Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian shares his feelings on automated calls in baseball after viral moment in Angels vs Padres MLB training game

Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has thrown his support behind the usage of automated systems to call balls and strikes in baseball. Ohanian suggested that robots should take over these duties, allowing human umpires to focus on more dynamic aspects of the game.

Ohanian's comments came after a notable moment in a Spring Training game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, February 25, where the ABS challenge system was put to the test during the latter's 2-1 victory. In the game, Padres catcher Brett Sullivan contested a ball call by tapping his helmet, signaling for a review. The system determined that the ball was just an inch outside the strike zone, confirming the umpire’s original call.

Reacting to the ABS challenge on X, Ohanian expressed his enthusiasm for the system’s implementation, writing:

"Finally! Give the robots this job. Let umps be there to jaw with players and call home plate situations — not balls and strikes."

The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which allows players to contest umpire decisions on pitch calls, is currently being tested in over 60% of Spring Training games across 13 stadiums in Arizona and Florida.

The goal is to reduce human error and enhance the game's fairness while keeping the pace of play intact. Under the system, teams are granted two challenges per game, which are retained if successful.

Only the pitcher, catcher, or batter can initiate a challenge, and they must do so immediately, without input from the dugout. The review process is swift, averaging around 17 seconds per call.

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian praised Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani

In Picture: Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian (Source: Getty)

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, was disappointed by Team USA's 3-2 loss to Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final. But he was highly impressed by Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s motivational speech in the locker room before the game.

Before the game, he delivered a passionate speech urging his team to give their best against the USA. Ohanian shared a clip of the speech on his Instagram stories, praising Ohtani's leadership.

"I'm mad USA lost but Shohei Ohtani is so damn likeable," Ohanian wrote.

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian's on Instagram/@alexisohanian

In other news, Serena Williams playfully challenged her husband, Alexis Ohanian, to a fun and unique baseball game with their daughters, Olympia and Adira River.