Robotic Umpire

Low-A baseball teams will now have a new addition to this season, besides COVID protocols. The league has announced that they will implement a ‘robotic umpire’ with the TrackMan technology in their games. This futuristic device was used in the Atlantic League in 2019 and was obviously a success. The box acts as a 3D doppler radar dish that analyzes strike zones which allows for correct strike and ball counts. The umpire behind the plate has an earpiece that connects to the TrackMan as it feeds the call into his ear, which then allows the umpire to relay this call to the players and the crowd. The addition of the technology into Low-A baseball shows that the MLB is interested in someday, which would surely create more consistency in play calling.

Reunion in Washington

Most of the time people tend to go their separate ways after high school graduation. However, the Washington Football Team’s new signee will get to have a reunion with former teammate, Chase Young. Jaret Patterson was signed by Washington as an undrafted free agent with impressive stats from his time at Buffalo. Last year, he tied an NCAA record of 409 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns in a single game. The 5’7 running back comes in as an underdog to the league after being a 2 star recruit out of high school and being told he was too ‘undersized’ for the league. Patterson will have the ability to learn from the other 4 running backs signed at Washington, and potentially prove that height doesn’t estimate talent.

Quarterback Rich Draft

This year’s draft seemed like a repeat of 2018 with immense talent at the quarterback position. To no surprise, Trevor Lawrence went first pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. What did surprise me was BYU’s Zach Wilson going before Ohio State’s Justin Fields. This isn’t a knock-on Wilson at all, the quarterback put up an impressive 3,692 yards last season. But buzz on the sports network around the time of Heisman selections is that the award could go to Lawrence or Fields. However, the selection of Fields by the Chicago Bears is a great move. The Bears mistakenly passed over Patrick Mahomes, and it’s obvious they’ve vowed to nerve make that mistake again. In the offseason the Bears signed Andy Dalton which gives Justin fields time to learn and adjust behind a great veteran quarterback.