An independent minor league team in Northern California will use the computerized Pitch f/X video system to call balls and strikes in two games next week.
The San Rafael Pacifics, who play in the Pacific Association, will employ Pitch f/X July 28 and 29, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The games will be the first in professional baseball history in which a human will not be used to call balls and strikes.
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The Pitch F/X system consists of three cameras forming a triangular effect that judges a pitch’s trajectory and speed as it crosses the plate. The system is used on television broadcasts to determine a pitch’s location and also for umpires to self-evaluate.
Former major league outfielder Eric Byrnes, an advocate for computerized strike zones, will oversee Pitch f/X, which was developed by Sportvision Inc. of Fremont, Calif. There will also be an on-site review official, according to Pacifics assistant general manager Vinnie Longo.
Byrnes, who played 11 seasons in the majors and now works for MLB Network, is using the games to raise money for the Pat Tillman Foundation. Byrnes said he will donate $100 for every walk and strikeout, and $10,000 if he ejects a player or manager for arguing balls and strikes.
“Pat lived his life as a forward-thinking man, and I feel like the automated strike zone is a fitting way to honor his memory,” said Byrnes, who played two games for the Pacifics last year to raise money for the foundation. “Last year’s tribute to Pat was a huge success. Making history in his name is just another way to teach the next generation about who Pat Tillman was, what he stood for, and the incredible sacrifices he made.”
Tillman was a former Arizona State and Cardinals football player who left the NFL to join the U.S. Army following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Tillman was killed April 22, 2004, in Afghanistan.
The Pat Tillman Foundation provides educational scholarships to military veterans and has donated more than $6 million since 2004.