The umpire debate rages on. MLB’s umpires have come under fire for what most call poor decision-making lately. It has led to fans calling for more use of technology in a world with no shortage of it. From college baseball to the big leagues, none are safe from bad calls. With many professionals weighing in on the argument, Alex Rodriguez, recently joined the talk.

The former New York Yankees player has seen his fair share of umpire controversies in his 22-season-long MLB career. While an occasional spat is typical when a player disagrees with a decision, the current debate is getting out of hand. And while most would prefer to be ‘out with the old, in with the new,‘ A-Rod wants to follow tradition.

Alex Rodriguez Makes Claim Against Robotic Umpires

Rodriguez’s experience in the league has enabled him to serve as an MLB analyst for FOX Sports for years. The former shortstop also appears on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball with Michael Kay on the KayRod Cast. Incidentally, in a discussion with Kay in 2019, Rodriguez stood up for conventional umps rather than bringing in robots. While he has raised eyebrows with some of his opinions before, this latest one will irk fans again.

Rodriguez recently shared a clip of a baseball game in action, but the camera focused on the catcher and the umpire. The man can be seen making a dance move as he spins on his right toe. The video then cuts to Rodriguez sitting in his house, possibly smoking a cigar, guessing from the smoke that billows around, making an important point.

“So that video is really funny, but here’s a serious message. I think umpires are the most undervalued asset in the game of baseball. They do a terrific job. They’re an incredible, important part of the fabric of Major League Baseball and its history.”

A-Rod says next. “And I hear that there are these robotic umpires that are in the works. My only advice to Major League Baseball is one – a little bit less tech, a little bit more humanity.”

Interestingly, the retired ballplayer had a few skirmishes with umpires back in the day.

A-Rod Once Called an Umpire Ejection ‘Unprofessional’

In 2009, Rodriguez faced ejection for the first time in five years for squabbling with an umpire. When he got struck out, he yelled at home plate ump Marty Foster during a match-up between the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles.

READ MORE – Another Game-Costing Bizarre Umpire’s Call Ignites Firestorm of Controversy, Fuels Calls for Robo Umps

Enraged at the decision, A-Rod told ESPN, “I thought in that situation, when we need a win today, for him to take it into his own hands with no warning, I thought it was very unprofessional.”

Fortunately, the situation didn’t escalate further, and the former Yankee still respects umps enough to fight for them repeatedly.

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