Jomboy on Robot Umpires and the Future of Baseball
6/12/202638 min
“Baseball” has never been synonymous with “change.” But in recent years, Major League Baseball has transformed radically, and this season it has embraced technology via the ABS pitch-tracking system (also known as “robot umpires”). Has the experiment worked? Can baseball evolve in the 21st century without losing a piece of itself? Does the tech make the game less human? On this week’s Galaxy Brain, Charlie Warzel brings on Jimmy O’Brien, founder of Jomboy Media, to talk about baseball’s overhaul, how to become a lip-reading legend on YouTube, and why Americans love slow sports. Audience survey: http://theatlantic.com/survey Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
Lighting is incredibly powerful because it reaches places that we can't see. When I was at RPI, my grandmother contracted a MRSA infection in a hospital. One of the cornerstones of my RPI training was to identify real-world problems and engineer solutions accordingly. That's what led me to essentially start Vive, using light in order to kill germs in indoor environments. I don't think we would've been able to build it into a successful business without RPI.
Speaker 20:26
Learn more at rpi.edu/barraisers. So you're saying with Hilton Honors I can use points for a free night's stay anywhere? Anywhere. What about fancy places like the Canopé in Paris? Yeah. Hilton Honors, baby. Or relaxing sanctuaries like the Conrad in Tulum? Hilton Honors, baby. Ooh, what about the five-star Waldorf Astoria in the Maldives? Are you gonna do this for all 9,000 properties? When you want points that can take you anywhere, anytime, it matters where you stay. Hilton. For the stay.
Jimmy O'Brien· Guest0:58
I don't think the fan, nor Major League Baseball, and Rob Manfred has said this, realized how much of a entertainment spectacle it was going to be in stadium, to have the big board show up and the, the animation. And I think that's a huge part of it.
Charlie Warzel· Host1:20
I'm Charlie Warzel, and this is Galaxy Brain, a show where today we're gonna counter-program the World