Torey Lovullo Shares Thoughts on Dodgers, ABS Challenge System

As one might have heard, this year in Spring Training, the trial of an automatic ball strike challenge system will be in place to give MLB teams a chance to test it out.

Plus, the Dodgers spent an obscene amount of money in the offseason. Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo spoke to media about both of those topics.

This spring, in the ballparks that possess the ability to do ABS systems (such as Salt River Fields), both catchers and hitters will be able to challenge ball or strike calls throughout the game. However, each team only gets two guaranteed chances to challenge.

If the team is successful on the second challenge, they can keep challenging as long as they stay successful. The players challenge by immediately raising their hand to their head or the top of their helmet or hat.

The umpire will signal that there is a challenge, and the video board will display a video of where the ball landed, almost identically to how tennis does it when a player challenges if a ball was in or not.

The whole process takes about 15-30 seconds, and it's great to get fans involved and lessen the criticism on umpires.

Lovullo spoke about what it will look like: "You get a lot of, like, fun reaction from both the players and the fans during that, so it's kind of a little added bonus element to it."

"I think it's fun for the fans to see that. I go back to, like, the US Open, and they start to hum and whistle as it's getting closer and closer and closer to the target. I think it's good for the fan interaction," he said.

Plus, umpires know they have to be on top of their game even more since there is the potential for their calls to get overturned. And it allows players to have more faith in the umpire's calls.

"Yeah, I'm kind of excited about it. I'm learning a little bit about it and asking some questions about its usage in player development. I'm aware that you get two challenges," Lovullo said.

"It's got to basically be immediate. It's going to be available at all shared spring training facilities, so you won't have it at some of the stadiums. And I like it, I like the idea."

Lovullo continued with "I think baseball is trying to always move forward and make adjustments. It's a hard thing to do, and you've just got to pick the right time and the right environment to make changes to an unbelievable game.

"I think Michael Hill and that group, Commissioner Manfred, are constantly trying to make the game better."

A lot of fans and some players have pushed back against an automated strike zone, but this is somewhat of a compromise where umpires can still have that human element in calling games, but there is still room to ensure calls are accurate.

"I think if you can figure it out and do it right, I would welcome it. I think this is just a trial for us this spring to see what it looks like and get us used to it," Lovullo said.

Who will be allowed to challenge the calls is the question for Lovullo, because it could be unwise to challenge early in games.

Asked about that, he said "I don't know. I know that you get very engaged as an athlete, you think everything is going against you, and you can be reactive to that. It's great. I'll watch a player go crazy at home plate, go crazy in the dugout."

"I'm like, where was that pitch? And it was four balls off. It's the third one he's called on me. And I go back, and I look at the iPad, and it's actually a strike. I've got to filter that, and I've just got to be aware of who... is potentially ready to do something like that, and just rein them in."

Lovullo said he doesn't want to go through two in the first inning, he wants it to be "done right." As for if he believes pitchers are better at calling balls and strikes than hitters, Lovullo humorously said, "You're talking to a position player, so no. I don't."

Lovullo did say he'll miss the interactions with the umpires and occasionally getting thrown out of games, even though his youngest son eggs him on to get thrown out of more games.

"I miss different parts of the interactions with umpires, whether they're good or bad... I don't think I'm an a-hole all the time, but I can be every once in a while... My youngest son wants me to get thrown out every single day.

"He thinks it's great. He's like, Dad, that's great... You went off like a madman. I've seen that before in my bedroom. So, I just react to protect the players," Lovullo said.

Later, Lovullo was asked about his thoughts on the Dodgers' rampant spending spree and whether that's fair or good for baseball.

"I don't think it's unfair at all. They're within the rules. They're doing what they have to do to get the best players on the field. When I was a kid, it was the Yankees, remember? George Steinbrenner was going crazy with his spending, and it yielded world championships, and that's what we're all chasing."

He continued on by saying "We just sometimes choose a different recipe, but we all want the same outcome, and we want to win a world championship as bad as the Dodgers.

"But we were able to vet, know our kids, and they come through the system, and by the time they get here, they are true Arizona Diamondbacks."

Lovullo finished with "I think the challenges in free agency are getting the right guys, and they clearly have a very good vetting system because they have really good players and won last year. But, I have no problem with it. It's fair, and we've got to embrace it and just go out and compete."