Editor, Times-Union: Remember when movies that were supposed to take place in the future had the Cubs winning the World Series? Since we are living in the future, how might baseball change in the future? Computerization will change the game. Cameras and sensors behind and from the plate will call strikes and balls instead of umpires. When runners reach the bases, sensors in the base and gloves will determine if the runners reach the bases safely. If a second baseman doesn't touch second before throwing the ball to first, what is now considered a double play will be a single out. To get an edge, some players will use brain implants to slow time, supercharge the body with bursts of adrenaline, and react faster. Fast balls will seem like easy lobs over the plate and outfielders will leap high enough to keep balls from clearing the fences; 110 mph fast balls may become more common and average players will become fabulous. Unless all players are allowed to have brain implants they will become as illegal as steroids. Batting helmets will have earphones so that the batters won't need to get signals from the batting coaches at third. Wooden bats might be replaced by carbon fiber ones that will be stronger and lighter than wood. They will be bent slightly and aerodynamic grooves will let the bats travel faster. The length and weight of the bats as well as the sweet spot will be regulated so players don't have an unfair advantage. The handle and batting gloves will make it seem like the hands of the batters are glued to the bat. George Brett had the pine tar incident. Too rough a handle and too sticky of gloves may be like pine tar, and the use of each will be regulated. A century ago was the "dead ball" era when balls didn't fly off the bats as well as they do now. In the future, some teams might use moving centers in the balls so pitchers can control them better to make them dance across the plate. Too much dancing and officials will know the balls aren't legal. Experiencible program units will let people electronically experience ball games as if they were at the park. Hopefully the Cubs won't take another 108 years to win their next Series. At least with over a billion people experiencing the World Series a century from now, the team will make billions in revenues. The Frank Lloyd Wright Stratotower might replace Wrigley Field and the Cubs will play below the streets of Chicago. But they will win the Series again.
