Over the winter, Major League Baseball quietly modified the video feeds of games that players can legally review in their dugouts. The “strike zone box” — a schematic of the strike zone that fans are familiar with from various broadcasts — was removed at the request of umpires, according to memos obtained by The Athletic.
“This was done in direct response to a perceived increase in the incidence of players and other on-field personnel using the dugout tablets, in particular the font that includes the strike zone graphic, to discuss balls and strikes, and in some cases to berate, harass and embarrass Major League Baseball umpires,” reads a memo the league and union jointly issued to teams Tuesday.
But the Major League Baseball Players Association called the change a violation of its collective bargaining agreement with the league. Now, the zone is making a comeback, the result of a settlement of a complaint filed by the MLBPA.
There is a catch, however: Players who use a dugout tablet to “embarrass, denigrate or question the impartiality or ability of a referee” will face greater sanctions in the future. Players remain subject to ejection and can now be fined between $2,500 and $7,500 for a first offense, with progressive discipline thereafter. Previously, players were fined, but the amounts had never before been specifically codified and were always lower.
All teams must again have access to the strike zone on their dugout tablets by Friday. Players can review at-bats after a half-inning has passed, the same delay that existed previously.
“MLB did not disclose to the MLBPA the umpires’ request or its plans to remove the strike zone box from the tablets. We learned of the box’s removal based on player reports,” the MLBPA wrote in a second memo, one distributed to its members. “MLB’s unilateral removal of the strike zone box violated an agreement we negotiated during negotiations for the 2021-22 CBA. That agreement requires MLB to ‘continue to provide access to video of every pitch from a center field angle of the broadcast’ for the duration of the current CBA (i.e., through the end of the 2026 season).”
MLB and the MLBPA declined to comment.
An arbitrator was scheduled to hold a hearing on the matter on June 24. According to the MLBPA’s memo to its members, after initial attempts to reach an agreement failed, “talks resumed and a resolution was reached after MLB accepted the MLBPA’s position on several outstanding issues.” .
The joint memo added in bold letters that the league and union wanted to “emphasize that players must use dugout tablets and all video feeds provided solely for their intended purpose: to assist players with on-field performance.”
(Photo: Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.