Baseball ushers in high-tech replay review system for calling balls and strikes

For more than a century, baseball’s home plate umpires have called a ball or a strike based on interpretation of a vague, loosely defined strike zone.

For more than a century, baseball’s home plate umpires have called a ball or a strike based on interpretation of a vague, loosely defined strike zone.

The subjective calls decided at-bats, games, seasons and pennants — and, naturally, stirred endless debate.

Now, for the first time, this season Major League Baseball is instituting a review system in which players can challenge a ball-strike calls. Meaning: For the first time, the strike zone will be defined, and there will be a definitive answer to the debate.

The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which has been tested in the minor leagues and MLB spring training, will make its debut Wednesday night in the MLB season opener, when the San Francisco Giants play host to the New York Yankees — coincidentally in America’s high-tech capital.

After every pitch, when the umpire calls ball or strike, there will be a two-second window in which the batter, the pitcher or that catcher can initiate a challenge.