at the World Series, the All-Star Game and the World Baseball Classic.
This season he’ll work at home.
Baseball is back, but because of the coronavirus, official scorers will rule remotely on hits and errors and other plays.
Perhaps none will be more remote than Jernick, a fixture in the Miami Marlins press box since 1999. He lives three hours north in the Melbourne
job, and the technology area. available to them, we felt
MLB is like they can do the entire limiting the job they have to do from number of home.” people at the Some in baseball are ballpark, including skeptical, although they in the press box, say they understand that and decided official scorers health and safety must be could make their calls the priority. without seeing the game Scorers will have access in person. to an unprecedented
“There are a lot of roles number of video feeds, that have historically accessing the same infrastructure been in the ballpark that used for replay we had to look at, and the reviews. When they want official scorer was a tough to replay a play, they can one,” said Chris Marinak, choose their camera angle, MLB executive vice president and zoom in and rewind. for strategy, technology and innovation. But no opportunity to “When we looked at the go down to the clubhouse after the game, to talk to the player or a manager for further illumination.
Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona said the game slows down as an observer gets farther away from the action, which affects judgment on deciding whether a play should be a hit or an error. So he’s not keen on scorers working from home.
“Probably a touch unfair to the official scorer, which could end up affecting the players,” Francona said. “It’s tough enough to be an official scorer when you’re sit
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