BALTIMORE (AP) — Pete Alonso skipped sideways toward first base while his drive sailed toward the foul pole in left field. Then he tossed the bat aside, seemingly convinced he’d hit a home run.From that distance and that angle, however, it was hard to be too certain.Alonso’s deep fly was ruled foul, and the call stood after a review in Baltimore’s 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night. That led to plenty of outcry — and calls for baseball to use technology to evaluate possible home runs near the foul pole.It doesn’t sound like that is imminent.If baseball were to start using additional technology on fly balls like these, it would have to be developed, tested and installed by MLB, according to a person with knowledge of the issue. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Unlike with the Automated Ball/Strike system, Hawk-Eye data above the foul pole is unlikely to be accurate that far from the field. It’s based on data from the first part of the ball’s flight, with the rest of the path estimated — meaning factors like wind aren’t fully accounted for.Before Thursday’s game, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said the front office had communicated with Major League Baseball about the call.
